The Greatest Hope

I'm inserting a link to the June 1 entry of Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest."
http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php. Of course, if you own the devotional (I highly recommend that you have a copy; it's high on my list of 'must haves') just get it out and read today's entry.

Here's a couple of statements that especially struck me:

"It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration." Am I so busy trying to "fix" a situation that I have forgotten to ask God what He wants to do, and how He is best glorified?

"The degree of hopelessness I have for others comes from never realizing that God has done anything for me. . . .The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience." Do I believe that God can do miracles? Are those "miracles" limited to only what I can see? Am I more concerned about my reputation as a fixer than I am that the people with whom I interact see Jesus, and desire to live fully-devoted, God-following lives?

"If the Spirit of God has ever given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He will only do this when His Spirit is at work in you), then you know that in reality there is no criminal half as bad as you yourself could be without His grace." Do I tend to give the impression that I have "arrived?" When I'm frustrated at people's bad decisions, am I forgetting all the mistakes I've made?

Oh, how I need God's grace! The longer I live, the more I know how "poor in spirit" I truly am. I wasted so many years trying to "prove" to God that it was worth His while to save me. The truth is, God wants an empty vessel in which to pour His life; He doesn't need someone who offers a clay pot filled with junk!

When it comes down to the basics, all I have to offer anyone is "Jesus rescued me from certain death (spiritually, emotionally, physically). Are you tired of trying to be your own rescuer? Jesus is waiting to rescue you, too. That's why He died (to satisfy the wrath of God that we deserve); He rose again to conquer death. We just need to come to Him with "empty hands," knowing that we have nothing to offer. We need to repent of our sin (stop dead in my tracks and decide to go a different way, i.e. God's way) and accept His payment on the cross to satisfy God's just wrath."

I can't think of better news; I can't imagine a greater hope.