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

 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. — Acts 7:4-5 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, The Father made a promise to Abraham that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though Abraham had no child, had no inheritance, and didn't even own enough land to stand on. Lord, this is a reminder that when you start making promises to me, promises that don't make any sense, promises that I can't foresee how they could ever come about, you keep them and their impossibility really isn't an issue for you! There are promises you have made to me and though I have seen little to suggest they are coming to pass, though I really can't imagine how ...

 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. — Acts 6:7 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Years ago, when I first stepped into ministry, my pastor and mentor at the time said to me, "Build your team and you'll build your ministry." I've held onto that wisdom ever since. That's what the apostles were doing then they selected seven men full of the Spirit and wisdom. People who were being overlooked were now being ministered to. Ministry to neglected people flourished without any decline in the ministry of the Word and prayer. The result was the Word of God spread, the number of disciples increased rapidly, and a large number of priests—the religious elite who thought they had God figured out—they became obedient to the faith. Lord, I humbly ask for your wisdom and direction to see those who are full of the Spirit and wisdom and just waiting to be asked, to be...

 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” — Acts 5:18-20 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, The apostles were persecuted, arrested, and jailed for preaching in the name of Jesus. But God was so committed to His purpose of seeing the good news of Jesus spread, that He sent an angel of the Lord to open the doors of the jail and bring the apostles out. This wouldn't be the only time this would happen! The angel directed the apostles to "Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people all about this new life." The obstacles and hindrances of man are no match for the Lord when He has a purpose He wants to fulfill. That is true for me. Gracious Lord, you have called me to tell the people of my community all about this new life that is available in you. Whatever obsta...

 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. — Acts 4:13 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, The rulers and elders in Jerusalem heard Peter's speech and made an observation and had a realization. Their observation was that Peter and John had courage. Here was a man who had been so afraid and fearful for his life that he denied knowing Jesus three times. Now, on multiple occasions, he is boldly confessing his faith in you and exhorting his listeners to find salvation in your name. They saw their courage. Their realization was that these were unschooled and ordinary men who had been with Jesus. Their courage and their boldness was a direct result of being with Jesus and being filled with his Spirit, despite being unschooled and quite ordinary. Ordinary people do extraordinary things when they've been with Jesus. Gracious Lord, I want to be one ...

 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? — Acts 3:11-12 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Living a surrendered life and choosing to walk in humility each day means to never take credit for what God has done and it means to never take the blame for what God has not done. His power and godliness is what made this man walk. Verse 16 clearly states where the credit belongs. "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see." Gracious Lord, I am asking for miracles and believing by faith that you will do some tremendous things in my day. But I am going to choose well in ad...

 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” — Acts 1:4-5 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, I wonder if there is any greater evidence that God exists than to see a person baptized with the Holy Spirit. When someone has a genuine encounter with the Spirit, is baptized and begins speaking in a spiritual language they do not understand, and sense your presence with them, their eyes widen and they know, "This is real." This isn't made up, pretend, or fantasy. There is a God, He is who He says He is, and He is inhabiting me right now! It is a stunning thing to witness. But as stunning as that moment is, what is even more compelling is the transformation that takes place within that person. Now, things that were confusing become clear. Fear that...

 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." — John 17:20-21 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Your prayer for all believers who would come to know you through the message of your disciples was that we would be one. The unity you pictured and prayed for was the same unity that you have with the Father, that we would be one in you and you would be one in us. Together, all believers would be one in Christ and one in the Father. The result of all believers being one in you and the Father would be so that the world may believe that the Father has sent you. Your prayer to the Father continued, "that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them as you have loved me." When a world sees believers in complet...

 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” — John 11:43-44 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, This is the Gospel! Bringing you to people who are presently dead, seeing you call them to life and out of their tomb, and then empowering the community around them to remove the grave clothes they are wearing and setting them free. Lord, before I go help others with their grave clothes, I have to wonder, "Are there any grave clothes still wrapped around me?" Am I wearing the remains of an old dead life that is no more? Am I free to come out, be unwrapped, and walk unencumbered in new life? If there are any remnants that still cling to me, would you—and those around me—unwrap me and set me free so I can do that for others? Lord, so many people around me are still dead in their gra...

 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” — John 9:39 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, One commentator wrote of this verse, "Those who are conscious of their blindness and grieved on account of it may be relieved; while those who are content with the light they have lose even that." Lord, may I be increasingly conscious of where I am blind. I want to see! Where I am blind to my own faults, may I see and be healed. Where I am blind to how I impact others negatively, may I see and be made whole. Where I am blind to my own sin, may I see and be forgiven. Lord, may I be grieved of my own spiritual blindness. As you point out the areas where I am blind, may I surrender those areas to you rather than fight against them. As you lovingly reveal to me how I have blindly hurt or hindered others, may I be broken for it and ask you to heal me and care for those I have hurt. And as you gently shine l...

