The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections
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June 24
Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest
Luke 22:53
“This is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
SIN
The hour was late, and the power of darkness was moving…
Many people think darkness hides them, but nothing is hidden from God.
Sin was in the making of that arresting party. Sin was the reason they hated Him — not His sin, but their sin. Christ was sinless. But He exposed their sin, and they hated Him for it.
Sin is the reason Jesus came to earth.
Sin is the reason He died.
If we live our lives without being reconciled to the fact that sin destroys, and without getting right with God, we will live in sin — and it will be one disaster after another. I lived that way for 68 years. I lived through more disasters than I can count. And yet… God was still working on me. Because now, my life is good. I have surrendered my life to God, and He is the ruling force in my life. Sin no longer rules me, and I no longer live in disaster.
I survived those years only because He was preserving me for this calling. I don’t know exactly why He called me, but I am glad. And I can attest to this: I had sin in my life. I was saved, but I was not putting God first. I was not depending on Him for direction. I was just living like everyone else around me — in sin.
Sin is a devastating fact of life.
We must deal with it, acknowledge it, and let God purge it from our lives.
And the only One who can purge sin is the Holy Spirit within us.
I did not deal with the sin in my life until this year, and I suffered greatly for it. But after my surrender in April, the Holy Spirit took authority over sin, self, and my will. They are no longer running my life. They still exist — the flesh always does — but they are no longer in charge. The Holy Spirit rules over them, and He keeps my surrender steady. That gives me peace.
God is now using my life to minister to you, and His healing grace is restoring my life to me.
Sin, self, and your own will are running your life.
Your unconscious mind is replaying patterns you wish you could turn off.
Your life is spiraling in ways you cannot control.
Turn from your sin today.
Surrender your sin to Christ and the Holy Spirit today.
The Holy Spirit begins His work the very moment you surrender.
We cannot control anything anyway — God is always in control. But when we are not living in His will, we grab the wheel and drive ourselves into the ditch because we are driving blind. God is the only One who sees what is around the curve, around the corner, and at the end of the road. And yes — God lets us end up in the ditch. But you are not dead.
If God keeps preserving your life, then your story is not over.
God is not done with you.
Stop the cycle now.
Confront the wrong in your life now.
Turn your life over to God and let Him clean it up.
Let Him heal your sorrows, your past, your pain, and your brokenness.
Don’t wait until God has to bring you to the end of yourself to rebuild you.
The longer you wait, the deeper the damage.
The deeper the damage, the deeper the pain.
The deeper the pain, the harder the surrender.
But the Holy Spirit is already within you.
He is waiting for the moment you release your grip on your own life.
Let go of the wheel.
Bow down and pray…
Prayer
Lord, I give You my will, my sin, and the self that has been running my life.
Take Your rightful place in me because I cannot do this anymore.
I cannot do this in my own power.
I want You to take the wheel.
I release my control to You.
I lay my burdens at Your feet.
Heal me.
Forgive me for waiting so long to acknowledge You as Lord of my life.
Thank You for Your patience and Your love.
Forgive my sins, and let Your will be done in my life forevermore.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Praise the Lord, for He is so good to us.
Love, mercy, and grace are His ways.
Selah,
~ Quil
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