The great and powerful Oz

I was just reading Oswald Chambers devotional for today from "My Utmost for His Highest." I was given the book for my birthday on 12/16/04, by a very good friend, whom I won't mention because I'm relatively sure it would be cause for embarrassment for them.

However, I want that person to know, that "the gift of the great and powerful Oz," is still making a difference. That person wrote in the front of the book a short inscription...part of that inscription was very hard for me to understand and believe about myself at the time, it read:

"Your walk with Christ has been an example to me - especially in your willingness to submit to His Lordship and become who He wants you to be." This part, ya, totally didn't believe they meant it, because nobody could say something like that and mean it about me. The next part:

"I know that He will continue to use you as you continue to seek Him first." - nope didn't buy that either.

So, the last week or so, I've been cracking out the Oz again...today I'm going to share it with you.

"The Habit of Enjoying Adversity" - May 14

"...that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body" ~2 Corinthians 4:10

"We have to develop Godly habits to express what God's grace has done in us. It is not just a questinon of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that "the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. Is my life exhibiting the essence of the sweetness of the Song of God, or just the basic irrittation of "myself" that I would have apart from Him? The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me. No matter how dificult something may be, I must say, "Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this." Instantlly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him.

You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self-pity. Our circumstances are the means God uses to exhibit just how wonderfuly perfect and extraordinarily pure His Son is. Discovering a new way of maniesting the Son of God should make our heart beat with renewed excitement. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God's sovereighty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adequately sufficient to "supply all your need" (Phil. 4:19).

Keep your soul properly conditioned to manifest the life of the son of God. Never live on your memories of past experiences, but let the Word of God always be living and active in you."

It's still hard for me to understand someone might say those things about me, but what has happened to me since that time is my faith and hope have grown. While, yes it's hard for me to believe somebody might be blessed by my presence in their life somehow, I totally believe, without a shawdow of a doubt, that if "I continue to seek Him first" in adversity and every other situation life brings He will use it and me.

Lord, I do want to be "what you want me to be." So, whatever it takes, help me to be "delighted to obey you in this."