My Utmost for His Highest

I really enjoyed this devotional on Saturday, I wanted to share it with you!

He must increase, but I must decrease —John 3:30
If you become a necessity to someone else’s life, you are out of God’s will. As a servant, your primary responsibility is to be a “friend of the bridegroom” (John 3:29). When you see a person who is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been used in the right direction. And when you begin to see that person in the middle of a difficult and painful struggle, don’t try to prevent it, but pray that his difficulty will grow even ten times stronger, until no power on earth or in hell could hold him away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we try to be amateur providences in someone’s life. We are indeed amateurs, coming in and actually preventing God’s will and saying, “This person should not have to experience this difficulty.” Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, our sympathy gets in the way. One day that person will say to us, “You are a thief; you stole my desire to follow Jesus, and because of you I lost sight of Him.” Beware of rejoicing with someone over the wrong thing, but always look to rejoice over the right thing. “. . . the friend of the bridegroom . . . rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30). This was spoken with joy, not with sadness-at last they were to see the Bridegroom! And John said this was his joy. It represents a stepping aside, an absolute removal of the servant, never to be thought of again. Listen intently with your entire being until you hear the Bridegroom’s voice in the life of another person. And never give any thought to what devastation, difficulties, or sickness it will bring. Just rejoice with godly excitement that His voice has been heard. You may often have to watch Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it (see Matthew 10:34)

The Real Gift

This world is cruel, creation is groaning beneath the surface and crying out to be saved from its pain. Our ancestors since the Fall of humanity have suffered greatly, but we tend to get so lost in our own selfish world sometimes and forget that our Savior suffered just as we do.

Like a sheep he was led to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
-Isaiah

Jesus saw the JOY in the midst of the pain–He could see that when it was finished the whole world would have access to His Father again–he kept enduring for our sake. Jesus died so that we might have life in Him.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be visible in our bodies.
So death is at work in us, but life in YOU.
-2 Corinthians 4

While sometimes we may feel as though God has abandoned us and doubt has shadowed our faith, His Grace sustains and strengthens us and we must have the courage to seek the JOY beyond the shadows even when you cannot visibly see it.

May we allow God to isolate us, it is in this experience of isolation that the Lord develops an independence of life and faith so that the soul no longer depends on the continual help, prayer, faith and care of others. God allows these difficulties to come upon you in order to bring you closer to Himself. Even though we do not understand it, we can be assured Jesus has not come to separate us from Himself, but to cause you to cling to Him more faithfully, firmly and simply.

Let us enjoy His light and comfort when it is His pleasure to give it to us, but may we have the faith and steady determination not to attach ourselves to his gifts.