Surrender..Craig Denison Ministries

 Surrender

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

God’s goodness over our lives far exceeds anything we’ve experienced. We’ve only yet splashed around in the shallows of God’s deep love and mercy. In order to dive deeper into the fullness of life available to us, we must learn how to posture our hearts. May your relationship with God be enriched this week as you position yourself to receive all your loving heavenly Father has to give.

Scripture:“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39

Devotional:           

Jesus makes an important and paradoxical statement in Matthew 10:39: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” What does it look like to lose your life for his sake? How is it possible to find life as the result of losing it? You and I are only truly living to the degree that we’ve surrendered our lives to Jesus. True life is eternal, kingdom-based, and fueled by the love of God. Life apart from God is fleeting and meaningless. It’s for this reason Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:14 says, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.”

We have opportunity every day to lay our lives down at the feet of Jesus in response to his great love that we might experience the abundant life only he can give. Surrender positions our hearts to receive the incredible reward of being fully God’s. God won’t force his blessings on us. He won’t force his presence or his love. He patiently draws us near, hoping that in response to his overwhelming affections we will lay down our lives that we might experience all the wonders he has in store for us.

Humbling ourselves before God as our King, Creator, and Sustainer is absolutely vital in going deeper. Pride so often stands in the way of God’s conditional promises. Scripture is clear in James 4:6, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Promises like “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” found in Matthew 6:33 require a level of humility and surrender most aren’t willing to give.

We often associate humility with weakness when in reality declaring our weakness before an Almighty God is the only posture of strength we can take. It’s for this reason that Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:30, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” When we humble ourselves before God and surrender, we position ourselves to receive all the abundance of help, power, guidance, and love we could ever need.

God is an endless ocean of love, help, healing, and power. The Holy Spirit who dwells within you longs to empower you with everything you need to truly live in the fullness of life available to you. If you will choose to lay down your life in surrender to God’s plans, purposes, truth, and perfect will,  you will experience a life unlike anything you’ve known. Take time today to lose your life that you may find it in God. Cast aside all pride and selfish ambition that you might pursue the wonderful, abundant life of one submitted to an Almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, and fully loving Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the need for surrender in fully pursuing God.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” James 4:6

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

2. In what ways have you been allowing pride, fear, or selfish ambition to keep you from fully surrendering to God? In what ways have you been seeking glory for yourself?

3. Lay your life down at the feet of your good and loving Savior that you might experience the fullness of his love, grace, and affection for you. Rest at the feet of Jesus. Choose the good portion today rather than spending all your energy seeking fleeting admiration and temporal possessions.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:38-42

While surrender in the world results in defeat, surrender to God brings ultimate victory. When we stop pursuing our own glory and worldly acclamations, we begin building up treasure in heaven that will never be taken away from us. God’s plans for us are infinitely better than anything we could do on our own. His heavenly rewards for us vastly outweigh any sense of earthly accomplishments. Surrendering our lives completely to God releases us from the constraints of this world that we might live for the kingdom that will never end. May your life be completely wrapped up in the goodness of your loving Savior.

Extended Reading: James 4

Genuine Repentance..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Genuine Repentance

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 7:8-10

Because we desire to be more like Jesus, we make resolutions, ask Him to help us, and try to behave differently. Yet despite our best efforts to do things God's way, we slide back into old habits. Frustrated, we may ask Him, "Why can't I change?" The reason is, overcoming sinful attitudes and behaviors starts with genuine repentance, which has three aspects.

Conviction. The Holy Spirit will reveal the areas in which we've sinned and convict us of wrongdoing. Through Scripture, the Spirit shows us God's standard and what needs to change. Repentance begins with understanding where we have gone astray.

Contrition. The next step--grieving over our iniquity--is followed by confession to the Lord. Genuine sorrow arises from the knowledge that we've sinned against Him. In contrast, human unhappiness often comes from being caught misbehaving. Other times we are miserable because of where our choices led us, or feel shame that people know about our sin. True contrition is followed by humble confession.

Commitment to act.  Real repentance is complete when we wholeheartedly pledge to turn from our old behavior and move toward righteous ways. God knows we won't live perfectly, but He looks for a surrendered heart that diligently seeks to obey Him.

Paul used strong language when telling us to turn from iniquity: "Put to death... whatever belongs to your earthly nature" (Col. 3:5 niv). What sin are you struggling to overcome? Have you genuinely repented, committing to turn from it permanently? Let the Holy Spirit empower you to change.

For Such a Time as This..Emma Danzey

 For Such a Time as This

By Emma Danzey

Esther 4:14 says, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?””

If You Remain Silent
One of the greatest ways in which the enemy works is to get us to be silent. If we are quiet in our faith, struggles, and lives, the Lord cannot use us. This is certainly not to say if someone is mute that, God cannot use them, for there are many ways to communicate the gospel. However, when we know the truth of Christ and refrain from sharing that with others, it is wrong. When we know the hope of Jesus and that we are His children but try to hide out of fear, we are called to let our lights shine before all people. (Matthew 5:16) We are told not to be ashamed of the gospel. (Romans 1:16)

In what ways do you feel tempted to be silent about your faith? It can be easy, without realizing it, to hide the most important part of our lives around others in certain settings or around relatives who have not been receptive. However, just like Queen Esther was truly a Jew in a royal position, her rank would not save her from the annihilation of the Jewish people by the evil Haman. She was the Jew’s hope to go directly to the King on their behalf. This came at a great cost, and she had to be willing to choose God over her own life. There was a great possibility that she would be killed; however, the Lord was working in her midst.

