Simplify ...

Over the past (many?) years I have read, concurrently, several different devotionals: Daily Bread, Days of Praise, and In Touch. More than a year ago I added Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest to the list. Several months ago I added George MacDonald's Diary of an Old Soul. Recently I began working my way through The Psalms ... in Scots Gaelic. One of my goals is to learn the language, and the Psalms in Scots Gaelic are one tool I am hoping will facilitate that learning curve.

The end effect of these multiple devotionals, not surprisingly, is lack of focus and a not terribly satisfying experience.

Therefore, earlier this year I decided to limit my devotional reading to My Utmost (which is being replaced by The Collected Works of Oswald Chambers) and Diary of an Old Soul, along with the Psalms and an occasional foray into the 3 volume Treasury of David, by Charles Spurgeon. One of the most important reasons for my choices is that I am drawn to Scotland, and particularly the Gaelic culture of Scotland.

Scotland has a rich Christian history and it is my dream/hope to visit Scotland again and again (having made three trips between May 2009 and May 2010) to drink deeply of her heritage, or ideally move to the Hebrides and work with/minister to the folk that live there. Far fetched? Impossible dream? Perhaps. But more than one person has suggested to me that God has given to me this desire of my heart, and we know that with Him all things are possible.

George MacDonald's Diary of an Old Soul

Well, I've had my copy of Diary of an Old Soul for several days. It is not what I expected; it's written in a "poetry/prose" style that is very different from that of Oswald Chambers. However, I take comfort in the forward, written by Alvin N. Rogness, which advises readers that Mr. MacDonald's content is not always easy to grasp, but is worth the time and effort.

For those who are interested, Mr. MacDonald was a direct descendant of the survivors of the Glencoe Massacre, and a writer of fantasy and fiction who influenced C.S. Lewis, J. R.R. Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle. One of my friends from church, Tom , has read MacDonald's fiction, and I intend to continue to study his diary.

The relationship, an Old Soul's Diary, and Still Higher for His Highest

During my Monday morning Old Gold (a mens group) meeting one of our group talked about his feeling there is something he is supposed to be doing but can't quite grasp it, and needs The Lord to show him the path. I responded "Join the club. Been in that position for 5 years." Eventually though I realized what I need to get is that my first priority needs to be my relationship to God, through Christ, and all else will fall into place.

Oswald Chambers wrote about that very thing in today's My Utmost for His Highest: "We must never allow anything to injure our relationship with God; if it does get injured we must take time and get it put right. The main thing about Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the atmosphere produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to look after, and it is the one thing that is being continually assailed. "

On other subjects, I found, when ordering a book for my wife, that Mr Chambers wrote a follow-up to My Utmost, and it's called Still Higher for His Highest. That and Diary of an Old Soul, by George MacDonald, will soon be in my hands and serve, along with My Utmost as my daily devotional readings.