Reflection

June 12 Devotional: Oswald Chambers

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GETTING THERE

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Appraising My Spiritual Milieu

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On November 9, 2009, the New York Times reported a large, man-made area in the Pacific Ocean, north of Hawaii, containing “(l)ight bulbs, bottle caps, toothbrushes, Popsicle sticks and tiny pieces of plastic, each the size of a grain of rice.” This “area of widely dispersed trash . . . doubles in size every decade and is now believed to be roughly twice the size of Texas.”Accompanying the article is a photo of a spotted gray trigger fish living inside a caulking tube within the floating continent of refuse. Adopting the tube as its personal space, the fish snapped at any creature, fish or human, approaching it.

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Contemplating Perfection

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O God, may Thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to Thee. I Lord Jesus, great high priest, Thou hast opened a new and living way by which a fallen creature can approach Thee with acceptance.

Help me to contemplate the dignity of Thy Person, the perfectness of Thy sacrifice, the effectiveness of Thy intercession.

O what blessedness accompanies devotion, when under all the trials that weary me, the cares that corrode me, the fears that disturb me, the infirmities that oppress me, I can come to Thee in my need and feel peace beyond understanding!

The grace that restores is necessary to preserve, lead, guard, supply, help me.  And here Thy saints encourage my hope; they were once poor and are now rich, bound and are now free, tried and now are victorious.

Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in Thee, the divine treasury in whom all fullness dwells.  To Thee I repair for grace upon grace, until every void made by sin be replenished and I am filled with all Thy fullness.

May my desires be enlarged and my hopes emboldened, that I may honour Thee by my entire dependency and the greatness of my expectation.

Do Thou be with me, and prepare me for all the smiles of prosperity, the frowns of adversity, the losses of substance, the death of friends, the days of darkness, the changes of life, and the last great change of all. May I find thy grace sufficient for all my needs.

Taken from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett.

The Weakness of My Motivations

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What motivates me? Often it is pleasure—reading a good book, skiing, playing with the kids, sex, even work. I enjoy it. It is self-satisfying. Sometimes it is fear—peer pressure, criticism, and guilt to name a few. Maybe I am motivated to gain something—prestige, money, pride, or power. Sometimes I have to. I can’t avoid it—earn a living, or managing the household and kids.

But what motivates me to seek an intimate relationship with God? Is it the beauty of his creation—the flowers, diversity of life, the Grand Canyon or Rockies? Is it the things he has provided for me—my job, a wonderful spouse, good health, kids? Or am I motivated by fear? He might punish me if I don’t live right. Maybe I am looking for a reward. If I live right, how will God reward me? Most all these factors at one time or another has probably motivated us.

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