Hello,
This is Beth Dishman. I am the Publicity Coordinator for ISBC Women's Ministry. I recently bought a WONDERFUL Devotional book for myself that you may have heard of, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. This book has spoken to me in so many ways on so many days! I would like to share some of these devotionals with you in weekly posts on our blog. I hope they touch your heart as they do mine!
From "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers
February 16
The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative; "Arise from the dead....." (Ephesians 5:14)
Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, "Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard - just do what needs to be done!" That is what we mean by ordinary human initiative. But when the Spirit of God comes to us and says, in effect, "Get up and get going, " suddenly we find the initiative is inspired.
We all have many dreams and aspirations when we are young, but sooner or later we realize we have no power to accomplish them. We cannot do the things we long to do, so our tendency is to think of our dreams and aspirations as dead. But God comes and says to us, "Arise from the dead...."When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with such miraculous power that we are able to "arise from the dead" and do the impossible. The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we "get up and get going." God does not give us overcoming life - He gives us life as we overcome. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, "Arise from the dead...," we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand, "Stretch out your hand" (Matthew 12:13). As soon as the man did so, his hand was healed. But he had to take the initiative. If we will take the initiative to overcome, we will find that we have the inspiration of God, because He immediately gives us the power of life.
Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd.
Thank you Oswald! Next week we will read about "Taking the Initiative Against Depression"
