path

This morning my devotional began with Oswald Chambers, 'My Utmost For His Highest' entitled Deserter or Disciple?

To put this devotion in my words, or how this touched me enough to get me out of bed on this cold cold Saturday, was how Mr. Chambers is saying that once you come to know of God and recognize the truth, that if you continue to walk, live and think in your 'old' way, then it is far worse for you.

I need to stay on the path that I began when I first recognized the truth of God and how He loved us so much that He sent His Son. I need to stay with the Lord. I need to learn all I can, and just soak in His Word, revel in His worship and share my journey.

So, this morning I am going to read each verse Mr. Chambers points out by opening the study Bible that my beautiful daughter gifted me this Christmas of 2012.

I have utmost.org open on my tablet and the Bible open as well, pen and notepad, two dogs surrounding me, a space heater warming us and a little boy asleep in the bedroom. Life is good!

Here are the verses outlined in his devotional:

1 John 1:7
Acts 26:19
Luke 12:15
John 6:66

John 6:66 is the verse that triggered my desire to look into this devotional further. (When I wake up I look at my Facebook account and I have a whole lot of devotionals that pop up. Dr. McGee, Grace to You, Intentional Living are just a few of them. Each day I learn a little from each of them, but today, Oswald Chambers is the one that really spoke to my heart/mind.)

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
~John 6:66

Talk about my heart hurting. I hurt that those people left Jesus. How could they do that? Then I realized that this could be (is) me. When I spend my days watching television, or going to movies or even worse - at the casino, these are days ignoring my God, wasting my days and not sharing His love. (Yeah, like I can share His love. (Since I am grouchy and selfish and . . . but I'm working on it, or, the Holy Spirit is working within me so that I will be able to share His love.) I know how it happened that they left Him. Instead of submersing yourself in Him, you allow everything else to crowd Him out.

Questions I ask myself are: Where is most of your time spent? Your Money? Your thoughts? They say that this shows where your God is.

1 John 1:17

7But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

I see this verse as a promise with an excellent reward!

Walk in His light (His words)
The knowledge you learn share with others and learn from them.
Then Jesus washes us.

Acts 26:19,20

19“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Repent, turn to God, do works befitting repentence (Matt 3:8)

Ah, notice that a lot of 'Christians' think that all they have to do is confess and repent . . . they conveniently forget that last bit - the works. (I am a HUGE avoider of work as well. I have all kinds of excuses as to why I can't go to church or why I can't do this or that. Argh!)

Luke 12:15

15And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Beware of covetousness

This is a big one for me. I get so jealous of everyone's talents. I want each and every one. I want to be able to paint, I want to be able to speak, I want to be able to write, I want to be able to love . . . I think this keeps me from discovering my talent. Which is just one level of the destruction of coveting.