Challenged and Inspired
It is great to be inspired and challenged through stretching your understanding of God.
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.- John Piper
"difficulty comes in when we want to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own ends.”- Oswald Chambers
As we continue to look at quotes that both challenge and inspire us, the two above from John Piper and Oswald Chambers definitely fit the bill. When we are most satisfied in God, it means we are looking for lesser things to satisfy us and so we do glorify Him in those moments. The problem is i often find it hard to rest in those moments or to stay consistent in the application of this very profound truth. I often veer off into directions of my own choosing, and they never satisfy as much as when I am totally satisfied in the Lord and what He offers me: peace, gratitude, contentment and joy that is not circumstantial. I do pray to make this more real in my life, to stop fading back to old habits and mindsets that only leave me feeling empty. God deserves all the glory, and he gets it when we are most satisfied in Him.
Oswald Chambers teaching is so provocative with its penetrating truth. The truth is we often create stress in our own lives, and we bring problems upon ourselves when we try to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own means. Chambers says "Whenever a thing becomes difficult in personal experience, we are in danger of blaming God, but it is we who are in the wrong, not God. There is some perversity somewhere that we will not let go. Immediately when we do, everything becomes as clear as daylight. As long as we try to serve two ends, ourselves and God, there is perplexity. The attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. When once we get there, there is nothing easier than living the saintly life; difficulty comes in when we want to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own ends."
"Whenever you obey God, His seal is always that of peace, the witness of an unfathomable peace, which is not natural, but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, tarry till it does or find out the reason why it does not. If you are acting on an impulse, or from a sense of the heroic, the peace of Jesus will not witness; there is no simplicity or confidence in God, because the spirit of simplicity is born of the Holy Ghost, not of your decisions. Every decision brings a reaction of simplicity.- Oswald Chambers
“My questions come whenever I cease to obey. When I have obeyed God, the problems never come between me and God, they come as probes to keep the mind awake and amazed at the revelation of God. Any problem that comes between God and myself springs out of disobedience; any problem, and there are many, that is alongside me while I obey God, increases my ecstatic delight, because I know that my Father knows, and I am going to watch and see how He unravels this thing.”- Oswald Chambers
Wow- these are amazingly deep thoughts to ponder to bring peace and clarity to our lives. I am grateful for people who challenge us and inspire us with their teaching. Lord, may you be glorified in all. Romans 11:36 sums it up well "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
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