Please don’t allow the enemy or the flesh to use the devotional I share today to beat you up with the club of condemnation. It is shared here today as a confession of sorts. This is my real life. When I began this blog, I promised the Lord to be real in sharing my journey. That is what this devotion is. A taste of the place where I am in the road today.
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he has cannot be my disciple. (Emphasis added.)
As a man, he gave up his right to “be understood.” He was perfect, yet was mocked, beaten, abused, abandoned by everyone…including His friends. At the moment Jesus carried the sin of the world, even His Heavenly Father had to turn His back and reject His only Son. Jesus *did* give up everything. In Luke 14:33, Jesus doesn’t ask us to do something He wasn’t willing to experience.
As I was working through an Experiencing God bible study lesson years ago, I was faced with what was a very challenging issue. I now come back to it.
In one quick moment, my life seemed reduced to my response to a single solitary question in the middle of one single page in one single bible study book. My answer to the question could land in one of two little boxes. One box was for a YES response and one box was for a NO. I could check one…or…the other.
Do you wonder what the question was? Simply:
Have you come to a place in your life where
you are willing to yield “everything” to Him
in order to follow Him?
YES____
NO_____
How would you answer this?
Years ago, God used the moment I faced those two boxes on the page to insist that I give everything to Him as He does even now.
My reaction now?
Do you hear the arrogance? :-/
Do you hear the pride? :-/
In my quiet time today…each time I tried to pray, I heard the still, small, but insistent, voice of the Spirit saying, “This….this….I want you to surrender…this…”
You see, there is something that I refuse to lay down and give to him. And it stands in the way. Right now, if I have to pick one box or the other…. “Yes” … or “No”…
Good grief! After all He has done and is doing for me, how can this be? How can all I value be reduced to my “NO” answer to the question of “Are you willing, Heidi, to yield everything to me?”
“BUT …GOD!!!”
Over the years of my life since I became a Christian, I have given up all kinds of things. In fact, I have given up…well…*almost* everything….sigh.
Lord, thank you that you make it very simple for me to see that as puffed up as I have become lately with all the ways in which I have been obeying you, I still resist you. Lord, I want to be your disciple and you say I must give EVERYTHING up. You gave up more than I could ever fathom to redeem me. You have bought me at an incredible price. I will trust you to work this out in my life. I want to say YES to you. I am willing to be made willing. Please do this work in me. I want to be willing to lay everything down to follow you. In the Name of Jesus my Savior, who gave up all things…Amen.
And have you? What about if you are married, with children? I have a voice telling me to give up!!! I say to myself…if I was not married with children then I could just give up but at the moment I have children and I look at them…how do I walk away from keeping them secure and follow what GOD calls me to do? Its tough but I feel an almighty tug!!!
And have you? What about if you are married, with children? I have a voice telling me to give up!!! I say to myself…if I was not married with children then I could just give up but at the moment I have children and I look at them…how do I walk away from keeping them secure and follow what GOD calls me to do? Its tough but I feel an almighty tug!!!
Hi, Colin. Let me urge you…God doesn't tell us to do anything contrary to his word. Caring for your family…wife and children…is a mandate in scripture. I believe Satan hates you, your children, your marriage. He disguises himself as an angel of light to deceive even the elect. He will do everything he can to get you to walk away from you family. That is NOT the voice of the Lord God. He is always ALWAYS consistent with His Word. Persevere. God will be honored and will give you the strength you need. That tug is not of God. It is from elsewhere! I hope you can get support from some godly Christian folks to persevere. You are under fire from the Enemy!
Hi, Colin. Let me urge you…God doesn't tell us to do anything contrary to his word. Caring for your family…wife and children…is a mandate in scripture. I believe Satan hates you, your children, your marriage. He disguises himself as an angel of light to deceive even the elect. He will do everything he can to get you to walk away from you family. That is NOT the voice of the Lord God. He is always ALWAYS consistent with His Word. Persevere. God will be honored and will give you the strength you need. That tug is not of God. It is from elsewhere! I hope you can get support from some godly Christian folks to persevere. You are under fire from the Enemy!
I like that I am willing to be made willing. So many times I pray – I believe Lord, help my unbelief. When we are honest with Him, He will help us with what we need. Thanks Heidi – God bless you and keep you in the shadow of his wings.Cat
I like that I am willing to be made willing. So many times I pray – I believe Lord, help my unbelief. When we are honest with Him, He will help us with what we need. Thanks Heidi – God bless you and keep you in the shadow of his wings.Cat