Are you committed? Do you want to be?

These are questions asked (my paraphrase) by Johnny Long in Springville tonight before he read the following prayer by John Wesley:

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by you or laid aside by you,
enabled for you or brought low by you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield
all things to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
you are mine, and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

I am going to pray over each part of this prayer.
I really desire to think about this commitment and ask God to
show me what is in my heart.

"I am no longer my own, but yours."

Scripture:
Galatians 2:19-21 (The Message)

19-21What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

Galatians 2:19-21 (New Century Version)
19 It was the law that put me to death, and I died to the law so that I can now live for God.20 I was put to death on the cross with Christ, and I do not live anymore—it is Christ who lives in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself to save me.21 By saying these things I am not going against God's grace. Just the opposite, if the law could make us right with God, then Christ's death would be useless.

Galatians 2:19-21 (New Century Version)
19 It was the law that put me to death, and I died to the law so that I can now live for God.20 I was put to death on the cross with Christ, and I do not live anymore—it is Christ who lives in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself to save me.21 By saying these things I am not going against God's grace. Just the opposite, if the law could make us right with God, then Christ's death would be useless.

Galatians 5:24 (Contemporary English Version)
24And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.

The very first sin was rooted in pride and that is how I sin against God even to this day. I put myself first, trying to glorify myself. In doing so I have sinned in my anger that things or people did not follow my plans or measure up to what I wish would be. Am I willing to look God for everything and let God work out his plans in others lives without my powerless interfering and criticism? Am I ready to be an encourager, one who lifts up others because I believe God is working good in them for His glory? Will I quit worrying about what others think of me and what I think I am capable of doing and follow Christ in doing God's will even when it is hard?

Eclipses and Parched Ground

I find word pictures help my understanding of spiritual truths. I found these in The Divine Will from the Valley of Vision prayer book. Both of these quotes helped me see how I am the one who blocks myself from "increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10 ESV). Even as I am drawn away from Him by my own actions, He draws me back to himself.


(Picture by Alexandra Huckerby & Greg Butler - Antalya, Turkey)

"Show me what sins hide Thee from me and eclipse Thy love."

As I think about my sins - anger, pride, self-righteousness, greed, etc. - hiding God from me, I realize how little regard I have for God and how I want to be:

the one in control (omnipotent)
the one worshipped
the "deserving" one

As I act out of this kind of heart my sin eclipses - blocks out the light of - God's love. I do not glorify Him. I cannot glorify Him, when my sin puts my focus on me.

Thank you, Lord, for Act 2.



"Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy arise from several degrees of prayer, that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow, as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes."



I see the ground drying up, like I remember one time as a child, and cracks opening up between it.

In this quote, I see how God draws me to Himself. As my life dries up, cracking open because nothing I rely upon can fill me, He allows all of my need for Him to be apparent before drawing me again to Himself. Desperately longing for relief, God sends the rain of His mercy and grace, and I wonder why I ever thought anything else mattered.