Oswald Chambers Study Guide?????

Does anyone know if a study guide exists to accompany "My Utmost for His Highest" devotions by Oswald Chambers? I'm looking for something that adds commentary and/or questions for reflection that are based on the daily reading. Any tool that will help illuminate the meaning of each devotion for Bible Study students.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Aunt_Beth_64 wrote:
Does anyone know if a study guide exists to accompany "My Utmost for His Highest" devotions by Oswald Chambers? I'm looking for something that adds commentary and/or questions for reflection that are based on the daily reading. Any tool that will help illuminate the meaning of each devotion for Bible Study students.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Maybe I'm a bit naive, but where does it stop, when we begin asking for commentary for commentary? I find the OC is best read and reread, and reread, etc with a gradual deepening of the comprehension. "My Utmost.." is intended to deepen our understanding of scripture, and I think that Chamber's would shudder at the thought that someone where to pursue a deeper understanding of "him" when he lived his life in such a way that de-emphasised him, that people would come to a deeper knowledge of "Him".

Having said all that, Chamber's biography "[url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1572930500/qid=1149904136/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7917188-7382225?v=glance&s=books]Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God[/url]" by David McCasland gave me some good insight into where Chamber's is coming from. As well as the historical formation of the concepts he speaks of. It is an enjoyable read, and I think that it beats having someone else do the dirty work for you.

I hope this helps.

Aaron, thank you for your reply. Perhaps I did not state my query clearly, I am not looking for a resource to learn more about Chambers, rather I am looking for something that will help in a group study. I agree with you, on a personal level Chambers devotions are best read, re-read and meditated upon in order for wisdom to lead us to a deeper insight into scripture. I am not sure that reading and discussion the passages as a group can have the same result, but I am willing to try it because this group is very interested. I am trying to locate something that will help folks who aren't don't necessarily know how to study and meditate in a deep way learn how to do so.

CJaKfOrEsT wrote:

Aunt_Beth_64 wrote:
Does anyone know if a study guide exists to accompany "My Utmost for His Highest" devotions by Oswald Chambers? I'm looking for something that adds commentary and/or questions for reflection that are based on the daily reading. Any tool that will help illuminate the meaning of each devotion for Bible Study students.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Maybe I'm a bit naive, but where does it stop, when we begin asking for commentary for commentary? I find the OC is best read and reread, and reread, etc with a gradual deepening of the comprehension. "My Utmost.." is intended to deepen our understanding of scripture, and I think that Chamber's would shudder at the thought that someone where to pursue a deeper understanding of "him" when he lived his life in such a way that de-emphasised him, that people would come to a deeper knowledge of "Him".

Having said all that, Chamber's biography "[url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1572930500/qid=1149904136/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7917188-7382225?v=glance&s=books]Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God[/url]" by David McCasland gave me some good insight into where Chamber's is coming from. As well as the historical formation of the concepts he speaks of. It is an enjoyable read, and I think that it beats having someone else do the dirty work for you.

I hope this helps.

Aunt_Beth_64 wrote:
Aaron, thank you for your reply. Perhaps I did not state my query clearly, I am not looking for a resource to learn more about Chambers, rather I am looking for something that will help in a group study. I agree with you, on a personal level Chambers devotions are best read, re-read and meditated upon in order for wisdom to lead us to a deeper insight into scripture. I am not sure that reading and discussion the passages as a group can have the same result, but I am willing to try it because this group is very interested. I am trying to locate something that will help folks who aren't don't necessarily know how to study and meditate in a deep way learn how to do so.

Interesting that you say this, because "My Utmost.." is a compilation of verbatim notes taken during morning devotional groups at Zeitoun Egypt, taken by his wife Biddy. Each study is a compressed lecture, and as such are actually intended to be lecture material. Few realise that very little of Chambers work was penned by OC, but that Biddy was capable of taking short hand at a rate that was faster than any human being could speak. Her childhood dream was to be the secretary of the Prime Minister of England.

The other thing is that the audience that were present in the Zeitoun lectures were not theologians, or even bible college students, but they were soldiers fighting in the Great War (WWI). This is why the readings have such a relevancy about them, because they are not dealing with abstract themes, but "nitty-gritty" real life situations, to people who had no time for "fanciness" but were keenly aware of their own mortality.

I mentioned Chambers' bio, because I found that after I had read it, I could appreciate each of the readings context and purpose. Chambers was an extremely practical man, who had little time for speculation. He would read and study worldly literature as well as biblical, in order to grasp themes that many theologians ignored.

If you are concerned that "My Utmost..." would be difficult to bring into a group context, perhaps consider some of his lectures. Biddy spent the remainder of her life after Oswald's "gradulation" typing out his lectures for distribution, in order to preserve the legacy of what the Lord had done through her husband.

I began to post one of his earlier lectures [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&order=0&topic_id=9493&forum=34&post_id=&refresh=Go]Biblical Ethics[/url], and consider your interest to be adequate motivation to continue. I slowed down because I put my reading of them on hold, and thought that integrity would require that I read it before sharing.

Aaron-

Thank you so much for pointing me to your thread. Yes, please continue.

Beth

Orm-

Thank you very much, I will try to locate a copy. It sounds like just what I am looking for.

Beth

Aunt Beth,

I would like to challenge you: instead of studying a man's work, why not take a book from the Bible, one you know the least about and make it a focus of your studies? If you do so, the rewards will be tremendous. It will beat studying OC works by a country mile! Try it! Hey! I have done it and as a result find the writings of many boring! Seriously! Why should I be satisfied eating left-overs when I can have a gourmet meal everyday? This is the difference between getting it first hand from God or getting it from a contemporary writer.

Just my opinion and testimony!

ginnyrose

Ginnyrose-

I know you must not have intended to be pious or insulting in your post. I forgive you. May I suggest that in the future you take care in making assumptions about others simply based on a one-dimensional post. I simply posed a query that was in no way intended to reflect my entire walk with God.

In this instance, to correct your false assumption, I can assure you that the Bible is already our primary source of study. How could it not be? There is nothing wrong with using the writings of devout Christians to help illuminate the scripture. I would hate to think I would ever be so close-minded or unwilling to learn from my fellow Christians--both those who have gone before me and those living today. I believe the more we are open to examining the word of God from a variety of angles the more we open up our hearts and mind for God to reveal himself to us.

There is no difference between reading the writings of someone annointed by God and sitting in a service and hearing someone who is annointed speak what God has revealed to them. I want to stand on the shoulders of these giants and learn from the lessons God has taught them especially if it helps me draw closer to God.

Beth