Devotions for a Deeper Life - Oswald Chambers

By the author of My Utmost for His Highest, which I have not read, this newly published work consists of 365 devotionals. Let me say at the outset that this was not my cup of tea; I could rarely get myself to be on the same wavelength as the author, finding him very, very firm of opinion and coming from a different theological standpoint than I. Oswald Chambers did not mince words, so he was clear about what he thought and believed. His writing very much reflects a time gone by, with a tone that was at least exhortative and many times seemed to scold. It is not a tone you see much these days. At times, Chambers overstates his case, such as at the end of the devotional on page 103, where Chambers wrote very jarringly: “We are called to faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. Any movement or person that contradicts Jesus, God will blast to pieces.” I don’t find that teaching in Scripture. On page 253, Chambers says, “This kind of self-sympathy, arising from the cares of this life, is carnal. It will kill the Spirit of God within you.” The Bible says we can quench the Spirit, but it never states we can “kill the Spirit of God” within us. If a firm tone is something you appreciate in a devotional, you might like this one. If not, I’d look elsewhere. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.