Last week’s topic was a difficult one that has required me to carefully consider myself and painful trials in my journey in ministry. This week, God has spoken truth and encouragement into my life through several of Oswald Chamber’s devotionals. I will be discussing truths mainly from July 6’s “Visions Becoming Reality”, July 7 “All Efforts of Worth and Excellence Are Difficult,” and ending with July 9 “Will You Examine Yourself?” All devotionals are available online at utmost.org. organized by date. Encourage you to read them for yourself and make some notes! All quotes will be from these devotionals, and scriptures from Berean Standard Bible. Quotes are used for educational, non-profit purposes.
Truth 1: God calls the weak to His service. He makes us mighty trophies of His Grace
When God calls anyone to His service, a process begins. First, we come to know and relate to Him personally! His work in our life is the foundational base for any “vision” or works through us. This is a personal and intimate work! God knows all of our strengths, weaknesses, hurts, and natural tendencies. As Paul opens his letter to the Corinthians he reminds them:
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Wisdom from God
26Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast in His presence.
30It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
The context of this passage is that the Message of the Cross seems foolish to the wise men of that age. The Philosophers (Greeks) desired wisdom and the Scribes (religious Hebrews) wanted “signs.” Even today people reject the Gospel because of the Message of the Cross for various reasons. For some, it doesn’t make sense that God would send Jesus. For others, they reject the necessity of God dealing with sin because they don’t believe humans are fallen.
The main point is that God calls the weak ones and lowly people to His salvation! God wants us to boast in Him–specifically His Grace. Our journey of faith begins when He calls us to salvation, and Holy Spirit comes into our lives to regenerate us.
Truth 2: We Are His Workmanship and Proclaim His Grace
Ephesians 2:4-10
4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
The song “Nothing But the Blood” sums up this truth so well! God’s saves us through His Mercy and Grace so that we will boast in Him and not in ourselves! God’s grace is a gift–not something we are worthy of or earn through our works. It’s all about His Grace, Kindness, and Mercy! People saved by grace become people who show grace to others
Truth 3: God’s Vision Shapes and Humbles Us
Chambers describes God’s vision becoming real in us as being a “valley experience.” God’s call on my life has followed this pattern. I am writing from personal experience and considering how God acts in His Word with others. Consider the following insights:
First Insight: when God’s call comes to you (call or vision), it will lead to a crisis in which you will choose to follow God or remain comfortable/safe. God calls every believer to take up his/her cross and die to self. This call requires that we make our lives centered on Christ and becoming more like Him! Abraham, Moses, David, and Elijah walked with God through trials and desert seasons of life. They had to believe and rely upon God’s Promises knowing that what God promises He will accomplish. This is the Journey of Faith! Everyone who walks with God is changed and molded by the Great Potter!
Recall that God works through everyday circumstances and difficulties to increase our trust and dependence upon Him. Chambers puts it this way:
God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience.
July 6 Visions Becoming Reality
Chambers explains that while we are still in the “light of the glory of the vision” that God begins to work to make the vision real to us. He describes this process:
God has to take us into the valley and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the point where He can trust us with the reality of the vision. Ever since God gave us the vision, He has been at work. He is getting us into the shape of the goal He has for us, and yet over and over again we try to escape from the Sculptor’s hand in an effort to batter ourselves into the shape of our own goal.
July 6 Visions Becoming Reality
Working in any ministry, seeking to live for God requires patience, courage, and wisdom. In my previous post, I wrote about some difficult experiences in ministry. Looking back, I discern God’s moving me in the direction of being more like Him. Just as God graciously forgives my numerous sins, so I am called to forgive others not holding their harsh words/actions against them. God loves me unconditionally because He is love; therefore, I seek to love others through Him instead of through my own efforts/power.
Second Insight: success is becoming more like Jesus. It’s not about ministry numbers (how many people saved, how many attend) and/or how many people like or respond to ministry! Success is becoming more like Jesus and loving/serving others for His Kingdom and Glory, not mine! God uses our hurts, brokenness, and failures to work in our lives as we depend on Him instead of ourselves!
Third Insight: God’s vision draws us to be more like Him and less like our world/fallen natures. God shapes and molds us to become what He desires us to be. This is a process that happens over time–not instant or painless!
The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down here. Allow the Potter to put you on His wheel and whirl you around as He desires. Then as surely as God is God, and you are you, you will turn out as an exact likeness of the vision. But don’t lose heart in the process. If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it.
July 6 Visions Becoming Reality
Truth 4: God Calls Us to Do Difficult Things
While God’s grace is given, God gives us challenging things to do! Chambers express this call
If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in— it stirs us up to overcome. Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory?
July 7 All Efforts of Worth and Excellence Are Difficult
The challenge calls us to overcome! Remember that followers of Christ are Victors, we’re more than conquerors though Him (Romans 8).
Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth.
July 7, All Efforts of Worth and Excellence Are Difficult
God calls us to be sons and daughters. God doesn’t exempt us from the difficult and often painful process of becoming like Christ. Remember and meditate on this truth when difficulties and choices come upon you in your life.
Conclusion:
God’s grace is sufficient for our needs! I created a quick video of slides and music for you to enjoy using Canva Pro from the July 9 devotional. Music is Something Good by Velveteen with Emmi audio included with Canva Pro license. May God’s presence encourage and strengthen you on your journey of faith!
Words of Grace & Hope 