"Oswald Chambers was born in Scotland in 1874 and was educated at London's Royal College of Art and the University of Edinburgh. Although gifted in the arts, he felt at the age of 22, that God was calling him to become a minister. After studying and later teaching in a small theological college in Dunoon, he moved into a preaching ministry that spanned Britain, America and Japan. In 1908, Oswald Chambers boarded a ship bound for America. He had been asked to look out for a young lady, who was also travelling to America in search of work and adventure.

When the voyage ended, they parted company, but began to write to each other. They soon realised that they had deep feelings for each other and eventually they married in 1910.

Although they both felt that it was God's will for them to begin a Bible College, initially it seemed that this was not to be. Oswald took many regional classes, and as Biddy (Oswald's pet name for his wife) took shorthand notes of his lectures, they realised that they could at least offer correspondence classes.

When World War I broke out, Oswald began to feel God was calling him to move on. He wondered how he should serve his country at that time. His prayer was "Lord, I praise You for this place I am in, but the wonder has begun to stir in me - is this Your place for me? Hold me steady doing Your will. It may be only restlessness; if so, calm me to strength that I sin not against You by doubting."

Hearing God's call on the matter, he left London to become Chaplain to the troops in Egypt in October 1915, and Biddy and their 2½ year old daughter, Kathleen, followed in December 1915.

Oswald died of complications following an operation to remove his appendix in 1917. The telegram which his wife sent home to his family in England simply read: "Oswald, in His presence."

Biddy finally settled in London with her 4 year old daughter, Kathleen. She began the painstaking work of transcribing her notes - taken during her husband's lectures throughout their married life. The transcriptions were combined into book form and eventually Oswald Chambers Publications was born.

"My Utmost for His Highest" was first published in 1927, and has remained continually in print ever since. Thousands of people have been blessed and challenged as they have regularly read this daily devotional."