The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections 

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July 2
Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest
Luke 14:26-27, 33 
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sister, yes, and his own life also... And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me... So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple"

The Love for Jesus 
Only the Holy Spirit Can Give

Relationship Priority #1 

Jesus says, "If anyone does not hate... he cannot be My disciple" What He actually means is that He needs to be priority one in our lives. We do not need to actually hate anyone—we simply place devotion to Jesus Christ at the very top of our priorities. In fact, He should be the only thing on your list. Priority One: Jesus Christ our Lord—and everything else will fall into place. No other list required. 

Be devoted to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is Jesus in you—be devoted to Him. He will give you freedom from worry and anxiety. He gives your life purpose. He blesses you with peace, strength, and hope.

The Holy Spirit will give you God's peace—that which we cannot comprehend—and it will keep your hearts and minds calm. This is what surrender does: it releases you from the stress and worry of this world. You release your life into His mighty hands, and He carries you.  

Jesus is not a religion, not a doctrine, not a cause. Jesus is a Person. Jesus calls you to Himself—to be saved, to belong to Him. He is not of this world, and He does not follow the doctrines, restrictions, and rules set by this world. Just like in ancient times, the world's doctrines can be strict and unyielding. Do not pour yourself into them. Instead, become devoted to the One who can make you whole. 

Chambers says, a true Christian has a relationship with Jesus Christ. Become devoted to Him. 

The Lord awakens us to surrender, calls us to Himself, invites us to become His disciples, and asks that we remain devoted to Him. 

Human love is natural — but love for Jesus is supernatural.

We can love: family, friends, children, pets, and people who are kind to us... that is human love.

But love for Jesus is not natural. It is not something the flesh can produce. 

Jesus is unseen, holy, divine, perfect, spiritually discerned. The natural heart cannot love Him the way He deserves. 

Scripture states: "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord’'except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3)

Chambers' message is direct; the only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit. No one on earth has a passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it. The Spirit is the only One who loves Jesus perfectly.

If we cannot even confess Him without the Spirit, we certainly cannot love Him without the Spirit.

Why? Because the Holy Spirit is God—one with the Son, one with the Father—eternally devoted to Jesus and eternally glorifying Him. Jesus Himself said, "He will glorify Me" (John 16:14). 

The Spirit's entire ministry is to reveal Jesus, exalt Jesus, magnify Jesus, draw hearts to Jesus, and produce love for Jesus. 

That is why our devotion feels alive—why our hearts burn within us and long for Him. That is why we obey Him. 

It is not us—it is Him in us. 

Our love for Jesus is something we must surrender to—receive, yield to, and remain open to. The devotion is deep because it is Spirit-produced, not self-produced. 

True love for Jesus is divine, and only the Holy Spirit can place that kind of love inside the human heart—deep, divine, supernatural love.

Let us therefore submit ourselves to the Spirit and pray for this love to be poured out into our hearts. 

"The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”"(Romans 5:5)

Chambers teaches that the Christian must be consistent in his relationship with the Holy Spirit — staying open, responsive, honest, and willing, not perfect. 

Consistency is not us loving Jesus, but the Holy Spirit loving Him through us.

We simply let Him—by abiding in Him, staying surrendered, keeping out hearts tender and turned toward Him. 

We are able to love Jesus Christ because of the supernatural love the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts for Him. The Holy Spirit is the one that keeps us surrendered, gives us peace, strength, and guidance. He also teaches us all things, carries us, heals and transforms us—He is eternal life in us. God with us.

The Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of Grace. Grace is God's power and God's power is the Holy Spirit. Grace is the Spirit supplying what we lack. Call on God for grace and the Holy Spirit within gives it—strengthening, enabling, and sustaining you. 

And when the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through us, He will take our entire being and set us on fire with devotion to Christ. (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest)

