Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Daily Reflections with Oswald Chambers [September 14, 2013]
My Utmost for His Highest (The Golden Book of Oswald Chambers;1992) ^ | 1935/1992 | Oswald Chambers

Posted on 09/14/2013 7:15:14 AM PDT by Vision

Arguments or Obedience

". . . the simplicity that is in Christ."

—2 Corinthians 11:3

Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).

Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.


TOPICS: Ecumenism; General Discusssion; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: prayer; reflection; selfexamination
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was born July 24, 1874, in Aberdeen, Scotland. Converted in his teen years under the ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, he studied art and archaeology at the University of Edinburgh before answering a call from God to the Christian ministry. He then studied theology at Dunoon College. From 1906-1910 he conducted an itinerant Bible-teaching ministry in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

In 1910, Chambers married Gertrude Hobbs. They had one daughter, Kathleen.

In 1911 he founded and became principal of the Bible Training College in Clapham, London, where he lectured until the school was closed in 1915 because of World War I. In October 1915 he sailed for Zeitoun, Egypt (near Cairo), where he ministered to troops from Australia and New Zealand as a YMCA chaplain. He died there November 15, 1917, following surgery for a ruptured appendix.

Although Oswald Chambers wrote only one book, Baffled to Fight Better, more than thirty titles bear his name. With this one exception, published works were compiled by Mrs. Chambers, a court stenographer, from her verbatim shorthand notes of his messages taken during their seven years of marriage. For half a century following her husband's death she labored to give his words to the world.

My Utmost For His Highest, his best-known book, has been continuously in print in the United States since 1935 and remains in the top ten titles of the religious book bestseller list with millions of copies in print. It has become a Christian classic.


1 posted on 09/14/2013 7:15:14 AM PDT by Vision
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Come to these threads as you are; leave with what you have discovered.

Absolutely no flaming! These daily threads are intended to be devotional in nature. If a particular day's offering says nothing to you, please just go on and wait for the next day. Consider these threads a DMZ of sorts, a place where a perpetual truce is in effect and a place where all other arguments and disagreements from other times and places are left behind.

I can attest from personal experience that reading from Chambers daily will almost certainly change - not one's faith - but one's perspective of his/her own faith, and open up new vistas in your spiritual life. If - when - this happens to a reader of these threads, and they choose to share what has happened within them - we are treading on hallowed ground. Be respectful.

- Religion Moderator

2 posted on 09/14/2013 7:15:33 AM PDT by Vision (Trayvon Martin illustrates the bankruptcy of the modern civil rights movement.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Religion Moderator; 185JHP; 1lawlady; 2nd amendment mama; abigail2; al_c; Alamo-Girl; AlguyA; ...
Daily Reflections with Oswald Chambers Ping!

"Arguments or Obedience"
3 posted on 09/14/2013 7:16:04 AM PDT by Vision (Trayvon Martin illustrates the bankruptcy of the modern civil rights movement.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Vision

wow~ another thought provoker!
Good Morning Vision and thanks for sending this out.
It takes time to do it and I appreciate it..


4 posted on 09/14/2013 7:42:23 AM PDT by pollywog ("O Thou who changest not, abide with me.".......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Vision
Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear.

Indeed. Thank you for this beautiful devotion!
5 posted on 09/14/2013 8:03:54 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: pollywog

Morning polly.


6 posted on 09/14/2013 8:26:15 AM PDT by Vision (Trayvon Martin illustrates the bankruptcy of the modern civil rights movement.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson