His Authority vs Our Convictions
With the past semester going into Christmas and now with the new year beginning, I've been caught up in the hustle and bustle of getting things done, the stress of fiances, and the overwhelming realization that I cannot possibly hear my own voice above the thousands of other voices crowding in. Through even just this week, I've learned many lessons, but one in particular has stuck out to me.
Tonight, I decided to put aside certain homework for another day as it wasn't super pressing and began by enjoying my 1 1/2 hr. before work to watch a movie and eat a freezer dinner. I was absolutely exhausted but knew I needed some downtime. This was the first real moment all day I had to myself.
The movie was enjoyable at first until it began to reach the climax of the ending and the stress and turmoil the characters were feeling started to give me anxiety. I shut my computer and began to reason with myself. I'd been feeling stressed all day about a particular thing and it now began to fully rear its ugly head and taunt me with lies that there was only one option I could choose and all other ones were out of the question.
Then it hit me. I began to pray. "You say to ask for wisdom so I ask for wisdom. I ask for peace and to give me clear direction. Help me hear you voice above all others." I fell on my knees and told the Lord how holy and mighty He was and that there was no one like Him. I got up and sat back on the couch, sinking back on the cushions and sighing.
As clear as day He spoke to me and I knew peace. Like "WHOA." I knew in that moment how much the Lord loved me, the way He just met me where I was and answered my pleas. I knew what I needed to do.
"The Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand…” (Isaiah 8:11). There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances. -Oswald Chambers
It may be confusing because I'm not giving names or direct circumstances, but I wanted to encourage you that if you ask boldly but humbly, the Lord will answer you. I rely so much on my own understanding or what people advise me on and forgot that ultimately the Lord has the answers.
God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, “I know that this is what I should do” — and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. “He…rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of’ ” (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13. -Oswald Chambers
Oswald always, always speaks directly into my circumstances and I cannot fail to share his spiritual wisdom on my blog. I hope this speaks to you but that also that you feel convicted. You cannot possibly understand yourself or your circumstances without Him, so stop trying. Know that the Lord literally loves you till death he part but rises again to set us free. Take heart in that and be bold in your love for Him for He was bold for you.
Good evening to all and to all a goodnight!
Tonight, I decided to put aside certain homework for another day as it wasn't super pressing and began by enjoying my 1 1/2 hr. before work to watch a movie and eat a freezer dinner. I was absolutely exhausted but knew I needed some downtime. This was the first real moment all day I had to myself.
The movie was enjoyable at first until it began to reach the climax of the ending and the stress and turmoil the characters were feeling started to give me anxiety. I shut my computer and began to reason with myself. I'd been feeling stressed all day about a particular thing and it now began to fully rear its ugly head and taunt me with lies that there was only one option I could choose and all other ones were out of the question.
Then it hit me. I began to pray. "You say to ask for wisdom so I ask for wisdom. I ask for peace and to give me clear direction. Help me hear you voice above all others." I fell on my knees and told the Lord how holy and mighty He was and that there was no one like Him. I got up and sat back on the couch, sinking back on the cushions and sighing.
As clear as day He spoke to me and I knew peace. Like "WHOA." I knew in that moment how much the Lord loved me, the way He just met me where I was and answered my pleas. I knew what I needed to do.
"The Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand…” (Isaiah 8:11). There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances. -Oswald Chambers
It may be confusing because I'm not giving names or direct circumstances, but I wanted to encourage you that if you ask boldly but humbly, the Lord will answer you. I rely so much on my own understanding or what people advise me on and forgot that ultimately the Lord has the answers.
God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, “I know that this is what I should do” — and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. “He…rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of’ ” (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13. -Oswald Chambers
Oswald always, always speaks directly into my circumstances and I cannot fail to share his spiritual wisdom on my blog. I hope this speaks to you but that also that you feel convicted. You cannot possibly understand yourself or your circumstances without Him, so stop trying. Know that the Lord literally loves you till death he part but rises again to set us free. Take heart in that and be bold in your love for Him for He was bold for you.
Good evening to all and to all a goodnight!
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