Oswald Chambers, a man whose devout teachings and insightful writings continue to resonate within the hearts of Christians worldwide, left an indelible mark on Christianity through his dynamic preaching and the posthumous publication of "My Utmost for His Highest." Chambers committed his life to God's work, infusing deep theological insights with practical applications. His legacy, crafted through years of dedicated ministry and teaching, particularly during his time as a chaplain in World War I, speaks volumes about the depth of his faith and his commitment to discipleship. Discover the life and influence of Oswald Chambers.
Oswald Chambers was a Scottish evangelical teacher and minister. Despite humble beginnings in a remote town in Scotland, God used him to teach and preach the Word of God in communities and nations around the world.
The young preacher longed to live in utter dependence on His Lord’s strength and will. He taught his listeners—whether Bible students or WWI soldiers—to offer complete abandon in service to God. In the words of Oswald Chambers:
The great word of Jesus to his disciples is abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on his word; trust entirely to him and watch that when he brings us to the venture, we take it.
Oswald Chambers’ life was shortened by severe complications from an appendectomy in his early forties, but his brief time on this earth made a powerful impact for the Kingdom of God.
1874: Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, the youngest son of a Baptist minister.
1889: Celebrates his spiritual birthday at the age of 15 and feels a pull towards evangelism with his church near London.
1897: Begins art studies at the University of Edinburgh, but feels God’s call to a life of ministry, so he enrolls in Dunoon College near Glasgow, where he studies and tutors for nine years.
1901: Begins a ministry of preaching and teaching the Gospel in England, as well as in Ireland, Scotland, Japan, and the United States.
1906: Joins Japanese evangelist Rev. Juji Nakada on a visit to the United States and begins an ongoing friendship and ministry partnership with God’s Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1910: Marries Gertrude “Biddy” Hobbs in 1910, a young woman he knows only casually when asked to keep watch over her on a ship to America. After the journey, they go separate ways but continue to write until their marriage.
1911: Begins the Bible Training College in London, in 1911.
1912: Becomes an author when his first book, Biblical Psychology, is published by God’s Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1913: Becomes a father to a daughter, Kathleen, in 1913.
1915: Follows the Lord’s leadership and takes his family to Egypt, where he serves as YMCA ministry chaplain to soldiers during the First World War.
The writings of Oswald Chambers have the unique ability to encourage readers to think, ponder, and pray. The following quotes are just a few examples of the God-given wisdom of this minister and teacher:
1. “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.”
2. “We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.”
3. “God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.”
4. “At times, God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Songbirds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God’s hand until we learn to hear Him...Watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there, keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet... When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.”
5. “We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life—those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength.”
6. “You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.”
7. “The people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies in the field, perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold us.”
8. “When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted friendship—when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us.”
9. “Never look for justice in this world, never cease to give it.”
10. “Get into the habit of saying, ‘Speak, Lord,’ and life will become a romance.”
1. He yearned for what God had in store for him. Oswald Chambers felt God’s call at a young age, and after his profession of faith in Christ at age 15, he faced a deep inner struggle to discern God’s will for his life.
2. He was an artist first. Oswald Chambers was gifted in music and art and even studied at the National Art Training School in London before pursuing his call to ministry.
3. He didn’t plan on entering the ministry. He was so sure of serving God through art that at one point, Oswald Chambers told a childhood friend, George Oxer, “I shall never go into the ministry until God takes me by the scruff of the neck and throws me in.”
4. He struggled to find direction at first. A poem that Chambers wrote while a student at the Dunoon Theological College shows the depth of his struggle to know and follow God’s direction:
“O Lord Jesus, hear my crying
For a consecrated life,
For I bite the dust in trying
For release from this dark strife.”
5. He knew what his wife gave up. This minister with a servant’s heart was well-aware of his wife’s sacrifices on his behalf. In 1916, a year before his death, he wrote the following note to his beloved Biddy:
When I consider how completely and nobly you have foregone all quiet, civilized influences that other women have and have been living a literal hand-to-mouth existence all transfigured by your great love for me and Him, I must bow my head in dedication and say God bless thee!
6. His wife was the perfect recorder. God uniquely prepared Gertrude “Biddy” Chambers to record and transcribe her husband’s teachings. She took shorthand at an amazing 250 words per minute and compiled much of Oswald’s work into pamphlets and books.
7. He helped many. The Bible Training College founded by Chambers and his wife was a refuge and haven for all in need. The Chambers family also ministered to many missionaries and provided them with much-needed rest and restoration.
8. His words have been in print for almost 100 years. Due to his wife’s diligence and faithfulness to God, My Utmost for His Highest was first published in 1927 and has remained in print ever since.
9. Oswald Chambers has a room dedicated in his memory at God’s Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio. The room includes many of Oswald’s books and writings, an oil painting of the teacher-minister, and photos from his life and work.
10. His wife sent a message when he died. Upon his death in 1917 in Egypt, Oswald’s wife sent a telegram to his family back in England with the simple but powerful message: “Oswald, In His Presence.”
The lives of Oswald Chambers and his wife continue to impact the world for Christ. Perhaps the heart of this couple is best expressed in an excerpt from Mrs. Chambers’ Forward in her husband’s book, My Utmost for His Highest:
It is because it is felt that the author is one to whose teaching men will return, that this book has been prepared, and it is sent out with the prayer that day by day the messages may continue to bring the quickening life and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
May God continue to use the life and writings of Oswald Chambers to shine the light of the Gospel around the world. And may we see the life of this remarkable warrior of God as a powerful example of faith, obedience, and commitment to the hope and calling of Jesus Christ.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7).
Sources:
God’s Bible School & College—Oswald Chambers Connection
Oswald Chambers Biography—My Utmost for His Highest
Biddy Chambers—Women of Christianity
Photo Credit: Photo public domain, graphic by G. Connor Salter
You’ll find Leigh Ann on an adventure with her sweetheart of 39 years, getting silly with her grands, or daydreaming story plots on the front porch.
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