My Utmost For His Highest
Daily Devotional Journal
By Oswald Chamber
For my
first book review on this blog I decided to share with you a work that is fairly
dear to me. I say this not just because of who the author was and my respect
for him and his work but mostly due to the fact it is the daily devotional
journal that I have decided to use for my own personal growth this year. Now,
devotional journals are a dime a dozen these days especially with the advent
of internet, ebooks and apps, however, some can be set apart from others in
a much greater quality dependant on the author. As some seem so cheaply put
together and created with little effort or thought placed into content. Some set
the standard in the way they create actual change in your day to day life,
personal living and actually bring forth fruit in your life.
My Utmost for His Highest is an example
of one of these standard setting daily devotionals. Written in 1924 the book
is still today in print in various versions and in 39 different languages. I cannot
explain the book, however, until I explain the life of the author.
Oswald
Chambers was born in 1874 in Scotland into the family of a Baptist evangelist.
As a young teen he was noted for his spirituality and thus entered a life of evangelism.
Chambers attended numerous schools and served on a few missions until founding
the Bible Training College in London. During his tenure his sermons and daily
devotional hours where meticulously types verbatim by his wife and recorded.
All but his first book where printed after his death from these notes and
recordings of his lectures and studies.
At the
breakout of the First World War Chambers closed his school and took a position
as a YMCA chaplain and was assigned to Egypt where he ministered to troops.
Little did he know that his death would soon follow demonstrated in an act of
love. In October of 1917 he was stricken with appendicitis. When doctors urged
him to receive surgery he refused treatment and refused to take up a bed in the
military hospital as to not take a bed from a wounded soldier in the battles of
war. A surgeon finally performed an emergency surgery on Chambers but he passed
away in November 1917 of complications and was buried with full military honors
in Cairo.
My Utmost for His Highest is the highest
seller of his 30 books. It is comprised of 365 entries dated for each day of
the year. Each entry is taken from notes of his talks recorded by his wife.
Each entry is about 500 words long. The work has never been out of print since
it began publication with a few updated variants as well as leather hardbound
and journal style prints.
The
version I purchased and use is the Hardbound Graduate’s Journal Edition. The difference
between the editions is that the journal editions provide a side column of line
for taking notes or writing thoughts and entries of your own. The entries in
each edition are the same.
In my
use of this book I have had a very thought provoking period of growth. The
entries start with one verse and then are followed by Chambers commentary of
the passage and at time cross references with other supporting passages. His
choice of words is done in such a way that compacts so much spiritual teaching
in such little amount of words. The entries are not merely a hodgepodge of
entries as many daily devotionals are but at times hammer around fine tuning
one point or subject for a number of days and at times revert back to something
mentioned days prior as a form of check on spiritual progress.
On a
more intimate spiritual note, there have been times I had to close the book and
go straight to my knees halfway through an entry. As a Pastoral student I can
sense the Pastor teacher/student Pastor relationship in this book as this
devotional is comprised of talks from lunches where Chambers was surrounded by
student Pastors and evangelists beginning their journey in service.
This
book has been an inspiration to me from the start and each morning it’s a motivation
to get out of bed and begin my daily walk beginning with an entry. Just as the
title of his first entry; “Let Us Keep to the Point.” Chambers does just that.
As a reader you will be charged with word and thought that is the key elements
of service to God. This book has also developed in me a closer more intimate
relationship with Christ. No other 500 word a day devotional has ever inspired
that in my heart.
I
strongly recommend this devotional book to every Christian out there especially
an Christian seeking a life of service to our Lord. Christ asks for our utmost.
Chambers put his into this book. I will close this review out with a quote from
the first entry. A link will be below the review where you can find this
journal.
Thank You for reading and keep Walking Homeward!
“My Utmost for His Highest. “My eager desire and hope being
that I may never feel ashamed.” We shall all feel very much ashamed if we do not
yield to Jesus on the point He has asked us to yield to Him….My Undeterredness
for His Holiness. “Whether that means life or death, no matter!” – from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald
Chambers
I am in no way endorsing or promoting or being compensated by Amazon with this link. It is simply the link I chose.
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