Don't read this post until you read yesterday's I PROMISE you that this will not make sense if you read this one first. However, you may just get a blessing if you read yesterday's first.
Ironically, after writing yesterday's post, God gave me this little gem from my daily devotions. It is from Oswald Chambers and based on Proverbs 29:18. Some wonder how you know if there is a God or why doesn't He talk to us. He does - all the time, we just don't listen much. Sometimes, He even uses the Internet. That is what He did for me today:
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There is a difference between an ideal and a vision. An ideal has no moral inspiration; a vision has. The people who give themselves over to ideals rarely do anything. A man's conception of Deity may be used to justify his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah argued that because God was a God of justice and of mercy, therefore everything would be all right. I may have a right conception of God, and that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of rectitude because the vision imparts moral incentive.
Ideals may lull to ruin. Take stock of yourself spiritually and see whether you have ideals only or if you have vision.
"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp,Or what's a heaven for?"
"Where there is no vision. . . ."
When once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless, we cast off certain restraints, we cast off praying, we cast off the vision of God in little things, and begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating what we have out of our own hand, doing things on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on the downward path, we have lost the vision. Is our attitude to-day an attitude that springs from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done? Is there a freshness and vigour in our spiritual out look?
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Today is Wednesday May 9, 2007 and I am no closer to my life's goals as I was yesterday or last year. However, now I have a clearer vision.
5 comments:
By George, I think he's got it!
I like that, ideal versus vision. I've been thinking alot about "knowledge". We know alot more than we think, about ourselves, what is meaningful to us, and what to do with it and so much of it is caught between a passion and a fear and we are scared to use what we know to project forth the answers that are being brought to us, in whatever venue. God's thought passing through other people, silence, experiences, are often ignored and we lose inspiration in doing that, we lose the drive, we lost the hope. Okay, I kind of rambled and hope this makes sense. Liked this followup post.
sayre: You know it is funny. Sometimes I just write just to hear myself talk. It is how I process things sometimes. I often think it puts out the wrong message to those who read it. I picture people looking at it thinking, "wow, this guy is just immersed in frustration!" It isn't really like that; it is just a process.
stepping over: It makes perfect sense to me. It amazes me what we can learn about ourselves AFTER the vent. You get too tired to do anything but listen. God is no chump, you know? ;)
Thats deep! So what was on the internet that opened your eyes a little bit more?
Charles: It is on "My Utmost for His Highest" daily devotion by Oswald Chambers:
http://www.myutmost.org/
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