God's Purpose or Mine?

"He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side . . ." Mark 6:45

If you read my last post (that I wrote just a few minutes ago!) you know I'm on overload today and since I was having trouble deciding which to write about, decided to go with both!

A number of years ago when I realized I wanted and needed a daily quiet time with the Lord and wanted to dig deeper into His Word, I wasn't sure how to go about it. Obviously I needed to open my Bible and read it more often than I was currently doing, but I just felt like I needed some help and a bit of a push. When I went to the Christian bookstore, I don't know if I was looking in the wrong place, didn't know what I was looking for, or if God hid all the other daily devotionals from me, but the only one I found that day was "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

What a blessing! I read it sporadically at first, but I have now read it through several years in a row. God speaks to me through OC so often and so directly! I am an "underliner". In my current copy of this precious devotional book, I have underlines, highlights, notes, stars, and now multiple favorite pages turned down for quick reference3 when I need an extra boost. By now that's at least every 4th page!

This morning's reading is a page turner with underlines and stars - and that's from previous years! I'll have to add some highlights or something because God surely hit me over the head with His message today! Rather than go into what God said to me through this reading today, I am going to put it here so He can speak to you too. I am so disappointed this blogger doesn't allow me to underline! So, I'm going to boldface my underlines and make the star sentences italic! :-) It begins with the scripture above ( Mark 6:45) and goes on to say:

We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. (not what I wanted to hear this morning! tlb) We have the idea the God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance , and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.

What is my vision of God's purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish - His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see "him walking on the sea" with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see "Him walking on the sea" (6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God's training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very moment, not for sometime in the future. WE have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.

God's purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.

(me again - tlb) My prayer for today is that God speaks to you through this verse and the associated writing so that you can join me in living your life in the obedience of glorifying our Lord in all we say, do and think. AMEN!