From My Utmost for His Highest

Rise, let us be going —Matthew 26

One of Chambers’ strengths is the ability to take the smallest piece of Scripture and draw it into a real life scenario. It’s a great yin to my yang because I try and expand perspective and put Scripture into the context of the greater story at play within the Gospel.

Chambers looks at this experience the Apostles had in Gethsemane and the despair they felt at falling asleep in Jesus’ last hours. His message is that Christians will fail, but that to avoid despair we must “rise… [and] be going.”

In the course of these 75 verses, linked above in Matthew 26, we near the crescendo of an old story. Spread over thousands of years, this is the story of a great One, worthy of love and praise, Who is denied it by an entire family-your family. So over many lifetimes, One follows, waits, helps, encourages and admonishes with loving wisdom at each turn so that at just the right moment…

    From My Utmost for His Highest

Samuel answered, ’Speak, for Your servant hears’ —1 Samuel 3

A woman walks in to a restaurant to meet a friend. He’s late, as usual, so she sits down to wait at the table.

When the man arrives, he immediately launches into everything that’s happened to him since they last met—what he’s lost, what he’s done, what he needs. He’s unstoppable. The man cares deeply about (some of) the things and people he’s discussing, but he just goes on and on.

Lunch comes. The check comes. And just as abruptly as it started…

    From My Utmost for His Highest

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You —Isaiah 26

What was it like to enter the throne room of a king like Alexander the Great or Xerxes or Nebuchadnezzar?

I imagine it to be protected by huge golden doors. Guards would be everywhere and the court would be full of people looking on and leaning in to hear the conversation at the throne. I imagine a long red carpet leading to a giant throne where the king would sit.

It would be beautiful, but also a place of fear because…

    From My Utmost for His Highest

I am already being poured out as a drink offering . . . —2 Timothy 4

In Gethsemane, Jesus said, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” The Anchor Bible Commentary on this Scripture says, “The cup (Greek poterion) is not only the cup of divine wrath and judgment, but it was also an expression common in the ancient world as a symbol for destiny or fate.”

Chambers, in today’s devotional asks, “Are you ready to be poured out as an offering?” I’m linking these two Scripture together because being poured out sounds so very impossible, until we see the path ahead and the path back.

See, the thing that’s poured out is not typically our lives. More often, it is a willingness to take my destiny—the things that I’VE dreamed for MY life—and pour them out for God. One constant throughout the Bible is that God blesses those who take something they should love, something that should make them significant, something that should give them security, and put it on an altar to pour out for Him.

I am mid-pour. Sometimes I...

    From My Utmost for His Highest

The love of Christ compels us . . . —2 Corinthians 5

I had something in my conversion story that was different than anyone else I’ve met.

From the moment I released and began to follow Christ, it all felt urgent—like I needed to hurry up and be ready. If Jesus stayed in Capernaum for three weeks, it felt like I’d met Him at noon on the last day and had a few hours to decide and pack and leave for Jerusalem if I wanted to follow Him.

Others/Most have had it worse, but this reordering of my life and loves and thirsts caused some chaffing at work, home and really, everywhere. I was transferring out of the program to continue biggering (my house, my Clients, my lifestyle, my friends—everything) and trying to see things as Jesus saw them.

I felt an immense pressure that’s hard to explain, but I think I was used to being a king. Now I had another King telling me how I should do things. And so, I did something that I’ve regretted for a long time since…

    From My Utmost for His Highest

Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3

I listen to sermons in my car because it’s how God speaks to me.  That probably seems weird, but it happens nearly every time.

I select them at random.  Sometimes they’re on the radio, sometimes it’s an old podcast but the truth they deliver is typically (eerily) timely. Today’s was A Covenant Relationship. This sermon that Tim Keller preached nearly seven years ago fits perfectly with struggles I’ve written about here and the devotional that Chambers wrote nearly 100 years ago. In my experience, God works like that.

I see God at work here because...

    From My Utmost for His Highest

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26

I’ve been slowly working through The Bible miniseries with my kids and a few nights ago, we got to the Passion scene.  It’s one thing to read about it and imagine it, but then seeing it acted out...

Chambers, today, asks a few pointed questions:

     Are you determined to have your own way in living for God?

     Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach?

Seeing soldiers beat Jesus blown up on the screen reminded me of the harsh world that Jesus walked.  It’s shocking and brutal, but no less harsh for Jesus than the world we live in today.

See, I think something hurt far worse than the lashes... 

    From My Utmost for His Highest

We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image . . . —2 Corinthians 3:18

Ever get ready to receive a compliment—I might even begin to put on my humility cloak thinking, “Oh no. That’s kind of you, but if you only knew.”—and instead you get a punch in the gut?

That’s what Chambers did for me today. That first paragraph seemed like a pat on the back, but…

  From My Utmost for His Highest

Thus says the Lord: ’I remember . . . the kindness of your youth . . .’ —Jeremiah 2:2

What is the kindest thing we can do for God?

I’ve never asked that question before, but reading Chambers’ devotion for today, what is the kindest thing you/I/we do for God? Maybe helping someone out today would be the kindest thing? How about spending the day playing with the kids? How about cleaning up around the house? Or would it be throwing this all away, packing up and feeding kids in Africa-my mother-in-law is on the edge of her seat for this one…

My own struggle is with love. I don’t want more than a couple drinks. God put my lust in check and I’ve got a hold on greed, I think. I mean to say that I don’t have some of the public struggles that tear families apart, or do I?

     From My Utmost for His Highest

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ’Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ’Here am I! Send me’ —Isaiah 6

Sometimes men refuse the call of God because they’re worried that He’ll tell them to go somewhere they don’t want to go. I get that, but it’s the wrong thing to worry about.

In my experience, it’s not that God will ask you to do something you don’t want to do.  He most certainly will.  Count on that. But it’s no cause to worry because . . .