My Utmost for His Highest book review

 Oswald Chambers writes in his book My Utmost For His Highest, “Shut out every other consideration and keep yourself before God for this one thing only--My Utmost for His Highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.”
 
 In order to build a relationship, we must have regular contact with the person with which we desire the relationship. It is that way with building a relationship with Jesus Christ. In order to change the direction of my life and to keep it focused on Jesus, I require daily contact with Him through His word, found in the Bible and other devotional writings.
John 15:4-5 explains why it’s so important to remain in God’s word and close to Jesus.  “ For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.” Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. Only by staying close to him will we produce fruit fit for the Kingdom.

​My first daily devotional was from the book My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Mr. Chambers’ writings caused me to reach for the deeper meaning of following Christ and had a great spiritual impact on my life.
 
Each devotion takes less than ten minutes to read, but contains spiritual secrets worth pondering for a lifetime.
 
Oswald Chambers
Mr. Chambers was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1874, and wrote this book, which became one of Christianity’s greatest, without knowing it.
 
A gifted artist early in life, his future was assured by a scholarship to the leading art centers of Europe. But, after giving his life to Christ, the pull was so strong that he declined the scholarship and enrolled in Dunoon Bible Training College. He went on to conduct Bible teaching ministries in the United States, the United  Kingdom, and Japan. In World War I, he ministered as a YMCA chaplain to Australian and New Zealand troops preparing for action in the Middle East. There he died in 1917 following surgery for a ruptured appendix and was buried in Cairo under a headstone bearing the words of
Luke 11:13
"If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

​His widow, Gertrude Hobbs, compiled his  manuscripts, notes, lectures, and sermons into the classic My Utmost for His Highest.,  The book has been in print since 1935 and is still a well-known and much loved devotional..
 
Beginning January 1st Chambers echo’s the Apostle Paul’s goal for his life from Philippians 1:20. 
To live in eager expectation and hope to refrain from doing anything shameful. But always being bold for Christ and determining to honor Christ with his life.
With each reading, Oswald Chambers leads the reader to an understanding of how scripture relates to daily living, ending December 31st with  the security for today and for tomorrow and the expectation of our reward.  The text of Isaiah 52:12 assures the reader that God will go ahead to guide the way, and protect them from behind.
If you are looking for daily inspiration, there is no better time to acquire this book and be ready to start the New Year—or begin at any date. for a year's worth of inspiration.

(I purchased this book with my own money and was not paid or asked for a positive review.)

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