The
Habit of Rising to the Occasion
. . . that you may know what is the hope
of His calling . . . —Ephesians 1:18
Remember that you have been saved so
that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10). Direct the total
energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a
child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.
You did not do anything to achieve your
salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must “work out
your own salvation” which God has worked in you already (Philippians 2:12). Are your speech,
your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it “out”? If you
are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then
it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.
God is the Master Designer, and He
allows adversities into your life to see if you can jump over them properly—”By
my God I can leap over a wall” (Psalm 18:29). God will never
shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. First Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do
not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though
some strange thing happened to you . . . .” Rise to the occasion—do what the
trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives
God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body.
May God not find complaints in us
anymore, but spiritual vitality—a readiness to face anything He brings our way.
The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this
occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never
dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We
are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants.
Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with
which to feed and nourish others.
~Oswald Chambers~
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