True Rest

A few days ago I wrote about True Surrender. Here is another thought group from a page in my journal:

You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
Deuteronomy 13:4 (NASB)

Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today."
Ruth 3:18 (NASB)

What I am hearing running through both these verses is the concept of resting in the Lord. In the first, a clinging to Him, a following along, a desire to be close to the peace and security only God can give us. In the second, a restless drive that does not abate until you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, and then comes your rest in Him. In either case, I think the rest that comes from being in fellowship with the divine presence underlies both passages.

When I think of the times I am restless in my surroundings it is usually because I have not surrounded myself with the will of the Lord, but have enmeshed myself in my own thoughts, cares and concerns. I am not getting the rest because I have not waved the flag of surrender to Him.

I will look to use this post as a reminder in the future to settle it and get my rest in Him.

Total Surrender

Yesterday I wrote about the true surrender a follower of Jesus should seek after, should strive for.

Today I want to mention another surrender that Chambers talks about:

In our surrender, we must give ourselves to God in the same way He gave Himself for us— totally, unconditionally, and without reservation.
Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest March 13 Devotional

Or to put it another way:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NASB)

Yesterday's surrender was true if it came from the heart. Today's is total because it comes from the divine. If you were grumbling about yesterday's surrender, you should be convicted by today's.

Yesterday's is not necessary unless you want perfect fellowship with God. Do it, and all you get is more than salvation, you get to grow closer and closer to the Almighty.

Today's is not necessary unless He wants to be gracious and merciful. He does it, and all He gets is us.

Who do you think gets the better deal in surrendering? Do you even have to think about it?

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?