All I Am is Yours! Except….

Sunday morning at church, our youth, the U-Gen Ensemble, led us in a powerful time of worship. As we were singing, the Lord spoke to me; He often uses music to speak to me. We stood together lifting our voices singing:

“I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned; 

in awe of the One who gave it all. 

I’ll stand, my soul, Lord, to You surrendered. 

All I am is Yours.”

In the midst of singing this song, I heard the word “except”. Whoa…….

All I am is Yours….

except.....

• “Except” that little closet over there in the corner of my heart.
• “Except” that little habit I haven’t quite given over to You yet.
• “Except” the unforgiveness for that person I just can’t let go.
• “Except”….

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). And we try with all that is within us to do so. But if we are honest, there is a secret place, a hidden place that we just don’t want any light to shine on; a door we don’t want anyone to open. I’m sure all of us have a “junk drawer” in our house…a place we put all the stuff we don’t want to deal with at the moment. The old adage “out of sight, out of mind” doesn’t apply to our hearts. God said, “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from My eyes” (Jeremiah 16:17).

I was reminded again Sunday morning, that when I sing “All I am is Yours”, I have to give Him all! Even the hard things, the hidden things, the hurts, the habits….

What is your “except”? Ask the Holy Spirit to shine His light on the dark recesses of your heart; to open the locked door to your closet; to help you to clean out that “junk drawer”. Then we will be able to sing:

“All I am is Yours!”….. period!

‘Lena

“That’s Just the Way I Am….”

"..Be transformed (changed) 

by the [entire] renewal of your mind 

[by its new ideals and its new attitude]..."

Romans 12:2 (AMP)

We are each created with unique personalities and traits - created for the purpose of bringing glory to God and pointing the way to Jesus. But the flesh in us can sometimes use those personality traits in ways that do not glorify God or point to Jesus, but instead inflict pain and pierce the hearts of those around us.

Let’s face it… the flesh in us can use any God-given characteristic to wound those around us… and we are all guilty! But that should be the “old me”.  Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, 

“Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) 

he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); 

the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. 

Behold, the fresh and new has come!” (AMP).

“That’s just the way I am” doesn't work anymore…we are new creatures in Him. And if we are in Him, we cannot use the old excuses, but must be transformed (Romans 12:2) changing the way we act, speak and behave. The Amplified Bible calls it being renewed by “new ideals” and a “new attitude”.

God created some of us to be bold in our thoughts and actions. They are the ones who are not afraid to be strong in their convictions or speak openly about their faith and love for Jesus. Others are quiet and want to serve, but desire to do so behind the scenes – not so “up front” if you will. They are tend to be the “hands and feet” of Jesus.

 Both are good…

             both are needed…

                         both are necessary.

However, let’s make sure our boldness doesn't overstep boundaries and our quietness doesn't make us unapproachable. In everything we say and do, 

“Love one another with brotherly affection 

[as members of one family], 

giving precedence and 

showing honor to one another. 

(Romans 12:10 AMP)

‘Lena

Wrap Me in Your Arms....

"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him,

 for He shields him all day long, 

and the one the Lord loves 

rests between His shoulders."

Deuteronomy 33:12

I was chatting with a friend from High School on Facebook last night; we are both going through some trying situations right now so we were sharing with one another…bearing one another’s burdens, as it were. She is in the middle of writing a proposal for her PhD and I was supposed to be writing this devotional. With all that has been going on, my mind is just crowded and cluttered with thoughts and concerns. I told her I was really struggling with what to write, and what I needed to do was quiet my mind and ask God what He wanted me to write. He always gives me something that usually amazes me. She said to me, “He does the same for me, when I remember to be quiet. Unfortunately, I usually wait until the last minute and am desperate before I shut up.” Without stopping to think before I answered her I said, “Desperation usually makes us shut up!”

As I thought about it later I wondered why that is? Why do we have to wait until we are in a desperate place to finally quiet ourselves and sit at His feet?

Well, I didn't take my own advice and my thoughts kept me awake all night long. It was well after 4am before I finally went to sleep. But I woke up today with a song we sang in church on  Sunday running through my heart…

Wrap me in Your arms…

Wrap me in Your arms…

Wrap me in Your arms...

I realized this afternoon that I hadn't yet gone to that “place where I’m changed”…the arms of the Father. That quiet comforting place where I can rest in His security and love. That place where my mind can be quieted, my heart placed at ease, my desperation can be replaced with security.

If, like me, you have found yourself trying to do it all yourself, carrying burdens that should be laid down; if your mind is cluttered with worries and fears, together let us once again surrender it all to Him. Picture yourself sitting in the lap of the Father and saying,

 “There is a God who loves me, 

Who wraps me in His arms…..”

‘Lena 

Love Overcomes Betrayal...

"Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked, 

'What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him over to you?'

So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver."

Matthew 26:14, 15

Last night, we as a family were watching the TV series The Bible. The producers didn’t always get the details quite right, but in general it portrayed the gospel quite well.  When the chief priests approached Judas for information about Jesus and tossed him a small bag of coins, my youngest son said, “Really? That’s it?!” Earlier in the series when Delilah betrayed Samson, she received a huge chest full of coins. He seemed to think Judas should have received more for his betrayal of Jesus. After all, this was more than just a haircut! But I reminded him that 30 pieces of silver was all it took for Judas to turn his back on Jesus.

Jesus’ love for Judas never wavered even in the face of that betrayal. Earlier that same evening, Jesus humbled Himself as a servant and washed the feet of His disciples…even the feet of Judas. Jesus knew what was ahead of Him that evening. I can’t begin to imagine the thoughts that went through Jesus’ mind and heart as He washed the feet of Judas, knowing that in just a few short hours Judas would turn Him over for 30 pieces of silver.

Did He take extra care with Judas feet?

Did He weep as He gently wiped away the dirt?

Did He look into the eyes of Judas with love and compassion?

Betrayal… it has many different shapes and sizes; many different depths and nuances. Judas love of money overshadowed his love for Jesus. Are there things in our lives that we allow to overshadow our love for Him? Do we betray Jesus in our actions? Our words? Do we betray His love and forgiveness for us in the way we treat others or by withholding forgiveness from others? And yet, there He is with His amazing love…

This past weekend we remembered: On Friday, we remembered His pain, His agony, His brokenness; the moment when God turned His face away, and finally His death...all in our place. On Sunday we had a beautiful celebration of His resurrection that brings us life, health and hope.

What an amazing love!

'Lena

©Whispers in Worship, 2013

¹And Can It Be That I Should Gain

Words: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
Music: Thomas Campbell