MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST- MARCH 8, 2010 (DEVOTIONAL)

March 8, 2010
The Surrendered Life
I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20


To become ONE with Jesus Christ, a person must be willing not only to give up sin, but also to surrender his whole way of looking at things. Being born again by the Spirit of God means that we must first be willing to let go before we can grasp something else. The first thing we must surrender is all of our pretense or deceit.

What our Lord wants us to present to Him is not our goodness, honesty, or our efforts to do better, but real solid sin. Actually, that is all He can take from us. And what He gives us in exchange for our sin is real solid righteousness (This refers to our placement and character: His character IN us...that He gives us. We see God as our saviour, our God, and we desire to humbly follow Him/place ourselves under and in His care. We recognize His rights upon us. I LOVE this as I want Him to be my Father and my God. I don't want to put my life in my own hands). But we must surrender all pretense that we are anything, and give up all our claims of even being worthy of God’s consideration.

Once we have done that, the Spirit of God will show us what we need to surrender next (Psalm 139:23-14). Along each step of this process, we will have to give up our claims to our rights to ourselves. Are we willing to surrender our grasp on all that we possess, our desires, and everything else in our lives? Are we ready to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ?

We will suffer a sharp painful disillusionment before we fully surrender. When people really see themselves as the Lord sees them, it is not the terribly offensive sins of the flesh that shock them, but the awful nature of the pride of their own hearts opposing Jesus Christ. When they see themselves in the light of the Lord, the shame, horror, and desperate conviction hit home for them.

If you are faced with the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.

(When we ask to know Him more...seek Him... He is there and answers. We almost always see how loving He is and realize, painfully at times, how much we need Him. We see our needs and our pride. It's seeing ourselves in the light of the most amazing love and realizing that although we don't deserve all that He wants to give us, we can fall in-love with Him b/c His love isn't contingent on deserving people. His love is a gift. Our shame wants to punish us but His love wants to free us. We WILL fail but He will not... His love will never fail us. When we fear and worry we deny that God is bigger/magnified above our fears. We can trust Him. If you need faith- ask. If you want to know who Jesus is- ask ;). If you want a renewed passion for His Son- you got it, ask. These are gifts He gives generously and will a full heart).

Shane and Shane: Yearn (with Bethany Dillion)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzKCp2tLqUo




"On My Knees" was one of the very first God centered songs I heard in 1999 that gribbed my needy soul... Reaquainting myself with some of these songs now. :)
On My Knees, by Jaci Velasquez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx10drNM3gc