All in Oswald Chambers
Am I working hard enough and practicing my faith with enough diligence and dedication to, at last, be called a son of God? Is my faith increasing, and my everyday life reflecting that increase by exhibiting the characteristics of Jesus? Life doesn't grow easier for the Christian but it does grow more certain.
Visions and God's will, His plan, for us. This is my contemplation today. God gives us glimpses, and sometimes very detailed insights into what He has planned for us, and then He goes about accomplishing His will. The question becomes this... am I totally on board with His plan for me; am I excited about the vision (where He is taking me), or am I a reluctant passenger, ready to disembark before the the final destination has been reached? Are the goals I have for my life consistent with His?
Do I include the Lord in all of my plans? Do I consider him in the most minute details of my life? Is He not only my God in the grand plans of my life, but the friend who walks beside me throughout the day, and sits with me in the evenings to talk over the smallest details that have transpired? This is my contemplation today.
Being true to the Word of God while dealing gently with those who I come into contact with, as I spread the news of Christ's love and sacrifice. This is my concentration this morning; how to turn the heart of a failing individual without losing the patient in the process.
Am I a sinner? Am I leading a life of innocence, or seeking to be pure? Will God forgive me when I sin against Him? These are the questions I am asking myself as I contemplate sin in my life, and the world around me.
I fail in a certain regard almost every day. It is so hard for me not to judge the actions of those around me, and in this, if it were not for the Atonement of Christ, I would be lost. Seeing, and turning our noses up at sinners is just too natural for us.
Who have we prayed for today? Does the heart of an intercessor live within us? Are we hoarding the atonement of Christ, or sharing its realization with others? These are the questions to ask ourselves this morning.
Do you follow Jesus without second thought? Do you give your faith free and unquestioned rein to rule your life? These are the questions that face us all and the crux of my morning contemplation.
Do I have the serenity in my life that Jesus had in His? Is my life spent settled into constant comfort and peace, and if not... why isn't it? Perhaps I am not truly abiding in Christ. These thoughts were provoked in me by my reading this morning.
Coming to Jesus; this is my contemplation this morning. Is this the physical act of circumcision, baptism, and communion, or something far deeper and more spiritual? What does Jesus mean by these three simple words... "Come unto me."
Am I running the race that God has laid out before me, or am I like the horse that never left the gate when the gun sounded? Is the call of the Lord fading into the distance, or am I following His call into an exciting adventure? These are the questions to ponder today.
Working out our own salvation; this is my contemplation this morning. What is my role in salvation, and has God been working in me willfully to His good pleasure?
I will not be afraid today. My God stands with me, and in trusting this, I fear nothing. Are you facing the world alone? Do you come up against trouble and then seek God? Try walking with Him before hardship arrives!
God never forsakes us, but this morning we will contemplate the fear of His abandonment. We will think about a particular time of doubt... the routine nature of our lives.
If left to our own devices, what would we be like? If God was withdrawn from our equation what would the solution of our life be? I don't know if I really want to contemplate this or not because something tells me I won't like what I find.