The simple truth...
I was singing this song tonight, "Jesus, All for Jesus" by Robin Mark and it occurred to me how simple and plain the words of this song are, but how deep they cut into the hearts of all those who proclaim Christ as Lord. To say that everything we are, all that we have, our hopes, our ambitions, our dreams, our desires, these we surrender, these we place into His hands. I'm not sure I really grasp this or live this. Is all I am just for Jesus? Do I even know what it means? Do I experience it? Do I shun my pain, my trials, my struggles and seek for reprieve/relief only to find that in the midst of my pain and struggles, Jesus is there. More real and present than I could ever perceive when I am not struggling. Would I embrace my struggles all the more if I could really understand this awesome truth?
As I sang the refrain "For it's only in Your will that I am free" I think about all the stuff I get caught up in. The doubts, the fears, the sin, and the striving. And even the questions and the times I don't understand what God is doing, or I don't perceive that He's doing anything at all. How simple. It's only in His will that we are free. His good and perfect will that is above and beyond our comprehension. But it is beautiful. It is freeing. Even when we don't "get it"--we are still most free in His will.
"Jesus, All for Jesus"
By Robin Mark
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
For it's only in Your will that I am free,
For it's only in Your will that I am free,
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
Romans 8:15-27
15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[g] And by him we cry, "Abba,[h] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
Father God for those who are groaning, for those who are struggling. For those who do not understand their own pain and cry out for You to move. For those who are tasting the trials of Christ so that their faith may be proven genuine. So that they may share in His glory. Father God please give them, please give me, the perseverance, the patience, the faith, the encouragement to press on. You have not deserted us, even in this that feels like the final hour, the absolute darkest of times. You have not abandoned us. May we know the sweetness of Your presence now that we are broken and may we perceive that Your hands that break us will put us back together in a more perfect way. Jesus, may all we be truly be for You. Amen.
As I sang the refrain "For it's only in Your will that I am free" I think about all the stuff I get caught up in. The doubts, the fears, the sin, and the striving. And even the questions and the times I don't understand what God is doing, or I don't perceive that He's doing anything at all. How simple. It's only in His will that we are free. His good and perfect will that is above and beyond our comprehension. But it is beautiful. It is freeing. Even when we don't "get it"--we are still most free in His will.
"Jesus, All for Jesus"
By Robin Mark
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
For it's only in Your will that I am free,
For it's only in Your will that I am free,
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
Romans 8:15-27
15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[g] And by him we cry, "Abba,[h] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
Father God for those who are groaning, for those who are struggling. For those who do not understand their own pain and cry out for You to move. For those who are tasting the trials of Christ so that their faith may be proven genuine. So that they may share in His glory. Father God please give them, please give me, the perseverance, the patience, the faith, the encouragement to press on. You have not deserted us, even in this that feels like the final hour, the absolute darkest of times. You have not abandoned us. May we know the sweetness of Your presence now that we are broken and may we perceive that Your hands that break us will put us back together in a more perfect way. Jesus, may all we be truly be for You. Amen.
posted by Karen | 8:55 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home