 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” — Luke 21:34-36 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Your words in Luke 21 encompass what you taught about the End Times. These closing words give me pause today. My readiness for your return is deeply impacted when I am weighed down by the anxieties of life. When my mind is consumed by life's worries and apprehension, it isn't focused on eternity. When my heart is saddled with unease and agitation, it isn't desiring your kingdom. When I'm in that condition, I'm prone to miss the signs of your coming and no longer be watchful. Moreover, I become self-absorbed and lose sight of my callin...

 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." — Luke 11:9-10 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, I am away today at a small mountain cabin in Packwood, WA with Susie to rest and to pray. As I pray, I am going to ask. Asking is so simple. When I understand the Father's heart is to give what I ask when I ask for what He already wants to give me, it's a no-brainer! Ask Him! The Father's heart to me is to give. When the desires of my heart align with His, He is all too ready to give! Psalm 20:4 says, "May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed." Psalm 37:4 says, "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." And Psalm 145:19 promises, "He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry an...

 "Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” — Luke 8:18 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, I've been considering how I listen. Recently, I got hearing aids. I've had hearing loss for many years and have managed to live with it by preferring quiet environments where I can hear better, by learning to read lips, and by filling in gaps in a conversation with context. But this last year, I've been missing more and more of those conversations, I've felt withdrawn and isolated in noisy environments, and I've been weary of the mental strain from leaning in to hear and understand others. So, now I wear hearing aids. What I've noticed most is that I don't have to strain to listen. I can listen easily, effortlessly. Spiritual growth follows momentum. The more I listen to you, the more I grow. The habits and spiritual health I cultivate by lis...

 "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." — Luke 5:16 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, My spirit can only sustain what my soul is willing to obtain. My spirit can only pour out what my soul has first drawn in. Just as you often withdrew to lonely places and prayed, so also must I get away from my day-to-day, from the constancy of life, and withdraw with you. In those times away, you were replenished by the Father's love. The love of the Father's eyes compensated for the rejection in the eyes of men. Being replenished by the Father enabled you to pursue the lost. Lord, that's my desire as I get away in the next few days. I want to detach from the demands of my days, disassociate from the cares of the world, and disengage from my responsibilities and distractions. My aim is to decompress and allow my soul to breathe, to defragment and bring scattered thoughts back into alignment, descend into humble solitude and quietness, and to dwell in y...

 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. — Mark 15:21 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, I wonder what was going through Simon's mind when the Roman soldier yanked him out of the crowd and forced him to carry your cross. Here he is, 800 miles from home, a Passover pilgrim from North Africa, in Jerusalem caught in a crowd of onlookers viewing a Roman execution. He likely had no idea who you were and no desire to carry your cross. Yet he was compelled by a Roman soldier. You were physically unable and no Roman was going to carry it for you. Asking a local Jew would have started a riot, so that soldier grabbed a stranger. The stranger's name was Simon. Where was Simon Peter? He was nowhere to be found. The moment when his rabbi needed him to carry that 125 pound crossbeam, a different Simon had to be found. A stranger took his place because Simon Peter had f...

 You are my King and my God,     who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies;     through your name we trample our foes. I put no trust in my bow,     my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies,     you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long,     and we will praise your name forever. — Psalm 44:4-8 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Yes, you are my King and my God. You have decreed victories for Jacob, your chosen people, and you have decreed victories for your bride, the Church. Through you, I have your power to push back the enemies of my soul and the enemies of Christ. Through your name, these enemies are under my feet! I don't put any trust in my own effort or ability to gain that victory. I put all my trust in your ability to give me this victory. As I stand strong, faithfully trusting in your power, my enemies are put to shame. Th...

He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.  — Mark 7:34-36 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, This man could not hear and could not speak until he came face to face with you. As you looked to heaven, you opened your mouth, sighed deeply, and said, "Be opened." Once those words left your mouth, his ears were opened and so was his mouth. This man began to speak plainly. And I suspect his first words that left his now open mouth were words of gratitude and praise followed by a testimony of what you had just done. Those who were watching and saw the miracle that took place were commanded by you to not tell anyone, but now their mouths were opened, too. They began to speak plainly and they kept talking about what you had done. ...

 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. — Mark 6:5-6 ESV When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” — Luke 7:9 ESV Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, There are numerous instances in Scripture when people were amazed and marveled at you. There are only two times when you marveled at others. Once when you marveled at the Gentile Centurion's faith. And once again when you marveled at the unbelief of the Jews in your hometown of Nazareth. Faith and the lack of faith is what amazed you. Tremendous belief in you and complete unbelief in you, that is what caused you to marvel. Or, as one writer put it, "There are two things that make Jesus step back and say "Wow!" 1) Those who believe when it's not expected they would. 2) Those who disbeli...