Learning about His Ways
When Jesus finished commanding His
twelve disciples . . . He departed from there to teach and to preach in their
cities — Matthew 11:1
He comes where He
commands us to leave. If you stayed home when God told you to go because you were so
concerned about your own people there, then you actually robbed them of the
teaching of Jesus Christ Himself. When you obeyed and left all the consequences
to God, the Lord went into your city to teach, but as long as you were
disobedient, you blocked His way. Watch where you begin to debate with Him and
put what you call your duty into competition with His commands. If you say, “I
know that He told me to go, but my duty is here,” it simply means that you do
not believe that Jesus means what He says.
He teaches where He
instructs us not to teach. “Master . . . let us make three tabernacles . . .” ( Luke 9:33 ).
Are we playing the part of
an amateur providence, trying to play God’s role in the lives of others? Are we
so noisy in our instruction of other people that God cannot get near them? We
must learn to keep our mouths shut and our spirits alert. God wants to instruct
us regarding His Son, and He wants to turn our times of prayer into mounts of
transfiguration. When we become certain that God is going to work in a
particular way, He will never work in that way again.
He works where He
sends us to wait. “. . . tarry . . . until . . .” (Luke 24:49 ).
“Wait on the Lord” and He will work (Psalm 37:34 ).
But don’t wait sulking spiritually and feeling sorry for yourself, just because
you can’t see one inch in front of you! Are we detached enough from our own
spiritual fits of emotion to “wait patiently for Him”? ( Psalm 37:7 ).
Waiting is not sitting with folded hands doing nothing, but it is learning to
do what we are told.
These are some of the
facets of His ways that we rarely recognize.
(Taken from Oswald Chambers – “My Utmost for His Highest” August 1)