Surrender

I sing this song in church called "My Surrender". The song is sung on some Sunday's, not everyone, but this song I need to sing daily, moment by moment. It is easy to give something to God and then in the next 10 minutes it comes back to me and instead of surrendering it again I pick it up and start carrying it again. God wants me to surrender all to Him, that means giving it up, that means leaving it at His feet. I see many challenges facing me and I need to surrender them. In all the area's in my life,

I can focus on them and what does that do? It makes the problems worse, just like the storms, have I ever gotten through a storm by focusing on the storm? No, I had to take my eyes off the storm and focus on Jesus. The problems may not go away, but my focus is no longer on the problem, no longer on the issue, it is on Jesus. He is my source, the solution, He is the only one that can help. Now let me clarify, that does not mean that I do not work on my side of the issue. I need to continue to turn the issues over to God, but I need to be willing to do my part. It isn't just saying here Lord it is your problem, wash my hands and walk away. I have to say here Lord, what do I do to protect, to learn, to grow.

I need to have a willing heart, to say Lord teach me in this, let me see how I should be as I surrender it to you. Maybe for me it means not pointing out things that bother me and focusing on the good instead, maybe it means just loving despite how I am loved. I can either be part of the solution, or part of the problem. It is easier to say well it isn't my problem, but really if it is in one of your relationships, maybe God is calling you to look at your responses as He is teaching me to do that too. Are you teachable, or is it always the other persons problem? I want to be teachable, I want to grow and not just stay stuck in the ways I was, I want to become more like Christ and in doing so I need to be willing to die to my old ways.

God said that it is all possible, but He never said it was easy. Easy is walking a road flat, with no change, hard is climbing a mountain, but man the view from above is so incredible.

Here is the song:
"My Surrender"
Does it all sound the same?
Are my words getting through?
I’ve been trying so hard
and I’m about to break
So here I am with all I have

And I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
I surrender
Yeah, I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
This is my surrender
Take it all

And what song can I sing
but the song that You give
I have nothing to bring
that did not come from Your hand
So here I am with all I have

And I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
I surrender
Yeah, I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
This is my surrender

All my plans and all my dreams
I’m giving it all to You
I lay it all down at Your feet
I’m Yours

So what song can I sing but this song?

I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
I surrender
I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
This is my surrender
Take it all
Take it all
Lord, take it all
Take it all

I don't want to stand in God's way, I want to change and be changed. My Mom says from Glory to Glory He is changing me. I will struggle, I will doubt, I will wonder why me Lord, but I have to be willing to confess my sins to Him and learn. Allow Jesus to stand you up and brush you off. I am learning that moment by moment. Have a willing heart to say Lord I have sinned and then go back to the people you have sinned against, because in forgiveness is freedom. Walk in the freedom God has given you and me.

Have a good day!!!

Anxious

Today I can see a lot of reasons to be anxious, but what does it do me to get all tied up worried about this or that, worried about the job I am doing, worried about life, about everything that is in God's control. What is in God's control? Everything is, I find it easy to put God in a box, to say He can't fix me, He can't change me, but we are talking about the grand creator, we are talking about the one that made the earth. He designed me just how I am, where I have walked, He knew I would walk there, where I am walking is not a surprise to Him. It says He knows how many hairs on my head, He knows when a bird falls, that is incredible and yet I am worried about what will happen today.

Then I realize, it hits me like a ton of bricks, I can't change others, I have to surrender all to Him, that means even my schedule, even my day, I have to allow Him to lead the way. When I lead I forget all I have learned, I end up going through the same struggles, the same everything I did yesterday or last week or last month, but God says when we are heavy laden to rest on Him, to throw all our cares on Him for He cares for me. Wow, He cares that much for me that I can just surrender myself, the way I am to Him. I can just give it all up and say Lord your will be done in my life, in my marriage, in my relationships, but I have to be willing to surrender them, stop fighting for what I want and allow God to move.

It is called dying to self, it is laying down my life and saying Lord your will be done. It is funny I read a devotional about how a little boy was trying to make the Tabernacle and he was putting this sheep on the alter, but the sheep kept falling off, so he wanted to nail it there. Aren't we just like that sheep, when the heat gets turned up, I want to get off the alter, I want to say this is to hard, I can't do it anymore, but God says Geoff this is how I purify you, trust Me, I will not let you down. I will not fail, humans may let you down, but Geoff I am the Alpha and Omega, I created you, I designed you, I wont let you down.

Today, remember that we are all learning, we are all going through tough things, but the more we rely on God, the more we turn it over to Him, the more He will change the situations, the areas we are struggling, but if we hold onto them, well it is harder to allow the change. Allow God to work, don't put Him in a box like I tend to do, trust Him, He will sustain and He will change you.

Easy to write

I have to go back through to read my own posts, just a constant reminder to myself that I am changing and what God is teaching me, He will continue to bring me around that mountain until I learn what He is teaching me. I was always told to keep a journal, because I can look back at where I was a week ago or even a year ago, but I didn't realize it would show me the answer and I could reuse the same lessons.

It is easy to write things, much hard to live them. I may be good at writing, but less good at actually living them out. God is teaching me that saying them is one thing, but living them out in my daily life is another.

My Prayer today and each day is:

Lord let me not forget the lessons from the past I have learned, teach me to trust regardless of the situation, regardless of everything, because my trust is in You. Let me write Your words on my heart and let me live them regardless. Thank you for the lessons and the hard places, for they establish Your will in my life. I love you Lord.