May 10 Daily Devotional My Utmost for His Highest: You’ve Been Invited to TAKE THE INITIATIVE
Add to your faith virtue… 2 Peter 1:5
I interpret this word ADD to mean that we are invited to do something. Are we are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do? No indeed, we cannot save nor sanctify ourselves— God does that. But clearly, God does not give us good habits or character, NOR will He force us to walk correctly before Him! We have to do all that ourselves. We must “work out” our “own salvation” which God has worked in us (Philippians 2:12-13). Add here means that we must get into the habit of doing things, and during the initial stages of our faith walk, that is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning— to instruct yourself in the way you must go. And there is no better time, than during an end-of-week Saturday night time of reflection to prepare, cause Sunday mornings coming, when our gifts of worship & praise are corporately due Him!
Beware of the redundancy in spiritual matters to ask the way when you already know it perfectly well. Take the initiative— stop hesitating— take the first step. Be determined to act immediately on faith in whatever God says to you when He speaks, and never reconsider or change your initial decisions. If and when you ever hesitate when God tells you to do something, you are being careless, spurning the grace in which you stand. Take the initiative yourself, make a decision of your will right now, and make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you, saying, “I will write that email,” “I will pay that debt” or “I will seek that forgiveness,” and then do it! Make it irrevocable.
We’ve been invited to get into the habit of carefully listening to God about everything, forming the habit of finding out what He says and heeding it. The proof will be if when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, thereby we will know that the habit has been formed in us. Understand, we have been invited to take the initiative where we are , not where we have not yet been.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The Bible does not thrill; the Bible nourishes! Give time to the daily reading of the Bible for its spiritual renewing effect in your spirit, soul & body, heart, mind & will is often far more needed than that of fresh air and exercise to you physically. Seize this moment!