True Surrender

Our motive for surrender should not be for any personal gain at all. We have become so self-centered that we go to God only for something from Him, and not for God Himself.
Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest Devotional for March 12

How many of us are willing to do this? True surrender. giving our lives to Christ, being in it solely for the glory of God. Deep down inside, I think just about all of us struggle with this. Why is that, Chambers goes on to say:

It is like saying, "No, Lord, I don’t want you; I want myself. But I do want You to clean me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to be on display in Your showcase so I can say, ’This is what God has done for me.’ "

That's it then. We want something out of it. Call it our pride, our desire to be the center of attention, our desire to be seen as somehow sacrificing for the Lord. But would we be willing to submit to the Lord's will if we had to suffer and sacrifice in anonymity, somehow faceless and unappreciated by those around us?

If not, that is not true surrender is it?

Your Cost

"...it cost Him but a word to create the worlds, but to redeem a sinner's soul cost Him all that He had..."
Marcus Rainsford - Our Lord Prays For His Own

A simple set of words, not even a complete sentence in the book, but they hit me hard. It took more on God's part to redeem me than to create everything. And yet He loves me enough to do it.

It took more to redeem me as a sinner than to create everything that has ever been created. I can only licve with that because He has forgiven me and brings me into His rest, His joy.

If you ever think yourself worthy of God's redeeming grace, just think about the cost, greater than the universe, for Him to give it to you.

If you ever think yourself unworthy of God's redeeming grace, just think of His love, which measures even greater than the cost to do so.