God, Ozzy and Me

I am reading my way through the Book of Joel right now, and seeing the judgement and grace of God. I have noticed that being a father has drastically changed my view about God, especially in the Old Testament. When I would read the OT, I would see God saying, "Shape up or ship out!" However, now I see God saying, "Look, your actions and your lifestyle are going to take you to a place where you don't want to go and I certainly don't want you to go there either. Will you please make adjustments in your life so I can start blessing you again. Get back on my plan for your life, where you will find peace."

I haven't read Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, in a LONG time, so i went online this morning after reading my Bible and looked to see what Ozzy had to say:

"Seekest thou great things for thyself?" Jeremiah 45:5

Are you seeking great things for yourself? Not seeking to be a great one, but seeking great things from God for yourself. God wants you in a closer relationship to Himself than receiving His gifts, He wants you to get to know Him. A great thing is accidental, it comes and goes. God never gives us anything accidental. There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want but only what He gives.

If you have only come the length of asking God for things, you have never come to the first strand of abandonment, you have become a Christian from a standpoint of your own. "I did ask God for the Holy Spirit, but He did not give me the rest and the peace I expected." Instantly God puts His finger on the reason - you are not seeking the Lord at all, you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus says - "Ask, and it shall be given you." Ask God for what you want, and you cannot ask if you are not asking for a right thing. When you draw near to God, you cease from asking for things. "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him." Then why ask? That you may get to know Him.

Are you seeking great things for yourself? "O Lord, baptize me with the Holy Ghost." If God does not, it is because you are not abandoned enough to Him, there is something you will not do. Are you prepared to ask yourself what it is you want from God and why you want it? God always ignores the present perfection for the ultimate perfection. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy just now; He is working out His ultimate perfection all the time - "that they may be one even as We are."

I have been a driven person most of my life. Before Leigh and I were married, I was working 3 jobs, going to seminary full time, running a youth group, running a home group, and was the minister of evangelism at our church. People used to ask me how I did it, and I would tell them that God enables me to do it, but I was really thinking, "Because I'm not lazy, get off your butt and start doing something for God."

Lately God has been showing me (and today in particular) that I have not been fully abandoned to God, but have been fully abondoned to not portray laziness. I know that a lot of people are not like me in the lack of laziness issue, but most are like me in that we are abondoned to something else - a mindset, an activity, a person - instead of being sold out to God.

Dr. Peacock told us many years ago that we cannot fully understand the New Testament until we understand the Old Testament. As I am reading the Old Testament, there is a ton of marriage allusions between us and God in there. That is why love God (Be abandoned to God in all things - heart soul, mind, strength) is the first commandment.

I'm working on it - it's not easy, but it sure is worth it.