Surrender [Part Two]

"I want to have a life of surrender for the rest of my earthy days."

"Surrender to God - we are not defeated, but sin is the one defeated, eternal separation from God is defeated, death has lost, a life of hopelessness, despair, and purposelessness is defeated."

"Freedom is born in surrender - we are free from the bondage of sin and death."

"I pray for surrender, for Your will and less of my desires."

"Self-denial."

"Submission."

"Surrender."

I was looking through my journal from last year when I was preparing for Kenya & found these words in which you have read above. Looking back, I laugh.

I had NO idea what I was getting into, nor did I take it seriously at that point in time. I remember trying to surrender before I left. I really tried. It was something I felt pressing on my heart, but was an infant when it came to the depth of it all.

That is where Jesus comes in.

I have no clue, but felt the need to continue praying for it, and you know what, Jesus answered my prayers in ways I never could have imagined & ways I never would have wanted. Though things have changed (praise God), I am thankful to my Father in Heaven for working in and through me. Now I truly can say,

"Father, I have surrendered so much of my flesh, so much of this world, and I am continually asking for help to surrender more. I praise Your Holy name because it is now that I can truthfully say,

you are enough for me."

I have realized that living a life of my own decisions, my own desires, my own dreams, is a life not worth living at all. The plans I now dream of are ones that my Father has lead me to. God is leading me somewhere with this whole surrender thing, and I am so blessed and grateful to be in such a position.

While in Kenya, a dearly respected woman I met told me you know you're on the right track when you can say,

"I'd rather drown with Christ than jump into another's boat."

mmmm...those words are wonderful to revisit.

Basically that's saying that even if it seems like following Christ would only hurt us and serve no good, we follow after Him anyways because our love for Him exceeds our understanding or worldly desires.

I love you Jesus. Keep taking my life.



Hakuna Matata

Surrender [Part One]

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust him
In his presence daily live

I surrender all, I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender
At thy feet I humble bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, Take me now

All to Jesus I surrender
Lord, I give myself to thee
Fill me with thy love and power
Let thy blessing fall on me



Hakuna Matata

Be a Follower Not a Lacker

I bought the book, "My Utmost for His Highest," today, and would like to share a passage that continues to come up in my life lately.

From August 17
Are you Discouraged or Devoted?
...Jesus...said to him,"You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have...and come, follow Me." But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
LUKE 18:22-23

Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven't, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.
Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, "Sell all that you have...and come, follow Me." Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him - He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.
Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened - not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His words is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain - He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.



"My Utmost for His Highest"
Oswald Chambers
NKJV
Edited by James Reimann

This Is What I Want

I have been talking to my friends a lot lately about doing great things for our Lord. We talk about people such as Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, Jim & Elisabeth Elliot, and so many more who have done such wonderful, selfless things for Christ and His Kingdom. But think about it, those are just the ones whose names have made it out there. I'm sure there are SO many more people who have done crazy, life surrendering acts for Jesus, but their names are unknown. That last little bit does not change what they did or how devoted they were to Christ at all. It really makes me think about how they truly were doing it for God and to glorify Him and not to magnify their own names. How not of this world?! I love it!

Now with that I am in no way saying those who are remembered by name were doing it for themselves, I also believe that those like the above names listed were out there to bring glory to our Father and for some reason their names became known and with that I am thankful. I am thankful because now I have some specific people I can look up to and say, "I want a life like that."

With all of this I came to a conclusion...

I don't want to live to be remembered,
But I want to live like those who are remembered.





Hakuna Matata