It was in this time after a rough couple of weeks at work and not enough sleep... that I was able to again reflect and see the Lord's goodness and faithfulness ... even when things to us look somewhat cloudy, and when i've felt that it was difficult to press on... the Lord has given so much grace.
After such a refreshing meeting with the body of Christ today, and a rekindling of the theme of consecration...I was reminded when I was playing through some hymns, that the Lord wants full control. Often times when I say I'm giving something up to the Lord, I may let it go in a physical sense, and outwardly look as if it's not bothering me... but often times I still let these things plague my mind and my heart. And I've realized that this is not true consecration, because true consecration is followed by peace.
When I've truly given something up to the Lord, I have known great freedom afterwards, and have been filled with joy and peace, because in replace of whatever I've given to the Lord, I receive more of the Lord himself... and what a blessing that is!
But when I say to the Lord ...here you can have this... and then continue to let it rule over my decisions... i.e. how I spend my money. Or if I say oh yes Lord, I do need to give my future up to you... and continue to analyze and try to figure how everything is going to pan out. These ways are not true consecration.
A brother in the Lord once shared, Isaac was not just a wee lad when he went on the alter, he was probably a young strapping man, and could have easily overtaken his father, Abraham, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. But Isaac must have had to have known what was going on in some sense, and was willing to have his hands bound by his father... and willing to go to the alter, and in doing so he helped Abraham obey the Lord.
Are we willing to have our hands bound by the father, and go to the alter without argument?
If not, may the Lord teach us how to say "Lord, make me willing" as our brother F.B. Meyer said to the Lord when he was not able to give up to the Lord something that was very special to him.
In true consecration we find that once we give up control we are blessed with such freedom in the Lord. When we go through our lives point by point and lay each part of our decisions, and how we spend our time, how we spend out money, giving up our future, and where we choose to meet for church gatherings, giving up the right to our job, and a perfect family, and letting go of the worldly influences we've let into our lives. When we bring these things before the Lord one by one, and truly consecrate them to the Lord...it's like the chains that the world has on our limbs are gradually loosed... so we have one part of us that is for Jesus only, Jesus ever and then we give up something else and another part is freed to be for Jesus only, Jesus ever.
This sounds hard, but once it is done... the blessing of having more of the Lord is beyond your wildest dreams worth it. He is soo good. and He is more than enough. What a wonderful Lord is Jesus my King. :)
May we learn to lay it all down and let it go to the alter... that the Life of Christ might be Lord in us, and that we might know more of His presence. :)
"Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" - Romans 12:1
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