Thursday, August 29th, 2024
God gave me a couple of phrases the last few days that have given me a lot of peace about the direction our world seems to be heading. It’s tempting to fall into the “it’s all falling apart” trap. But the more I get to know God, my spiritual eyes are being awakened to the truth that it’s all part of His plan.
The first thing He said to me is that all of creation is being brought to a place where Jesus is the only answer. Our school system, our medical industry, our banking system and certainly our governments are all swirling in tornadoes of unrighteousness. There is no way to fix them or patch them enough to bring them back to the vision our God-fearing forefathers had. They all need a deep revelation of the light and truth that is Jesus. People are looking for answers like never before. What they see is so ugly and heartbreaking that they are crying out for a better way. Are we ready to show them that way?
The other thing God said to me as I was watching the leaves start to fall is that we are going into a season of surrender. Just as the tree has to surrender its leaves before winter, we must be willing to surrender everything that isn’t part of God’s will. If we want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem, we must be ready to surrender whatever Holy Spirit asks us to. It could be our time, our finances, our careers, our ministries, or it could be all of them. The quicker we surrender, and the more fully we can surrender, the better this season will go for us.
Think of the leaves of a tree. If the tree doesn’t shed its leaves, it may not survive the winter. Some of us are afraid to surrender our leaves. It feels like we are losing our identity, our comfort or our safety net. We fear who we might become without them. This is where we circle back to the first phrase. Even if we lose everything, we still have Jesus. Isn’t that enough?
Final Thoughts…
Surrendering everything is only possible because of Jesus. If we didn’t think we could trust Him, we wouldn’t do it. If we didn’t think He loved us, we wouldn’t do it. If we didn’t believe that He never leaves us, we wouldn’t do it. If we didn’t trust that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts, we wouldn’t do it. If we hadn’t been saved and healed by Him innumerable times before, we wouldn’t do it. He has never disappointed or failed anyone, ever. He isn’t going to start now. Can you say with every fiber of your being that Jesus is the only answer to everything you will ever face? Are there any leaves still hanging on your “please don’t ask me to surrender that” list? Lord, we need Your help. We are far from perfect. Show us your love and wisdom. Thank you for your grace and patience as we walk this out.