Psalm 146:2 "I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Struggle To Surrender

Hi Everyone!

I am facing a personal issue right now--one that I don't want to discuss over the internet, but that demands much prayer.

So this current issue deals with an aspect of surrendering it to God--like I never quite imagined. It is something that I didn't expect. And, honestly, it isn't something that is easy to surrender to Him.

So I've been thinking about the whole thing od the struggle to surrender--wondering if it's OK, and wondering if it's OK for the "living sacrifice" to start trying to crawl off the altar and realize that I have to throw it back on there..again..and again....and again.

And somewhere in my struggling and questioning with the Lord, I was reminded that Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane also struggled the night before His death---and He was and STILL IS the VERY SON OF GOD.

Was it not him who pleaded with His Father and His sweat was as drops of blood saying to His Father in agony, "Take this cup from me...but not my will but YOURS be done?"

So I am thinking it is OK if we initially struggle to surrender things to God, as long as we are asking Him to truly help us get to that point-------because even in that act of surrender, WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT HIS STRENGTH.

My situation in comparison to His, does not compare and in reality is VERY trivial compared to His----and yet HE cares deeply about it.

May He bring my heart to the place where I am wiling to say, "Father, not my will, but YOURS be done-----and be able to leave it in HIS loving hands---that KNOW and are MORE THAN ENOUGH!!"

Matthew 26:36-46 "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Mark 14:32-42 "They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Luke 22:39-46 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

It is interesting that at the last Supper Jesus STILL GAVE THANKS for the CUP---the Cup that symbolized the suffering that HE would endure. It makes me think that a part of surrendering might have to do with gratitude---for the circumstance recognizing that there is a bigger picture---and that GOD gets greater glory through our situation9s)--IR IS ALL ABOUT HIM ANYWAYS!!!

So Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ....pray for me that I might be able to surrender.

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