Subscription Lists
Surrendered to Love
by Jeannie Pallett
In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, the offerings given were the best. The givers would have had to study very carefully their livestock and bring as a sacrifice to the Lord the one that was the very best. Perhaps they even bred their lines with sacrifices in mind and never keeping the best back for themselves, but in love and thanksgiving for all He had done were always prepared and willing to give to God the best they had.
The Lord God, through the shed blood of Jesus, the Perfect Lamb of God dwells in our hearts today. We are His sanctuary, His holy temple and His desire to sanctify the place where He dwells remains the same.
He wants us to be holy as He is holy. The shed blood of Jesus has made atonement for all our sin and we are no longer required to offer sacrifices. The blood has made us clean, the blood has healed all our diseases and we must renew our minds with God's Word in order to see it appropriated in our lives.
There are things that we choose to hang onto in our lives that cause our sanctuary to be defiled. These are things such as old habits that we hold dear. We have thoughts and attitudes that are not born of the Law of Love; our flesh cries out for satisfaction, for more of this, more of that and we begin to sow to the things of the flesh nature rather than sowing to the things of the Spirit.
We are to prepare and live our lives as living sacrifices, holy and devoted to the Lord our God, sowing into the Spirit of God as we let go of the habits of our old nature so that we may be fully inhabited by the Holy God of Israel.
How do we prepare our daily lives so that we have a set time of worship and praise, Bible reading and meditation?
What are we willing to give up, to place upon the altar so that the Holy One of Israel may burn it with the fire of His love so that He is glorified in our lives?
How do we show in practical ways that our bodies are His temple and that we are willing carriers of His glory and eager to have Him more fully sanctify us for His holy purposes? Ultimately, it is as much as we want to yield to Jesus.
Many things in life happen to us that we do not understand. We do not understand them in the midst of the difficulty and in fact, we may never understand the adversity that comes our way. We must look to the Word of God and receive our answers there.
When we are confused, bewildered, hurt and full of doubt, we are to bring all of these emotions directly to Jesus. When we come in faith and true honesty, God is pleased that we are in His presence, seeking His heart.
He is the One who truly understands the difficulty we are facing. His answers come as He points us to His Word. Our faith becomes stronger as we spend time in His Word, in His Presence. The Light begins to dispel the darkness of the way we have walked. Our tired hearts receive encouragement by His faithful promises. We choose to change our way of thinking. We choose to take firm hold of the comforts of the promises of God.
As we choose to trust God in our difficult situations, those things we feel imprisoned by and held captive to, God promises to turn that suffering into a blessing and at the same time surprises us by His ability to cause us to bear good fruit as a result.
Will you be willing to come to Jesus just to have sweet fellowship with Him? Will you prepare for those times? Will you allow the Holy One to teach you His ways and allow Him to break all the yokes that enslave you so you truly understand the liberty and freedom you have in Him? Prepare even a fast just to be with Him.
Will you join with me singing praises to Him, proclaiming our trust in Him, knowing He will hear us and answer us? Will you trust Him when He calls your name, will you follow all the way where He leads?
When we hear the Lord calling us, He prefixes it, personalizes the call and speaks our name. He says, "Jeannie! Fear not, do not be afraid, do not worry or be ashamed for I have redeemed you. Jeannie! I know your name, I know who you are and all of your special qualities that make you you. Here, take My hand that is stretched out to you. Yes, hold on as tightly as you please and be assured that I will never let you go. I love you and you can trust Me."
Rate it:
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Surrendered to Love" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.