Surrender: A devotional on desperation, humility, and giving over

 "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone," — Matthew 14:22-23 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, After feeding the 5,000, you sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee. You dismissed the crowd. And then, you got away to be alone, to pray in solitude. After a huge moment of miraculous ministry, you left that mountain peak experience with thousands for a mountainside experience alone. This is my reminder to get away with you, alone, in the solitude after those significant moments of ministry and mountain peak experiences. Alone with you is where I am refreshed and replenished. On that mountainside is where I encounter God's presence. There on that mountainside is where I can pray without interruption, without distraction, without obstruction. Lord, you know how m...

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28-30 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Pastoring is hard work. There are times, like today, when I feel weary and burdened. The NKJV says, "all you who labor and are heavy laden." 'Labor' implies the burdens we take upon ourselves. 'Heavy laden' implies the burdens others put on us. Today I feel the weight of both. Your solution is "Come to Me." Your invitation is to all, but today your words are just to me. For me to "come". To move from where I am, under the weight of ministry and the demands of others and to move towards You. Your invitation is to come to YOU. There is no other person or destination I need. No other object or distraction that will satisfy. For it is You and You al...

 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." — Matthew 6:19-21 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Wow, how easy it is to lose sight of this reality. I'm working on a project right now that requires storing up in preparation for the future. But as I do so, I forget that the real future I'm storing up for is the eternal future. It's not unwise to prepare for the unexpected or to save for the future. Proverbs 6:6-8 highlights how the ant stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. But storing up provisions and storing up treasures are probably two different things. When my preparation becomes my treasure, then I know I'm off course. In my desire to accumulate—whatever it i...

"News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them." — Matthew 4:24 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, You didn't come for the healthy, you came for the sick and oppressed. And people who needed healing were discovering that you could help. They probably didn't understand why. They probably didn't fully comprehend who you were. They just were desperate for relief and freedom from pain and suffering. You met them at their point of need and healed them. It's interesting. You didn't preach at them. You didn't explain why they were sick. You met them at their deepest point of need, in their desperation, and brought healing. The next verse, Matthew 4:25, declares that as a result, large crowds followed you. Lord, as you send me to these same people: people ill with various diseases, tho...

 "Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” — John 20:21-23 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, An encounter with You, the Risen Lord, brings peace, purpose, and power. As you greeted the disciples, you said, "Peace be with you!" You bring peace in your encounter with me. John 16:33 says that in this world, I will have trouble but in you, I have peace. An encounter with You brings purpose. You said to the disciples, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." I am sent. When I encounter you, I receive your mission and I am sent on your mission. John 17:18 says, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." An encounter with You brings Holy Spirit power. You breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive...

 "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." — John 17:15-18 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Your prayer wasn't to move us from the world. We are, it seems, stuck in this world. But you are more intentional than that. You didn't leave us just to be stuck in this world. You first prayed for our protection from the evil one while we live in this world. The Father's protection over us keeps us from the harm and destruction of the evil one. Nothing that comes to us hasn't first passed through Your loving hands. Second, you remind us that though we are in the world, we are not of it. We are citizens of Heaven (Phil. 3:20). This world is not our home. Third, you prayed that we would be sanctified (set apart) by your truth. Your Word is tr...