Ultimate Reward

12/31/2020

Isaiah 52:12 “The God of Israel will be your reward.”

“On this site, I will post a daily reflection from My Utmost for His Highest for the year 2020 in its entirety; for 20/20 means one has perfect vision. My prayer is that together, God will open our eyes so that we can see Him more clearly than ever before.” 1/1/2020 ~ L. Collins

Little did I know that when I wrote those words in my first blog post of 2020, we would all be where we are today. The concept of 20/20 being perfect vision was a thought about spiritual growth coming into focus and seeing God more clearly in all we do. Well, for me at least, this year certainly accomplished that; for the trauma we have all collectively experienced has drawn me closer to God than I have ever been before. I am blessed by those of you who have come on this journey with me, and also sought rest and shelter in the loving arms of our Savior. It has been a year that none of us will ever forget, and my prayer today is that we will carry the lessons learned with us as God writes them on the walls of our hearts.

Today, Chambers broke down his study into three sections, and I will be following that model for you.

 

Security from Yesterday. 

We all have things that we regret from our past. Decisions made that turned out not to be the right ones for which we carry guilt or remorse; Roads walked down that took us in a direction that was not edifying or of God, and could have been dangerous; Sins that may haunt us even today. Thankfully, God was in the past with us, and He will work out those areas in us for good if we let Him. When we release all to Him, He will help us make our mess our message. Chambers writes, “But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them in order to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual culture for the future. God reminds us of our past lest we get into a shallow security in the present.” God does not want us to be trapped by our past, He wants us to submit all to Him; for only in Him will we find our lessons, redemption, and freedom.

 

Security for Tomorrow

There is a quote on a plaque in my house that reads, “Do not worry about tomorrow because God is already there.” To say that worry is plaguing our land right now just as much as Covid-19 would be an understatement. As this year draws to a close, we will not see a light switch effect of all being right with the world tomorrow. We will have the same battles that we have today, and the human condition will not change: people will still get sick, have their hearts broken, lose their jobs, and fracture their relationships. There will also be blessings, however: weddings, babies being born, people getting their dream jobs, love blossoming, people recovering from illness, people getting engaged, new friendships forged, graduations, and best of all, people yielding to Jesus as their Savior. In all of it, everything that the future holds, God is already there. Chambers writes, “He will watch lest things will trip us up again into like failure, as they assuredly would do if He were not our reward.” We do not have to worry about what has been or what is to come, because the Creator of the universe is for us. “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 (NIV)

 

Security for Today

How many times have you heard someone say “the present is a gift”? Probably a lot. We hear it, but do we really honor how deep a meaning it really has? Every day that I draw breathe is another day that God has gifted me with, and I am grateful. No matter my current circumstances, as long as I am alive, I can reach others for Christ. As I have shared before, my mother did this the last five years of her life while bedridden. She did not let a day go by without letting someone around her know that they were loved. This, and her deep faithfulness, are legacies I pray I will be able to continue. Life – especially right now – can be daunting for sure, but as long as we are alive, we can and should live for our God. Every day I have the choice to walk in joy, faith, and love. Every day, I can start with a clean slate because I am a redeemed child of the Most High. Every day, I can share the Gospel message with others. Every day, I can do My Utmost for His Highest. We can all do this, as Chambers writes, “…with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us.”

 In closing, it has been an honor to reflect on the wisdom of Oswald Chambers’ words, and to have the Holy Spirit guide me on this journey. More times than not, I would sit down to write not knowing if what came out even made any sense, or I would often not even remember clearly what I had written. I always felt that my writing time every night was anointed, and that I was truly guided by the Holy Spirit. To say that I feel overwhelmed and humbled by this is a drastic understatement, yet words fail me for how grateful I am for this time with my God. If I can give you all one encouragement, it is to listen and act when God gives you a vision. Your obedience will be mightily blessed. As I read the verse Chambers used above, I cannot help but know deep down that “the God of Israel is my reward.”