Customer Reviews

My Utmost for His Highest - Deluxe

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As Thomas Merton put it, there is nothing really new under the sun. "There is nothing so ancient and so dead as human novelty. The 'latest' is always stillborn. What is really NEW is what was there all the time. I say, not what has repeated itself all the time; the really "new" is that which, at every moment, springs freshly into new existence."

I have used this devotional since my mid twenties.. thirty years or so. I haven't used it rigidly every day, but I'm sure I have been through it eight or ten times. And I can safely say that the Lord has spoken to me freshly hundreds of times. It has this enduring quality, and this poly-valence.

But it is neither easy nor simple reading. The language is often archaic. Even the updated version retains a 19th century British flavor. But for those who love language, this is not a barrier but rather a recommendation.

Finally, remember that Chambers is now public domain and his devotional is available online.
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I have never been a fan of "daily devotionals" but I needed a kick in the butt in my life. I have been slacking in my Mass attendance and had trouble finding 'Christ in me'. No matter how hard I tried and prayed, I found God to be someone up there, not someone in my life.

I was the type to look up canon law when I had a question and obey the commandments because I am supposed to. I wanted to know God was in my life but could never grasp it. This book was able to do this for me.

My life has changed in one week. I now enjoy attending daily Mass, looking forward to it, and receiving knowledge and guidance from it. I am learning to know God and actually mark my calendar to find time to quietly read and meditate on the daily reading in My Utmost for His Highest.

I only wish I had known of this book earlier. I have never found a book that has changed my life as much as this one has.

This book was delivered very fast. The book itself is beautiful inside and out.

Chambers is timeless because he speaks Truth...Jesus is always lifted high in his devotionals! One's focus is kept on Him!

Man, talk about a wake-up call. Oswald Chambers pulls no punches as he leads you day-by-day through an entire year of Bible-based teaching (with even an extra day thrown in for a leap year), mostly excerpted from his lectures given at the Bible Training College from 1911-1917.

I've never been so blasted with good, solid, Christ-centered teaching in my entire life. Chambers's point throughout is simple: it's Jesus or bust, folks. Get with the program or not only will you miss out big time in this life, but also in the life to come.

His style is direct, his words laced with power. Why? Because he's preaching the Word, solid and true. Not ever have I been so challenged by a daily devotional as by this one. Most out there are just fluffy thoughts for the day. Sure, some are Christian in nature or even Bible-based, but most just don't get to the meat of it. My Utmost for His Highest does. This is one of those books that are meant for those who want more, for those who take, or want to take, their Christian walk seriously.

This book amplifies what it means to be a Christian. A real Christian, first century-style. The kind of Christian God wants.

If you're looking for a book to change your life, one that will amplify what the Bible says, then grab a copy of this ASAP. If you're looking to just sit in the drudgery of the same old, same old, then don't bother.

But then you'll be missing out. Big time.

Highly recommended reading.

"My Utmost for His Highest" is daily bread, hot and fresh from heavenly ovens!

This was the first devotional I read after I was saved and have rediscovered its relevance, convicting power, and probing insights.

I gave a copy to my best friend in June. He told me that he started reading it from January 1st, 5 days at a time, because he didn't want to miss anything God had for him in the previous months!

That's the it is with Utmost - every day brings the Word of God in an interesting, very personal and amazingly relevant way to the reader. This is a precious gem for the believer.

I had heard of this book so many times that I felt the Lord leading me to get a copy. Oh how He has blessed me through the daily readings. The somewhat archaic language and deep concepts forced me to truly meditate on the truths and dig deeper into the Bible to begin to comprehend. I am reading it for the third time and seeing things that I missed in the first two readings. God really uses the book in my daily quiet time to reach into my heart.

I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know anything about Oswald Chambers until I came across this book at a reduced price and bought two copies, one for a sick friend and one for myself. What a blessing it turned out to be for both of us!

The one-page essays, one for each day of the year (even February 29!), are deeply thought provoking and can be the basis for a daily meditation session. Be warned that the essays can be challenging. For example, Chambers pressures readers to consider whether we are trying to "perfect" ourselves as some kind of model Christian that God can display on a trophy shelf we imagine He has, rather than truly trying to perceive and submit to His will? Or are we interfering with God's will by trying to be an "amateur providence" who helps people through their difficulties by telling them what we think they should do rather than leading them toward Christ so He can tell them what they should to do?

The Scripture verses are from the New King James Version translation.

I HIGHLY recommend My Utmost for His Highest to Christians of all persuasions as an aid for contemplation, encouragement and spiritual growth. This is a rare devotional book that you'll want to keep and refer to or reread frequently.

I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know anything about Oswald Chambers until I came across this book at a reduced price and bought two copies, one for a sick friend and one for myself. What a blessing it turned out to be for both of us!

The one-page essays, one for each day of the year (even February 29!), are deeply thought provoking and can be the basis for a daily meditation session. Be warned that the essays can be challenging. For example, Chambers pressures readers to consider whether we are trying to "perfect" ourselves as some kind of model Christian that God can display on a trophy shelf we imagine He has, rather than truly trying to perceive and submit to His will? Or are we interfering with God's will by trying to be an "amateur providence" who helps people through their difficulties by telling them what we think they should do rather than leading them toward Christ so He can tell them what they should to do?

For those who don't want to follow the day-by-day format there are two indexes referring to the relevant essays: one by subject or key word and the other by Scripture verse. The Scripture verses are from the New King James Version translation.

I HIGHLY recommend My Utmost for His Highest to Christians of all persuasions as an aid for contemplation, encouragement and spiritual growth. This is a rare devotional book that you'll want to keep and refer to or reread frequently.

I am an avid reader of devotional guides, and even something of a collector of them; I have works from the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions. All have something valuable to offer but none have offered so much to me as this one. Whenever your faith seems tepid and the church seems heavy on rules and devoid of zeal, let this book remind you to turn your face to God, trust in his Son, and receive his Spirit. If there could be no Bible, this book alone could teach the world faith.

If anything seems to be absent from Chambers, it is what we might call "practical" or "concrete" guidance to life in the world. But that is because he expects God will reveal such things to you in His time, and for him to provide specific counsel, which may not be correct for you in your circumstances, would be rash.

Please accept my recommendation that you avoid the so-called updated edition and get an edition of this book with Chambers' unaltered words. Chambers wrote with a clear, strong voice, filled with encouragement and benevolence. He was a man sure of the message he had to preach, and thus spoke free of artifice and affectation, yet with precision and warmth and eloquence. Struggle a little with his elegant diction and older turns of phrase rather than let his jewel be dimmed.