When God gloriously grabbed me and gently got me off the fence of mediocrity, I was given a copy of Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest. I was familiar with the devotional because my mom has read it for years and years. Mr. Chambers was quite a remarkable man. He started out an artist, fought God with every stroke of his brush and then one day he fought no longer and became a slave to Christ. He taught aspiring preachers in his London Bible College and ended up in Egypt with his wife and daughter, where he served as a chaplain to the soldiers during WWI, and, where he died of a sudden illness at the young age of 42. Oswald’s wife, Biddy, shared his God passion and wanted to honor his desire to reach others with the Good News, so she gathered all of the notes she had taken in shorthand in his college classes and put together the little gem we call, My Utmost for His Highest. Anyone, regardless of denomination, who desires the God-life, should have this devotional. One could read it every day for the rest of their life and get some new revelation from every single devotion.
Today, was such a day for me. May 26: “Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer, He had the boundless certainty that prayer is always answered.”
Our granddaughter, Hannah, now 14 years and 4 months old has spent her summers with us for the past nine years. This summer there is a looming threat to her coming. This threat has a name, 8th Grade Advanced Math. An A-B student since K-4, she is fighting to just pass this term. I have prayed. Our family has prayed. Our church family has prayed. My friends have prayed. My co-workers have prayed.
Do I have the boundless certainty that prayer is always answered?
What if this summer Hannah cannot come? What if all the plans we have for the summer cannot be carried out? What if the upstairs bedroom doesn’t get its annual transformation into an “only girls allowed” zone? What if God wants her to stay home in South Florida and go to summer school? What if God wants her to stay home to share her Jesus-Joy with a new friend?
What if?
“God answers prayer in the best way, not sometimes, but every time, although the immediate manifestation of the answer in the domain in which we want it may not always follow. Do we expect God to answer prayer?” (MUFHH - Chambers)
For more about Oswald & Biddy Chambers: http://www.oswaldchambers.co.uk/Oswald_and_Biddy_Chambers.html
Always so inspiring! Thanks Susan!
Thank you sweet lady! FYI: Hannah DID get to come to NC and is with us NOW!!!! ♥
Love it, Sus'……….just love it. Thank you!
Yes, He does answer prayer and He chooses when to answer them. Not understandable until it happens to you, then you look back and reflect and …ahhhh, now I get it = Perfect Timing. A very dear friend gave me the book Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest as a gift from her heart to mine. I will always cherish it and her! I am also happy that Hannah is spending the summer w/ you and the family! As far as her 8th Grade Advanced Math…Ms. Stacy Tepper from Palmetto is a master at her God given gift…MATH SPECIALIST. Hannah knows her and she would probably tutor Hannah. I am positive Hannah would benefit. Now Ms.Tepper may seem hard shelled on the outside but believe me her #1 goal is to give the student/s the tools they need to GET THE MATH and her resources never run dry! Just a suggestion : ) LFTH (Love from the heart) xox
Oh, this is just what I needed to read this a.m. as I sit here worrying about my bi-polar sister who was admitted for treatment last night. What if???? AND, I am so glad Hannah is there with you this summer…..what a blessing! Ain't God good!!! Just love to read your blog Susan…Bless you my sweet friend…
Hi Mimz,
I'm here in the next room (: turning my room into a girls only room, looks pretty clean right? Especially this morning (; you thought I wasn't gonna come? I'd hitchhike up here if I could (I might, but I'd probably be too scared.) What'cha cookin' for dinner? aha byeeeee ♥
Love, Hannah
Thank you for sharing and so happy to hear Hannah was able to spend the summer with you, as I am sure she is too.
Susan, I'm searching my shelves for "My Utmost for His Highest"…it's been a while since I read it! So glad Hannah is with you…sorry I missed meeting her! "What if" we had never come to visit…I wouldn't have such fun memories!! Thanks!
So many what if's in our lives. Thanks for sharing Sistah!
Thanks for recommending MUFHH to me three, or is it four, years ago. I have read it almost everyday since and I am always challenged by the depths of Oswald's Christian life.
Hope you and Hannah have a wonderful summer together.
Thank you for weaving your personal situation into the overall application. Love it!
Very inspiring, thank you!
Love, love Oswald Chambers' MUFHH. Have a dog-eared, well worn copy myself.
Great stuff.