Word for Today, Fri, 02 Aug 2002: The Teaching of Adversity
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Today's message comes directly off a QuickVerse 6.0 edition of Oswald Chambers'
My Utmost For His Highest. The message speaks for itself. Copyright info. is
at the end of the message.
August 2
The Teaching of Adversity
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome
the world (John 16:33).
The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from
all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is
something very different. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor
shall any plague come near your dwelling (Psalm 91:1, 10)the place where you
are at one with God.
If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus
says you should not be surprised when they come. In the world you will have
tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. He is saying,
There is nothing for you to fear. The same people who refused to talk about
their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being
born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life
of a saint.
God does not give us overcoming lifeHe gives us life as we overcome. The
strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will
be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He
cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the
strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and
take the first step. Then God will give you nourishmentTo him who overcomes I
will give to eat from the tree of life (Revelation 2:7). If you completely
give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of
yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for
tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our
temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense.
But a saint can be of good cheer even when seemingly defeated by adversities,
because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.
My Utmost for His Highest
Copyright 1992 by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. Original
edition copyright 1935 by Dodd, Mead & Company, Inc. Copyright renewed 1963
by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. All Rights reserved.
United States publication rights are held by Discovery House Publishers, which
is affiliated with RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512.
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Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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