Customer Reviews

My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers Library)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have read this book before and really enjoyed it and normally would give it a 5 star rating but have given it only 2 because it is almost unreadable due to the font size. Recently I bought 8 copies of this particular edition to share with my bible study group at a quite considerable cost. They have just come and I was greatly disappointed when I opened a copy and discovered that the print was miniscule. No one wants them because they can't read them easily. I will have to try and find some used books of a different edition to use with our study group. If you want this book I would highly recommend it but look for a different edition.

Along with the day's chapter from Proverbs (i.e. November 3rd, read Proverbs Chapter 3) each day I read the day's selection form Oswald Chambers MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST, and I have been doing so for around forty years now. His simple yet profound direction to keep one's eyes on God and His plans have shaped how my worldview and life. I have checked out other devotionals in the past, some are good, most are trite rubbish, but none better this classic, and I have found none that match it for continual life-changing use along with a devotional life of prayer, Bible study, praise and worship.

The content of this book is amazing, but I clearly failed to read the reviews before ordering. Or I clicked on the wrong edition...? The print of this book is unbelievably small. I would guess the font size to be SIX - about like your average footnote. Definitely buy this book; but in a different edition.

I received this book as a high school graduation gift in 1966. Over the years I have returned to it again and again. I recently got the Kindle edition in contemporary English. I am now 63 years old and I return to this devotional book again and again. Yes, I use others, but none has the straightforward wisdom or the call to accountability of Oswald Chambers.

The print in this book is extremely tiny so those with vision issues may not be able to read it, but the contents of the book make it very well worth the purchase. Very glad I bought it, will use it daily for the rest of my life!

My Utmost for His Highest is the granddaddy of 20th century devotional books. I remember seeing a copy of Oswald Chambers' book on my dad's bookshelf, and I was given a copy of book in 1979 by my Sunday school teacher and Bible study group leader when I was a senior in high school attending a Bible church. It would make a great gift for any Christian you know who is looking to spend more time with God in His Word every day.

It is still a perennial favorite among Christian devotional books, and I think there are a number of reasons for this. First, Chambers wrote in a simple format: one verse from the Bible, followed by one page of devotional writing. This simple format makes My Utmost for His Highest very easy to use and to keep up with. The second reason this book continues to be a favorite is that Chambers writes simply, forcefully, and practically. There is also a directness and power in Chambers' words that touches his readers.

For these reasons, My Utmost for His Highest has become a classic. Anything that encourages people to read their Bibles, reflect on God's Word, and attempt to live by it is a very good thing. However, such devotional books are, ultimately, very limited. Scripture is meant to be read in its entire context, and not chopped up into single verses. Reading My Utmost for His Highest has benefited me, but as I've gotten older it always leaves me wanting something that goes more deeply and broadly into Scripture.

Having said all this, I'm truly thankful that Chambers doesn't sugarcoat the Christian life but clearly communicates that it is a difficult one. For the kind of simple, daily devotional that it is, My Utmost for His Highest will always remain a classic.

I recommend this book to everyone. I have been offering this book to so many people - including my father, but I think it got too deep for him. My Utmost for His Highest is the classic of devotional literature. There is a reason that it has been a bestseller for many years. This devotional is simply timeless. The book covers so many topics and verses! There is so much here and what is here is not what you find in today's churches!

Oswald J. Chambers was so close to God. He was born July 24, 1874 and died in 1917. Chambers was born in Scotland. He traveled all over including Egypt, Japan, and America. It was on one of his trips to America that he met his future wife Gertrude Hobbs (Biddy). On 24 May 1913, Biddy gave birth to their first and only child, Kathleen.

I think God chose to take Chambers because their fellowship was sweet and close. He died November 15, 1917 in Egypt as the result of a ruptured appendix. According to some authors, he suffered the extreme pain of appendicitis for three days before seeking medical attention, refusing to take a hospital bed needed by wounded soldiers.

While there are more than 30 books that bear his name, he only penned one book, Baffled to Fight Better.

According to some authors: His wife, Biddy, was a stenographer and could take dictation at a rate of 250 words per minute. During his time teaching at the Bible College and at various sites in Egypt, Biddy kept verbatim records of his lessons. She spent the remaining 30 years of her life compiling her records into the bulk of his published works.

And if you enjoy this book, please read Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God by David McCasland, another fantastic read!

You'll read "deeper" books, but few as consistently challenging. Chambers speaks, in one-a-day bites, about the devotion a Christian must have to be obedient to God. These aren't "sound bites," but morsels of a very meaty meal. Catholics and Protestants both will find Chambers pointing the way to Heaven, and helping us know how to live out Christ's plan while still on Earth.

A verse accompanies each day, and these ought be looked up to see the fully context. Have your Bible and a notepad next to you.

Chambers is candid to say the Christian life is difficult, but encourages us that this difficulty should challenge us, not scare us away. Maybe Chambers might like the slogan "A few good men," except this time referring to future converts?

For people who like the "Daily Bread" booklets, check "My Utmost" out. Like the DB series, each entry will take you just a few minutes to read, but plenty of time to ponder.

Use this together as a discussion step with another person, your spouse or small group. Figure out why Chambers places the standard so high -- does Scripture agree? And once you figure out the answer for a given day's passage, now what? What is your response?

I read an entry and realize I've got a long way to go, but feel glad I'm on the road.

Anthony Trendl
http://anthonytrendl.com

I was so excited when this book arrived. But the typeface is so tiny (maybe 6p) I cannot read it. If you're under 40 it'll probably be fine for you.

Ordered My Utmost for His Highest (OSWALD CHAMBERS LIBRARY) for my son and he loves it, it is great for bible devotions.