[Jesus'] purpose is not the development of a man; His purpose is to make a man exactly like Himself, and the characteristic of the Son of God is self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain, but what He pours through us that counts. It is not that God makes us beautifully rounded grapes, but that He squeezes the sweetness out of us. Spiritually, we cannot measure our life by success, but only by what God pours through us, and we cannot measure that at all.
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Self-expenditure
Powerful words this morning from Oswald Chambers:
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Good morning! Today is September 2, 2023, and as I’m reading today’s devotional in my Oswald Chambers book “My utmost for his highest”, I read his sentence that says…”His purpose is to make a person exactly like himself, and the son of God is characterized by self expenditure”. I wanted to really understand what he was trying to say when he said “self expenditure”, so I googled self expenditure and I came across your blog. Exactly 5 years ago today you posted this on self expenditure, directly from the same book I’m reading this morning!!! Divine intervention!!!! I also woke this morning with a perplexed mind regarding dating and premarital affairs. I am convicted to be more like Jesus, and live a righteous life, and have chosen to abstain, until I marry again. I’ve had two failed marriages in my life, and I know God has a plan for me and I’m grateful for all my blessings, I just pray he’ll bless me with a gentleman one day who understands that I want to hold true to God’s word and refrain from human fleshly desires before I marry again. I only truly started following Jesus in 2018 and want to do things the way God wants for the rest of my life. Divorced for 10 years now. I recently have been talking with someone, we have not met yet, and he texted me a question this morning regarding intimacy and that it is not a sin outside of marriage and trying to convince me otherwise. I prayed to God to please give me the words to respond back to this man and tell him no, I am standing, true to God‘s word, and I’m honoring him by saving myself till I remarry. After I prayed, I read my devotional that led me here. At the end of the page Chambers wrote…”now is the time for us to break the flask of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and pour out our lives before him”. I think God just answered my prayer for the words to tell this man. So, I’m standing my ground. In Jesus name. Thank you for your blog! Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteSorry to be responding to this so late, but I've been traveling. Thanks so much for your kind words. God bless you as you seek to live faithful to him! I love it when he shows up like he did for you. So glad to be a tiny part of his work in your life!
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