Breath Prayer

Lord, You are the One,
Keep my heart tender

Selah!
~ Quil

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Scripture References

Jesus must be Priority One
Luke 14:26–27, 33 — opening passage
Matthew 10:37–39 — loving Jesus above family
Matthew 6:33 — “Seek first the kingdom of God…”
Exodus 20:3 — “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Devotion to Jesus brings peace, strength, and purpose
John 14:27 — “My peace I give to you…”
Philippians 4:6–7 — peace that guards hearts and minds
Isaiah 26:3 — perfect peace for the mind stayed on Him
Nehemiah 8:10 — “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Colossians 3:3–4 — your life is hidden with Christ
Surrender releases worry and anxiety
1 Peter 5:7 — “Cast all your care upon Him…”
Psalm 55:22 — He will sustain you
Matthew 11:28–30 — rest for the weary
Proverbs 3:5–6 — trust and surrender
Jesus is not a religion — He is a Person
John 14:6 — “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
John 10:27–28 — “My sheep hear My voice…”
John 17:3 — eternal life is knowing Him
Colossians 2:8–10 — not human traditions, but Christ Himself
The call to relationship and discipleship
Mark 3:14 — He appointed them to be with Him
Matthew 4:19 — “Follow Me…”
John 15:4–5 — abide in Him
Romans 12:1 — surrender as worship
Human love vs. supernatural love for Jesus
1 Corinthians 2:14 — natural man cannot receive spiritual things
Romans 8:7–9 — the flesh cannot please God
Ephesians 3:16–19 — love of Christ revealed by the Spirit
1 John 4:19 — “We love Him because He first loved us.”
Only the Holy Spirit can produce love for Jesus
1 Corinthians 12:3 — “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
John 16:14 — “He will glorify Me.”
Romans 5:5 — love poured out by the Spirit
Galatians 5:22 — love is fruit of the Spirit
Philippians 2:13 — God works in us to will and to do 

Hearts burning with devotion
Luke 24:32 — “Did not our hearts burn within us…?”
Jeremiah 20:9 — fire shut up in my bones
Psalm 73:25–26 — “Whom have I in heaven but You?”
Abiding, surrender, tenderness of heart
John 15:4–10 — abiding produces fruit
Ezekiel 36:26–27 — new heart, new Spirit
Psalm 51:10,17 — tender, contrite heart
James 4:8 — draw near to God
The Spirit glorifying Jesus through us
Acts 1:8 — power of the Spirit to witness
2 Corinthians 3:18 — transformed by the Spirit
Galatians 2:20 — “Christ lives in me.”
Philippians 1:20 — Christ magnified in my body
We are able to love Jesus because the Holy Spirit pours love into our hearts.
Romans 5:5 — love poured out by the Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:3 — cannot confess Jesus without the Spirit
Galatians 5:22 — love is fruit of the Spirit
Ephesians 3:16–19 — Spirit strengthens us to know Christ’s love
The Holy Spirit keeps us surrendered.
Philippians 2:13 — God works in us to will and to do
Ezekiel 36:26–27 — Spirit causes us to walk in His ways
Romans 8:13–14 — Spirit leads and empowers obedience
He gives us peace, strength, and guidance.
John 14:26–27 — Spirit teaches; Jesus gives peace
Isaiah 11:2 — Spirit of wisdom, counsel, strength
Psalm 29:11 — the Lord gives strength and peace
Romans 8:14 — Spirit leads the children of God
He teaches us all things.
John 14:26 — “He will teach you all things.”
1 John 2:27 — the anointing teaches you
5. “He carries us.”
Isaiah 46:4 — “I will carry you.”
Deuteronomy 1:31 — God carried His people like a father carries a child
(The Spirit is the active presence of God doing this in us.)
He heals and transforms us.
2 Corinthians 3:18 — transformed by the Spirit
Romans 8:11 — Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies
Psalm 147:3 — He heals the brokenhearted
Titus 3:5 — renewal by the Holy Spirit
He is eternal life in us.
John 14:16–17 — Spirit lives in you forever
Romans 8:10–11 — Spirit is life
1 John 5:11–12 — life is in His Son; the Spirit applies this life
God with us.
Matthew 1:23 — Immanuel, God with us
John 14:18 — “I will not leave you as orphans.”
John 14:23 — Father and Son make their home in us
2 Corinthians 6:16 — “I will dwell in them.”
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Grace.
Hebrews 10:29 — “the Spirit of grace”
Zechariah 12:10 — “I will pour out… the Spirit of grace and supplication.”
Grace is God’s power.
2 Corinthians 12:9 — “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Grace = power. Scripture says it plainly.
God’s power is the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8 — “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”
Ephesians 3:16 — strengthened with power through His Spirit
Power = the Spirit’s work.
Grace is the Spirit supplying what we lack.
Philippians 2:13 — God works in us to will and to do
2 Peter 1:3 — His divine power gives us everything we need
Romans 8:26 — the Spirit helps us in our weakness
Grace is God supplying what we cannot supply.
5. “Call on God for grace and the Holy Spirit within gives it.
Hebrews 4:16 — “Let us come boldly… to find grace to help in time of need.”
John 14:16–17 — the Spirit is given to be with us and in us
Romans 5:5 — the Spirit pours God’s gifts into our hearts
Grace is received through the Spirit’s active presence.