What do you want? What will you get? by Oswald Chambers "And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But, I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go." Jer. 45:5 Are you seeking great things for yourself? Not seeking to be a great one, but seeking great things from God for yourself. God wants you in a closer relationship to himself than receiving his gifts; he wants you to get to know him. A great thing is accidental; it comes and goes. God never gives us anything accidental. Nothing is easier than getting into a right relationship. with God except when it is not God whom you want, but only what he gives. If you have only come the length of asking God for things, you have never come to the first strand of abandonment; you have become a Christian from a standpoint of your own. "I did ask God for the Holy Spirit, but he did not give me the rest and peace I expected." Instantly God puts his finger on the reason: You are not seeking the lord at all; you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus says, "Ask, and it will be given to you" (Matt. 7:7). Ask God for what you want, and you cannot ask if you are not asking for a right thing. When you draw near to God, you cease from asking for things. "For your Father knows what you end before you ask him" (Matt. 6:8). Then why ask? That you may get to know him ... "But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go." This is the unshakable secret of the Lord to those who trust him: I will give you your life. What more does a man want than his life? It is the essential thing. "Your life as prize means that wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life; nothing can harm it. So many of us are caught up in the show of things, not in the way of property and possessions, but of blessings. All these have to go; but there is something grander that never can go — the life that is "hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). Are you prepared to let God take you into union with himself, and pay no more attention to what you call the "great things"? Are you prepared to abandon entirely and let go? The test of abandonment is in refusing to say "well what about this?" Beware of suppositions. Immediately you allow "what about this?" it means you have not abandoned; you do not really trust God. Immediately you do abandon, you think no more about what God is going to do. Abandon means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions. If you abandon entirely to God, he says at once, "I will give you your life as a prize." ... when you do get through to abandonment to God, you will be the most surprised and delighted creature on earth; God has got you absolutely and has given you your life. If you are not there it is either because of disobedience or a refusal to be simple enough.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 12:40:04 +0000
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