Learning to Surrender

Hi!

I haven't been on here in a couple of weeks. These past few weeks have been some of the busiest weeks in recent times but also very enjoyable times too!

Two weeks ago we held our annual Palm Sunday Cantata. I have to admit that my heart really wasn't in to being part of this again, but knowing I need to support my pastor hubby who loves working and presenting the gospel in this manner was my reason to get on board.

The Risen Christ with music by Keith and Kristyn Getty really ministered to my heart over the weeks that followed. This year for the first time we had the smallest group of choir members we have ever had. This year we had the fewest number of kids involved in drama, but this year we had a group of people who committed themselves to the practices it involved, we had a group of ministers who went out on faith and spent the money needed to have the drama on video, this year the Red Cloud Opera House offered their building with great sound and a giant screen to this effort free of charge. Who could have done all this but the Lord!

The day of the cantata arrived. The chairs in the opera house were full! I was full of nerves because for the first time in my life except in our local church, I was singing a solo all by myself in public. Something this gal had never felt comfortable or confidant about doing. You know what, The Lord showed up that day. The music ministered to the people, I didn't trip over all the cords in the dark that would have caused me to sail into the grand piano! My voice didn't wobble like my knees were doing and I am so thankful that the Lord challenged me to surrender to Him and be a part of this group that ministered the gospel to our community that day.

The theme of my life for these past few years has seemed to be Surrender.
Surrender to what the Lord wants to do within me, surrender all my hopes and dreams for His, Surrender to His will and not my own.

Today in church, my pastor hubby preached one of the best sermons that I have heard him preach from James chapter two on surrender. He spoke of Abraham and how he had learned to surrender so many times throughout his life. He spoke on how Rahab who was known as a harlot and she surrender her life to God and how in Matt chapter 2 she is mentioned in the lineage of Christ. As I read not only in James chapter 2 but also about both of them in Hebrews chapter 11 I began to see just what the Lord has been doing in me these past few years.

I have learned to surrender my life more and more to His will.
I have learned to surrender my plans for His.
I have learned to surrender my "kids" to Him.

These are just a few areas that I have seen His working in my life. No it doesn't mean that I haven't struggled as He has been teaching me this thing called surrender. No at times I have followed Him kicking and screaming, because I thought my will and my plans were the better idea. I have shed numerous tears over surrendering people to Him because they are not mine, they are His. But little by little He has been showing me what it means to surrender more easily than I have in the past.

A passage in scripture which has really spoken to me as of late is 1 Peter 1:3-9 where it says

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain and inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."

You see this process of surrender is just another part of the sanctification process in my life.
Having this eternal view in my mind has given me such comfort and peace as I continue on this journey of faith that I surrendered to Christ by asking Him to be my Savior and Lord and declaring myself as a sinner in need of a Savior as a 7 year old girl in a small rural church in Kansas almost 40 years ago! I still have a ways to go because the Lord hasn't called me to my eternal home yet, but which each passing step my hearts desire is to be more and more willing to surrender easily to His will, His ways and His plan.

Are you willing to be surrender to Christ?
Have you put your faith in Christ alone for your salvation, if you haven't you can do that today. '
I would love to pray with you and get you started on your journey of faith.

If you have surrendered to Christ, are you following after Him, are you in love with your savior and are you desiring to say no to yourself and surrender to His ways.

These hard questions but ones that will matter for eternity I believer.

Know that I will be praying for each of you as the Lord brings you to my mind.

Blessings,

Deb