Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Devotional 171109

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. I was running back and forth of airport for our incoming coworkers from overseas. Our International staff meeting will start tomorrow. Staffs from our area offices and mission fields are heading back for a week of fellowship time. It is exciting to see all these coworkers from all over the world getting together for some strategic planning session together. It is a very significant event.

"By Myself have I sworn, said the Lord, for because you have done this thing . . . that in blessing I will bless you. . . ." (Genesis 22:15-19). Abraham has reached the place where he is in touch with the very nature of God, he understands now the Reality of God.

"My goal is God Himself . . .At any cost, dear Lord, by any road." "At any cost, by any road" means nothing self-chosen in the way God brings us to the goal.

There is no possibility of questioning when God speaks if He speaks to His own nature in me; prompt obedience is the only result. When Jesus says - "Come," I simply come; when He says - "Let go," I let go; when He says - "Trust in God in this matter," I do trust. The whole working out is the evidence that the nature of God is in me.

God's revelation of Himself to me is determined by my character, not by God's character. "'This is because I am mean, Your ways so often look mean to me." By the discipline of obedience I get to the place where Abraham was and I see Who God is. I never have a real God until I have come face to face with Him in Jesus Christ, then I know that "in all the world, my God, there is none but Thee, there is none but Thee." The promises of God are of no value to us until by obedience we understand the nature of God. We read some things in the Bible three hundred and sixty-five times and they mean nothing to us, then all of a sudden we see what God means, because in some particular we have obeyed God, and instantly His nature is opened up. "All the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen." The "yes" must be born of obedience; when by the obedience of our lives we say "Amen" to a promise, then that promise is ours.

This is the spiritual discipline that we all need to go through, either willingly or unwillingly. There will be times in our lives that God will shape and mold us in according to His nature. God wants us to learn obedience, which is the lesson for abundant living. We thought we know better how to lead an abundant life. Our understanding of abundant life is nothing but materialistic wealth or well being. But God’s abundant life is a joyful living from inside out. As our will totally surrender to His plan, we live out the purpose that He created us for; we will then find fulfillment in life. It is not a easy lesson. It will certainly take a life time for us to learn and experience His greatness.

Please remember us in your prayers as we will host our International Staff and Board meeting this whole week. Pray that God will reveal Himself to us as we talk about some strategic issues of our development. Most likely you will not hear from me since I will be fully occupied. Immediately after the meeting, I will fly to Hong Kong with my family for a week of vacation. On my way back, I will transfer to New York for a week of mission conference until 12/7. Check my blog if you want to find out how my trip goes in the next coming few weeks, even though I may not be able to write you my devotional. If you want to keep reading the book “my utmost for His highest,” you may go directly to their website: www.myutmost.org.

May God bless you with a closer walk with Him daily!

Love you in Christ,
Lawrence

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