be.reckless.immediately

Last week I got a great surprise in the mail...my Chloe friend sent me "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers...& a beautiful one, at that!

I've been loving it...but the one from yesterday, I just need to tell you about.  Ok, actually, I'm just going to type it all out because I underlined so much that I might as well put the whole thing.  *Em, this made me think of you & your time with Karen :) *

Keep Recognizing Jesus

"...Peter...walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid..." Matthew 14:29-30

The wind really was boisterous & the waves really were high, but Peter didn't see them at first.  He didn't consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, & "walked on the water."  Then he began to take those things around him into account, & instantly, down he went.  Why couldn't our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them?  He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter's continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.

We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives & down we go.  If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how & where He engineers your circumstances.  The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, & even unable to recognize Jesus.  THen comes His rebuke, "...why did you doubt?" (14:31).  Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance on Him. 

If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you.  Never start to say, "Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?"  Be reckless immediately -- totally unrestrained & willing to risk everything -- by casting your all upon Him.  You do not know when His voice will come to you but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him.  It is only through abandonment of yourself & your circumstances that you will recognize Him.  You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness -- being willing to risk your all.

Much of this was just what I needed to hear...& some was a slap in the face.  A good, needed slap in the face.  How often do we (me being the worst about this) worry about our circumstances?  I definitely don't think we're just supposed to sit back & let God bring a job, money, insurance, husband, friends, etc, to our doorstep...but if it is drawing us away from Him instead of moving us to trust Him more, there's a problem.

And that in the last paragraph about doubting what God has told you...I've done that so many times.  There have been a handful of times in my life that I've KNOWN what God was saying to me.  Even when others questioned me, I knew.  And then I turned & questioned God...are You suuure that's what you meant to tell me?  No.  When you've heard God, you know it.  Don't question what He's told you.  Don't question why He's picked you.  Don't question His timing or His methods.  I'm talking to myself here...but it applies to everyone.

I love when God just throws something in your face right when you need it.  So refreshing to know that He knows my weaknesses & loves me the same.