Surrender
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." (Phil. 3:7)
When we surrender to something or someone, there is a sense that we have lost our dignity and we often view ourselves as weak and inferior. However, it takes courage to surrender--courage to step out in faith, believing that God grants His greatest blessing to those who are fully surrendered to Him.
A surrendered Christian is one who has given up the fight to own his own life, for he understands Christ's promise, "He who loses His own life for my sake shall find it." (Matt. 10:39). A surrendered Christian is one who has learned to be content in all things because he has discovered the Lord as his helper. (Phil. 4:11) A surrendered Christian can say " I will not be afraid, for God is with me." (Heb. 13:5-6) A surrendered Christian, though he may be weak in the flesh, is strong because he has allowed God's power to be demonstrated through weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9)
Frances Havergal, the writer of the hymn, "Take My Life and Let it Be", once said, "There must be full surrender before there can be full blessedness." She learned the secret of letting go of all of the trappings of this world, in order to gain the richest treasures that heaven could afford. The more she gave to the Lord, the more He gave her in return. She eventually gave God all that she had; her material possessions, her mind, her will, her voice, her feet, her life. And God gave her Himself. All she desired was more of Him; and so the cycle of surrender continued in her life. She could say along with the apostle Paul, "I count all things as loss for the sake of knowing Christ." (Phil. 3:8)
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Friday, February 29, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Simplicity
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matt.18:3)
It amazes me that the Christian life is based upon principles that are basic as well as complicated. Even though the God of all creation possess thoughts and ways that are far beyond those of man, He has fashioned our steps to His Kingdom with simplicity!
I am still trying to digest the meaning of Matthew 18:3-4 when Jesus admonished his disciples to become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When you observe little children, it is easy to see that they believe and receive with no hesitation. They speak of the joy and pain in their hearts with no inhibition. Children run to open arms where safety and security await them. Most importantly, children need guidance from those in authority over them.
The more I depend on God, the more I see that He longs to fulfill His faithfulness and sufficiency to me--His child. For those of us who dare to come to Him with child-like faith, and receive Him with all of the fullness that He offers, we will gain the mind of Christ and inherit power to change the world. Simple faith and simple obedience equals mighty men and women of God!
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to (simply) take Him at His Word
Just to (simply) rest upon His promise
Just to (simply) know "Thus saith the Lord."
"Blessed are you who are poor in spirit (you who are simply relying on God, one day at a time, one step at a time), for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matt.5:3)
Thank you, God, for the gift of simplicity!
It amazes me that the Christian life is based upon principles that are basic as well as complicated. Even though the God of all creation possess thoughts and ways that are far beyond those of man, He has fashioned our steps to His Kingdom with simplicity!
I am still trying to digest the meaning of Matthew 18:3-4 when Jesus admonished his disciples to become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When you observe little children, it is easy to see that they believe and receive with no hesitation. They speak of the joy and pain in their hearts with no inhibition. Children run to open arms where safety and security await them. Most importantly, children need guidance from those in authority over them.
The more I depend on God, the more I see that He longs to fulfill His faithfulness and sufficiency to me--His child. For those of us who dare to come to Him with child-like faith, and receive Him with all of the fullness that He offers, we will gain the mind of Christ and inherit power to change the world. Simple faith and simple obedience equals mighty men and women of God!
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to (simply) take Him at His Word
Just to (simply) rest upon His promise
Just to (simply) know "Thus saith the Lord."
"Blessed are you who are poor in spirit (you who are simply relying on God, one day at a time, one step at a time), for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matt.5:3)
Thank you, God, for the gift of simplicity!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Transparency
"Search me, Oh God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)
The Psalmist asked God to search his heart to find his anxious and offensive thoughts. The all-seeing, all-knowing God already knew David's thoughts and motives, yet David offered himself as a transparent offering to his creator. By doing so, he admitted his frailty before God. He took one step further, and requested a response from God regarding his personal thoughts and feelings. What a tremendous act of courage!
David knew the One who knit him in his mother's womb. (Ps. 139:13) He knew that his frame was not hidden from God when he was made in the secret place. (Ps. 139:15) As he reflected about the way he was fearfully and wonderfully made, David realized that he was loved the most by the One who knew him most intimately.
Joyous communion with the Heavenly Father occurs when we come before Him in total transparency. He sees us for who we are and then we are overcome by the fact that He would love us with unfailing love no matter what we have done
Transparency toward God produces dependency, trust and security in Him. True worship begins when we surrender all of who we are to all of who God is--all of our desires, needs, thoughts, and shortcomings to His infinite power and conditional love.
"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them..." (Ps. 139:17) May we never forget the beauty of our transparency before God because it is the birthplace of God's greatest work in us!
The Psalmist asked God to search his heart to find his anxious and offensive thoughts. The all-seeing, all-knowing God already knew David's thoughts and motives, yet David offered himself as a transparent offering to his creator. By doing so, he admitted his frailty before God. He took one step further, and requested a response from God regarding his personal thoughts and feelings. What a tremendous act of courage!
David knew the One who knit him in his mother's womb. (Ps. 139:13) He knew that his frame was not hidden from God when he was made in the secret place. (Ps. 139:15) As he reflected about the way he was fearfully and wonderfully made, David realized that he was loved the most by the One who knew him most intimately.
Joyous communion with the Heavenly Father occurs when we come before Him in total transparency. He sees us for who we are and then we are overcome by the fact that He would love us with unfailing love no matter what we have done
Transparency toward God produces dependency, trust and security in Him. True worship begins when we surrender all of who we are to all of who God is--all of our desires, needs, thoughts, and shortcomings to His infinite power and conditional love.
"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them..." (Ps. 139:17) May we never forget the beauty of our transparency before God because it is the birthplace of God's greatest work in us!
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