My Utmost for His Highest

If I could recommend 1 thing to start doing this year on a daily basis it would be to read "My Utmost for His Highest" during your time with God every day. If you've never read it before, it's a daily devotional that gives you a little page to read every day but it is packed with a PUNCH! It is amazing how just systematically reading through the Scriptures as well as reading a book like this can be a useful tool for God to speak to you personally. For example, here are a few quotes from the past few days that spoke to me....

From January 1:"'My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest- my best for His glory.' To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn't know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point- He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only- my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone."

See what I mean. With the idea of moving to Africa in the forefront our my mind, words like this are pure inspiration! Are you giving your best for His glory? The battle is in the will, once we surrender our will to God it doesn't really matter what He does with us. Here is what spoke to me from January 2:

" One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, 'What do you expect to do?' The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if you are willing to 'go out' (referring to Abraham) in every area of your life, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in constant wonder, because you don't know what God is going to do next. Each morning as you wake, there is a new opportunity to 'go out', building your confidence in God.
Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do- He reveals to you who He is.
Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to 'go out' in dependence upon God."

See what I mean. He packs a punch. I love it.