Clear the Way for Knowing God
A clear window after the sweep of the wiper, a picture of thoughts made clean so knowing God fills the view.
Devotional Credit: My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Some thoughts grow like ivy around the mind, and Oswald Chambers invites us to cut them back with truth. His reading on 2 Corinthians 10 speaks to the patterns that argue against knowing God, the inner narratives that puff themselves up and crowd out simple trust. He reminds us that our weapons are not the world’s tools. They are of God, and they carry real power to take thoughts captive.
I am grateful for Chambers’ clarity. He notes that sin’s guilt is handled by Jesus through redemption. Our daily contest is not a fistfight with sin, it is the steady turning of the heart from natural patterns to the life of the Holy Spirit. That turning happens through many small choices. We say yes to what God says is true, and no to the pretensions that once ruled us.
This is not about self improvement or grinding it out. It is about abiding. In union with Jesus, we refuse to entertain lies, we hand some things to the Lord and leave them there, and we actively confront other patterns with the promises of God. These choices are not a way to earn anything. They are how we walk in the good that has already been given in Christ.
So the invitation is gentle and practical. Let the Spirit clear the path. Name the thoughts that exalt themselves, and replace them with what God says. Present yourself to God, and move through the day from the inside out, resting in the One who lives in you.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I make you strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The weapons I supply are not of the world, and they carry divine power to pull down strongholds. I teach your hands for this kind of battle, not with rage or pride, but with truth and peace. Take captive every thought that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and bring your mind to the obedience of Christ.
You are a new creation in Christ, and I bear witness that you are joined to the Lord in spirit. Your old man was crucified with Him, and you walk in newness of life. Present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and set your heart on things above where Christ is.
Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Put off the old ways that belong to your former manner of life, and put on the new self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Abide in Christ, and His words abide in you. I give you everything that pertains to life and godliness, and I lead you in triumph in Christ.
Stand firm, clothed with truth, righteousness, and the readiness of the gospel of peace. Lift the shield of faith, take the helmet of salvation, and wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Fix your eyes on Jesus, and run with endurance the race set before you. I am at work in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Scripture references: 2 Corinthians 10:3 to 5, Ephesians 6:10 to 18, Psalm 144:1, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6 to 11, Romans 12:1 to 2, Colossians 3:1 to 4, Galatians 5:16 to 25, Ephesians 4:22 to 24, John 15:4 to 7, 2 Peter 1:3, 2 Corinthians 2:14, Hebrews 12:1 to 2, Philippians 2:13, 1 Corinthians 6:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:5 to 6.
Real-Life Analogy
Sorting the day’s mail at the kitchen counter is simple. Junk mail goes straight to the recycling bin, important letters go on the counter where you will act on them, and nothing sits in a wobbling pile for days. Taking thoughts captive works like that. With the Holy Spirit living in you, the junk gets discarded quickly, the true and good are kept in sight, and the counter stays clear so you can move freely.
Try this today. Before you start a meeting or step into a decision, pause for thirty seconds. Name the one thought that tends to barge in and boss you around. Set it aside like junk mail. Then say, Lord, I rely on You to think and speak through me in this moment, and move forward expecting His peace and clarity to carry the conversation.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for giving me weapons with divine power in Jesus. Thank You that I am a new creation, united with Your Son, and that my mind is being renewed by Your Spirit. I present myself to You today. Fill the frame with what is true, and clear away what exalts itself. Lord, I trust You to pull down pretensions and to express Your wisdom and love through me as I walk.