Food for thought

" I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do." John 17:4

" Surrender is not the surrender of the external life, but of the will, when that is done all is done." Oswald Chambers
Not my will but Yours be done. We may say this but the struggle of abandonment is a thorn in our side. Paul said..." I do not do the things in which I want to do, and I do the things that I do not want to do." He understood the battle of the Heart of flesh and the battle of the flesh itself. When we cannot submit to the authorities God has placed over us here; how do we think we are fairing in our ability to surrender all to God? This is a mirror we do not wish to hold up! We desire to please ourselves and that is the very point we grow weary on. Pleasing ourselves takes on many materialistic,legalistic,and pleasure-is tic faces, and they do nothing but fill our bodies with aches, pains and stresses. Jesus said "Come to me all who are weary and I will give thee rest." That is proof that Jesus came for us! are we not heavy burdened with the knowledge that we want this but... but we hold onto our material , legalistic , pleasure-is tic ideas in the way we live. We all live with plenty but we work so hard for more or to keep what we have yet to pay for. James Taylor has a song which goes," more, more, more, give me some more. Some kind of funny look-in money machine I am ." As parents , as consumers , we can all relate. What are we teaching our children by the way we live? We want to think we set the best example we can and yet we are a country of consumers. I do not like that word, for the mirror it holds up does not lie. Oh that my desire would be for You alone oh God, then I would not be torn! but torn is what we have to be . You see we must choose to die so we may live. If only we could see clearly what it is to live! To live as Christ is a pain staking journey that we tarry with by our own disobedience . To surrender our rights to ourselves ( our will) is frightening indeed; but if we believe the word is sufficient for all our needs , it is the only conclusion we can come to. "Oh ye of little faith." These are stinging words and they should be.

Heavenly Father Jesus said "if only we had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains." Reveal our little faith and give us the strength and courage through your Son to go on the path He has walked with renewed faith for Your glory alone . In Jesus name amen.

Love to all in Christ Jesus C:)