Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Secret To Living The Christian Life Successfully - Well, It's Not A Secret

My Utmost For His Highest
 
I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go. —Jeremiah 45:5
 
“It is the essential thing. “…your life…as a prize…” means that wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life and nothing can harm it. […] Are you prepared to let God take you into total oneness with Himself, paying no more attention to what you call the great things of life? Are you prepared to surrender totally and let go? The true test of abandonment or surrender is in refusing to say, “Well, what about this?” Beware of your own ideas and speculations. The moment you allow yourself to think, “What about this?” you show that you have not surrendered and that you do not really trust God. But once you do surrender, you will no longer think about what God is going to do. Abandonment means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions. If you totally abandon yourself to God, He immediately says to you, “I will give your life to you as a prize….” […] And once you do get to the point of total surrender to Him, you will be the most surprised and delighted person on earth.”  CHAMBERS
 
The secret to living the Christian life is to live in total surrender to God.  To be one with His purpose and His leading.  No matter where you find yourself in the circumstances of this natural life, God is there with you.  David wrote in Psalm 139:1-12
 
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You,  And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”
 
Take a moment this morning to reflect on that truth.  What was true for David, is true for you.  You are not alone. The Creator God is on your side but you must be willing to turn to him and stop trying to do the impossible on your own.  The events in your life that may be weighing so heavily on your heart, give them to the Lord and draw close to him.  Guard your heart, protect your thought life, be vigilant in your conversations, be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication, pray to – talk with God about what concerns you, and the peace of God, the incomprehensible peace of God, the peace that is there in the midst of your trouble, will keep – strengthen - protect your heart and your mind – your life, in Christ Jesus (my loose paraphrase of Philippians 4:6-7).  That is my encouragement to you who are troubled, weary, under the heavy load of life and what it brings.  God is Good, all the time.  And all the time, God is good.  ELGIN
 
He Will Come And Save You
 
“Say to those who are fearful hearted -  Do not be afraid
The Lord your God  Is strong with His mighty arms  When you call on His name
He will come and save
 
Say to those who are broken hearted -  Do not lose your faith
The Lord your God  Is strong with His loving arms  When you call on His name  
He will come and save
 
He is our refuge in the day of trouble -  He is our shelter in the time of storm
He is our tower in the day of sorrow -  Our fortress in the time of war
 
And He will come and save you,  He will come and save you
Say to the weary one  YOUR GOD WILL SURELY COME  He will come and save you
Lift up your eyes to Him  You will arise again  He will come and save you”
 
Charley Elgin

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