Relief and Deliverance for the Jews Will Arise from Another Place
This is a hard statement, but Mordecai (Esther’s uncle) shares the truth that if Esther did not speak up, it did not mean that she would be spared. He shares the convicting truth that God would raise up someone else for their deliverance and that her silence would not save her and her loved ones.

Has God ever invited you to lead or be part of something, and you turned it down? The sad part is that when we do this, the Lord is still going to work, but we miss out on the opportunity to be involved in His kingdom work. He has given us an invitation, but we have to decide if we will join in. Will we be bold and confident, walking in the Spirit? Or will we run away in fear and always be passing on positions and opportunities to others?

For Such a Time as This
Have you ever thought about how you are called to reach this generation? You and I have been born in the year chosen by God, and our timelines are intentional for His purposes. The fact is that if we are alive today, the Lord has a plan for us to share His gospel message for such a time as this. That means even in times of war, times of identity confusion, times of division, times of social media, and times of anxiety and depression, if we are here, God desires to use us.

Have you ever had a perfect moment at the perfect time? An experience where things just happened to work out right when they needed it? The Lord has beautifully orchestrated this exact period of time to use you and to use me for His glory. We are invited to not remain silent, but to speak of His love and salvation, to say yes to His call, and to remember that He is with us even in the most uncertain of times.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
How have you remained silent in your faith before? What are ways in which you can be braver to share the hope that you have with others? In what ways do you feel like God has put you where you are for such a time as this?

Further Reading:
Matthew 5:16
Romans 1:16
2 Peter 1:3

Leave Pain in the Past..Jack Graham

 Leave Pain in the Past

By Jack Graham

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

Heavenly Father, the road is long and full of doubt. Fix our eyes upon you, the author of faith, and let us remember we follow the God who has overcome the world. Amen.

A traveler was driving down old Route 66, the very first major highway that could take you from Chicago to the West Coast of the U.S. He stopped at one of those little tourist trap towns along the way, and started talking to one of the workers at a souvenir shop.

“You know,” the worker said, “this town is very famous.”

The man looked around at the desolate ghost town around him and said, “Really? What makes this place so famous?”

The worker looked at him and said, “Well, you can start from right here and go anywhere you want!”

Now, that's true about today. You can start right where you are at this very moment and go anywhere God takes you. Each day is the beginning of a brand new day when you put your path into God’s hands.

There are many people who choose to retreat and regress into the pain of yesterday because they’re controlled by their fear instead of by God’s guidance. But when we trust God with our future, we can be sure He’ll move us onward and upward in living for His glory!

A Prayer for Leaders..Emma Danzey

 A Prayer for Leaders 

By Emma Danzey

Hebrews 13:7 says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

Whether it is in our daily places of work or school, in our homes, in our churches, in our organizations, or on our favorite teams, there are leaders. The Lord has specifically called certain people to positions of leadership among believers. In Hebrews 13, this is addressed. It says to remember our leaders and think about their lives and imitate their faith.

First of all, let’s begin with the fact that not all people in leadership roles are healthy. Before ever following the example of a leader, even within a church, it is vital that we observe things like character, consistency, and a person who lives out the gospel and Bible. Today, we are going to take intentional time to pray for our leaders. There are many accounts in the Bible of leaders who did well and those who ended badly. We want to pray over those in leadership in our communities to stay the course with the help of the Spirit and to represent God well.

Let's Pray:

God, thank you for appointing leaders throughout time and in my specific sphere. I pray for them today. Guide them by the wisdom of Your word, and help them to navigate this sinful world. Give them the courage to speak the truth in love. Show them what it means to be servant leaders. You say in Matthew 20:26, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” Help my leaders be known for the way that they participate and meet the needs of those around them.

Please be with those who have led for a long time. It is easy to want to coast towards the end of a position, but we pray that you would pour out extra fervor and zeal onto them to be used in mighty ways. Help them not to give up on the mission which You have called them to in this life. Please be with those who desire to give up because it is hard. Help them to find inner strength in You. Give them all that they need to accomplish Your tasks. Enable them to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Help them to set a good example for those around them.

We pray for those just now entering leadership roles. Keep them humble in this endeavor. Give them the confidence to walk with You into this new season. Lord, help them to be lifetime learners as they lead. Give them understanding and wisdom beyond their years. Help them to commit their plans to You. Provide humble attitudes for them and give them courage to ask wise counsel and learn from those who have gone before them. May they walk in the paths which You have called them to in a way that shows total glory to Your name and not their own.

Lord, for those who are spiritual leaders, help them not to take this lightly. You say in James 3:1, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” For those whom You have called into these positions, please uphold them in integrity, character, and honesty. We pray against their flesh and the attacks of the enemy. So many leaders have fallen into sin. Please give them accountability and strength to set boundaries that will honor You and protect them. The enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy, but You, Jesus, seek to give life to the fullest. Protect those serving in the spotlight and those shepherding Your people.

God, we pray over the areas of leadership which You have entrusted to us. Maybe we do not even see ourselves as leaders, but for those who are younger than us, those in our families, and those under our influence, help us to model Your love to them and point them to You each day. Remind us that as Your children, we are examples to others. Help us to live by the Spirit and not our flesh so that we can point others to Your amazing love. Amen.