Why is My Utmost for His Highest an important book?
It’s one of the best-selling devotionals of all time–publishers don’t even know the total number of copies sold.
(The most educated guess puts the number at more than 14 million copies.)
Many people around the world read My Utmost for His Highest regularly.
It tops the list of “Popular Christian Devotionals,” at Goodreads.
Here are five reasons why people consider it important.
Longevity
Mrs. Oswald Chambers first published My Utmost for His Highest in England in October, 1927.
The product of three years of concentrated thought and prayer, the 366-day devotional struck a chord with British citizens immediately.
The first American edition appeared in 1935.
It’s never been out of print.
Universal Appeal
Dr. Ken Boa noted the devotional has a universal appeal because Oswald Chambers did not use timely stories as his examples.
Of course we all know who compiled My Utmost for His Highest!
By not illustrating his observations with current affairs, Oswald knew his students/readers would focus on the Biblical truth.
As a result, we can easily read the devotional more than 100 years after he taught the concepts.
According to Kevin Halloran at Anchored in Christ:
“Turn to the pages of My Utmost for His Highest to deepen your love and understanding of God. Oswald Chambers was gifted with extracting the essence of biblical principles and condensing them into potent, thought-provoking, and life-changing devotions. They don’t take a lot of time to read, but they can infuse you with the timeless truths of the Bible.”
As I write this, it sits #20 on Christian Books list of bestselling Christian devotionals.
Encouragement
An article on Beliefnet.com summed it up well:
“Utmost” has been updated several times, but it has retained its power to draw people closer to God. Each day the book offers Chambers’ thoughts on complex themes such as redemption, waiting on God, and preaching the Gospel.”
It’s #3 on Devotional Diva’s list of favorites, one she often reads.
During World War II, people smuggled copies of My Utmost for His Highest into prisoner of war camps in Germany.
Brother Andrew regularly carried copies behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War.
Language Translations
Biddy Chambers and The Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. authorized the translation of the devotional into over 40 languages.
Many of their meetings dealt with who to translate the devotional and when. Among translated languages are Finnish, Arabic, Chinese and 10 different dialects for readers in India.
You can see the list and where to find them here.
Vietnamese translation
Wisdom
Relevant Magazine’s list of “6 Devotionals You Should Read next” put it at the top.
“One of Christianity‘s most beloved devotionals. Originally written for students and young followers of Christ, the book offers . . . short yet profound lessons on the fundamentals of Christian life, the Bible, prayer and serving others.”
Memoirist Macy Halford wrote about the wisdom and importance of Chambers’ book in Christianity Today.
From her research in writing My Utmost: A Devotional Memoir, Halford concluded Chambers believed:
To maintain an independent mind, a mind separated unto God, was to look fiercely for the God-given individuality of all his creatures, affording them the dignity they deserved.
“This, in Chambers’s view, was the ultimate goal of maintaining our independence: that we might fully love others as we ourselves have been loved by God, who “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
“This was the thread Chambers saw running through the gospel: “We are not raised up alone, but together.” It is the thread that runs through Utmost, too, the thread that has drawn and will continue to draw generations of single, solitary individuals into a community of Christian readers.”
My Utmost for His Highest changed many lives over its 90 year run. Happy birthday every October!
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