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My Surrender
Chantelle Sherai
Today started as most mornings have for me recently – rushed! Between helping my seven year old nephew get dressed for school, cooking his breakfast, getting him off to school, preparing breakfast for mom, cleaning, getting in a workout, doing the laundry, studying, and looking for a job, there never seem to be enough hours in the day to get in the quality, intimate, quiet time with God that I not just want, but desperately need.
Although I did take a few minutes to pray, I felt as if I was cheating God and robbing myself of valuable time to consult with Him regarding His plans for my day. Rather than taking full advantage of that moment to savor every second of time on my knees in His presence, I opted for an on-the-go prayer. Most of us know this type of prayer all too well. For those who don't, it's the one where you thank God for your family, for waking you up, ask Him to bless her, bless him, bless them, and close with a less than passionate, howbeit resounding, “Amen”.
My intention is usually always to give God his time first. Having all of the necessary gusto to do so, I somehow venture off onto a whole other list of things to do that manage to weasel their way to the top of my list of priorities, bumping God's time further and further down the list as the day moves on. When I do manage to squeeze in time for Him, I simply mark the “task” of prayer off my checklist of things to do, and dash away to complete the seemingly more important things that led me to pray in the first place.
Well this morning, it didn't take long for the frustrations to mount. Before I knew it I was back in my room, door closed, on my knees in tears. At that moment I no longer wanted to pray to God, I needed to cry out to Him. It was then that the prayer that should have started my day begin to pour from my heart. This time I was in no rush, if anything I felt paralyzed as though I couldn't move even if I wanted to. Knowing that God was nearby I didn't want to miss another opportunity to spend time with Him. Even though I had a lot to say I desired more than anything to listen for Him – to hear His voice. Ah! But when He speaks, everything changes.
His words are simple yet familiar, “Cast all your anxiety on me, because I care for you” I Peter 5:7.
In my refusal to leave His presence empty handed, I came to realize that I did need to leave emptied out. God is so readily waiting for us to surrender all of our burdens to Him. Not just the ones that we choose not to handle. But every single thought, sin, circumstance, worry, or frustration that drives a wedge of division between us and Him. Day after day and year after year I have made the mistake of letting God borrow my burdens. By that I mean giving them to Him in prayer and then picking them back up later in an effort to make them go away in my own limited ability.
I have to admit that my reason for doing so was because I could not fully conceive the magnitude of who God is. Somehow I had been led to believe that he had more than enough on his plate and he simply didn't have time for nor could he possibly handle all of my issues and everyone else's at the same time. Note to self - He is called the Burden Bearer for a reason. God is not some small, flesh clothed weakling. He is a great and magnificent God!
Allow me to paint a simplistic picture.....
Heaven is His throne and Earth is his footstool (Isaiah 66:). Imagine sitting in your favorite chair resting your feet on an ottoman or just laid back in a comfortable recliner. God sits in Heaven but rests his feet on Earth! Not in a specified location, the whole planet! Does that sound like a tiny, incapable God to you?
He measured the waters in the palm of his hand (Isaiah 40:12). Can you fill the palm of your hand with water and have enough to create an entire ocean, lake, or sea? God did!
He weighed the mountains on the scales (Isaiah 40:12). Who does that? We can't even fathom a scale large enough to weigh a mountain on let alone attempting to actually carry out the task of doing so. But, God did that too!
He numbered the very hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30). Is there anyone in your life that you love to the extent of knowing how many strands of hair are on their head? God knows exactly how many each and every one of us has.
By the time God was done laying out the verses in Isaiah along with those in Job 38-40, the tide of my day had completely turned. I wasn't just relinquishing the burdens of my morning to God, I was turning over those from last year and the year before too! Why? Because He is more than able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20). So not only am I aware that He can carry the weight of my burdens, I believe that He can.
Need we be reminded, “Not even a sparrow worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable than a whole flock of sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). Knowing that I hold a special place in the heart of the Creator of the universe is mind blowing! Contrary to what we believe, through his love for us God holds us in high regard. We are of great value to him. He does not delight in our suffering and he certainly would not have us to struggle through life without him. He makes it undoubtedly clear that he cares for us (Psalm 55:22).
There is absolutely, positively nothing in this world that we will ever encounter that God can't handle -nothing (Jeremiah 32:27). Furthermore, there are no afflictions that we encounter nor snares that the enemy can set that haven't gone through God's inspection of approval anyway (Job 1: 12). He knows what you have faced in the past, what you are facing today, and what you will have to face in the future. He wants you to know that he is willing to handle all of it. However, he isn't going to take the matter away from you. You must be willing to surrender each and every burden over to Him?
I can only imagine how the remainder of my day would have turned out had God not gotten my attention. I am so thankful that instead of being broken by the events of my morning, I chose to fall to my knees and break down at his feet, so that He could lift me up in his strength through reminders of his unshakable love for me. What an awesome and mighty God we serve!
Prayer:
“Father, I love you and I need your help. I can't continue to live out the days of my life slipping further and further away from you. I desire more than anything to know your plans for my day moment by moment. Reveal yourself to me this day in any way that you choose. Let my heart be open to your presence and my ears be attentive to the words that you speak. And when you have spoken Lord, give me both strength and patience to carry out every single task that you have ordered for me this day. I thank you for forgiving me for having moved ahead of you today and days past. Thank you for loving me even when I don't acknowledge your presence the way that I should. This is the day that You have made, teach me to rejoice and be glad regardless of what it brings. Amen.”
Daily Scripture: Job 38-40
Chantelle Sherai, Copyright ©2014, All Rights Reserved.
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