Verse of the Week: Isaiah 43:1 – “But now, this is what the LORD says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel; ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
Truth of the Week: We don’t belong to ourselves. This is a truth that is difficult to embrace and even more difficult to live in light of. We are addicted to running our own lives, and relinquishing control does not come easily to us. Yet the truth remains, we are not our own. We belong to God and He calls us to surrender ourselves fully to Him.
Why is it that this call to surrender encounters such resistance in our hearts? Perhaps it is because we do not know God for who He truly is. In my own life (and oh how I hate that this is true), I often have a small view of God, and act as though I know better what is best for me. Perhaps you can relate. The paradox is that when we refuse to surrender we resign ourselves to defeat. It is only by yielding ourselves to God, without reservation and without condition, that we will experience true victory.
Father, help us to see You more clearly so that we might surrender ourselves more fully!
Quote of the Week: – “The real test of faith is not how successful we are, but how surrendered we are. Christian health is ultimately defined by how sincerely we wave our flag of surrender.” (Gary Thomas)
