INSIGHT NOT EMOTION by Oswald Chambers

sermonindex May 1, 2009

~~[b]~~INSIGHT NOT EMOTION[/b]

"I have to lead my life in faith, without seeing Him." 2 Corinthians 5:7 (MOFFATT)

For a time we are conscious of God's attentions, then, when God begins to use us in His enterprises, we take on a pathetic look and talk of the trials and the difficulties, and all the time God is trying to make us do our duty as obscure people. None of us would be obscure spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our duty when God has shut up heaven? Some of us always want to be illuminated saints with golden babes and the flush of inspiration, and to have the saints of God dealing with us all the time. A gilt-edged saint is no good, he is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and altogether unlike God. We are here as men and women, not as half-fledged angels, to do the work of the world, and to do it with an infinitely greater power to stand the turmoil because we have been born from above.

If we try to re-introduce the rare moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are making a fetish of the moments when God did come and speak, and insisting that He must do it again; whereas what God wants us to do is to "walk by faith." How many of us have laid ourselves by, as it were, and said - "I cannot do any more until God appears to me." He never will, and without any inspiration, without any sudden touch of God, we will have to get up. Then comes the surprise - "Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!" Never live for the rare moments, they are surprises. God will give us touches of inspiration when He sees we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never make our moments of inspiration our standard; our standard is our duty.

HeartSong May 1, 2009

Never live for the rare moments, they are surprises.

They are like an unexpected gift. If we were to be given a gift at every moment, we would become quite used to getting them and therefore we would take them for granted. Very soon our focus would be on ourselves, and not the Giver.

We must never make our moments of inspiration our standard;
our standard is our duty.

HeartSong May 1, 2009

Never live for the rare moments, they are surprises.

Not long ago I went on a trip about a days drive away. Before I left, I was given some extra cash to take along.

As I traveled to my destination I noticed a billboard advertising a place that I thought I would like to see, so I noted some landmarks and continued on my way.

On my way home, since time allowed, I decided to stop in at the place that I had seen advertised. When I came upon the landmarks I took the next exit. Strangely there were no signs pointing to where I wanted to go. Stranger still was that when I stopped to inquire, the person that I talked to had never heard of the place. It was at this point that I suspected that the Lord was up to something.

As I traveled further up the road, I pondered how the Lord does things at the most unexpected times, in the most unexpected ways. It was two exits later that the Lord prompted me to get off of the four lane highway - I was to turn left and go over the overpass. When I came to a cross road I was not surprised when there was not a sign for the place that I had been looking for but I did not know which way to go - so I prayed. I was to go straight ahead, off of the main road and onto a narrow bumpy road.

As I proceeded with uncertainty the Lord reminded me of the extra money that He had given me. It was at this point that I knew that I was to give some money to someone - but the question was how much, and to whom? When I set my heart upon a certain amount the Lord asked for more and I had to go through the exercise of parting with my (His) money. I have had to do this more than a few times since He began directing my life.

Now the only question was to whom was this money to be given? I was in a rural area and there were no people around. When I came to the next driveway I knew that this was the place so I turned in. Feeling somewhat like a trespasser I tried to determine which door I should go to - front or back - and lost my nerve. As I drove back up the narrow road I prayed "Lord if that is where you wanted me to go, and if that is what you wanted me to do, show me and I will go back." Immediately after I prayed I crested a small hill and there before me was a train blocking the way back. With new resolve I returned to the house and went to the front door - this time feeling like a salesman.

When the lady opened the door I handed her the money and stated "This is from the Lord." Her mouth dropped open and she just stared at me so I explained that I was driving down the road and the Lord put it upon my heart to bring the money to her. Then she asked "who is it for." Being unprepared for the question (I thought she would know) I answered "someone here must have been praying." The look on her face was priceless. I then blessed her, and she blessed me, and I went on my way.

As I continued down the road I asked the Lord who the money was for and He gave me a name, it was a male name but I trust that the Lord worked that part out. Next time I will know to ask Him who it is for and have a ready answer. Later I contemplated what it would be like to have someone just show up at your door and hand you some money - the Lord would have made an even greater impression if I had known the name of the person that it was to be given to.

The things that He does just delight me to no end. Oh how precious is His Holy Name.