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

 "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" — Psalm 42:1-2 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, It's fairly rare for me to be without access to water and become so thirsty that I am desperate. The very few times when I have been thirsty, it wasn't long before I could find the water I needed. But this Psalmist isn't writing about a thirst that's easily quenched. This Psalmist is writing about a thirst that is more intense than anything I've ever experienced. This is a desperate thirst from deep in the soul. A thirst for the presence of the Living God. Desperate people stick out. They aren't put together and under control. They aren't quietly predictable. Desperate people, especially thirsty, desperate people, are searching madly for what will satisfy. And not all thirsty, desperate people find what does. Lord, you alone are what sati...

 " Be still and know that I am God” - Psalm 46:10   Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend, and my King,    For the past several decades, I’ve entered each new year with a list of goals and achievements I hope to accomplish by year’s end. That list covered all the primary domains of my life; physical health, fitness, marriage, family, work, ministry, finances, recreation, education, friendships and spiritual health. As I sit here and reflect, I realize for a “get-it-done” personality like mine, the thought of beginning a year without this list is inconceivable. Before the stroke of midnight, I feel I need my list so I can start on January 1. I want to wake up on New Year’s Day and immediately start striving. My inner monologue often sounds like,  “This is the year I’m gonna get it right, this is the year I’m going to check off all these goals”   Jesus, this year, I’ve decided to start with Surrender. At first, this feels like I ’ m giving up, but as I lean into you...

  “Look (seek) to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” - Psalm 105:4   Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend, and my king,    This morning, in relation to our worship time, I sensed you saying,  “ Why wait?” I asked you to  confirm  this in your word, and it wasn ’ t obvious - I had to SEEK it out.    Your word indicates that we are to seek you and your strength… it’s described with an action word. It’s deliberate. It’s active. It’s not passive. We are to go to you. It also means to PURSUE you, to seek for you, to look for you.    Lord, what I sense this morning is to not wait for you… but to seek you actively. To not just “wait for the Lord to visit me” but for me to visit with the Lord. For me to run toward you as if in pursuit of that which I came here for - an encounter with King Jesus.    You are a God who invites us to seek you, come toward you, and enter into your presence. You are not a far-off God who is una...