My eager
desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed, but that now as ever I may
do honour to Christ in my own person by fearless
courage. — Philippians 1:20 (MOFFATT)
My Utmost for His Highest. "My eager desire and hope being that I may never
feel ashamed." We shall all feel very much ashamed if we do not
yield to Jesus on the point He has asked us to yield to Him. Paul says –
"My determination is to be my utmost for His Highest." To get there
is a question of will, not of debate nor of reasoning,
but a surrender of will, an absolute and irrevocable surrender on that point.
An overweening consideration for ourselves is the thing that keeps us from that
decision, though we put it that we are considering others. When we consider
what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He does not
know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point; He does know. Shut out
every other consideration and keep yourself before God for this one thing only
– My Utmost for His Highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for
Him and for Him alone.
My Undeterredness for His Holiness. "Whether that means life or
death, no matter!" (v.21.) Paul is determined that nothing shall
deter him from doing exactly what God wants. God’s order has to work up to a
crisis in our lives because we will not heed the gentler way. He brings us to
the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him, and we begin to debate;
then He produces a providential crisis where we have to decide – for or
against, and from that point the "Great Divide" begins.
If the crisis has
come to you on any line, surrender your will to Him absolutely and irrevocably.
(Taken
from Oswald Chambers – “My Utmost for His Highest” January 1)