| Oswald Chambers |
He made His disciples get into the
boat and go before Him to the other side . . . —Mark 6:45
We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something
and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our
dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly
the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end
or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a
particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an
episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular
end, God sees as the goal itself.
What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be,
His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now.
If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil
of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not
working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He
desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no
success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that
everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the
outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God’s
training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for
sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our
obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call
preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the
storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not
paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that
moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is
precious.
