I Surrender

Welcome to Unseen today. We are blessed to have a guest blogger today. Cherita Milner is my new friend and fellow writer. Read on to see what God has to say to us about surrendering our wills and our struggles.

I Surrender

 

Genesis 25 – 32 (Jacob’s story)

 

For the last couple of years God has really been peeling off the layers of my shell to bring me to the place of complete brokenness aka surrender.  This process has been on-going for me and sometimes hard… Every time I think Lord this is it, He reveals more.  A couple of years ago he gave me a picture of an onion.  I was the onion and He was peeling off all the layers to get to the sweet core.  Most of this peeling and pruning season of my life has been through circumstances.  Circumstances with my job (which I thought was my security), finances, relationships (friends, siblings, husband, parents), ministry, and numerous moves (due to military)--- lol to name a few. Well here I am again in the process and I hear the Lord say surrender!!!

 

Surrender is difficult because it requires me to give up control of my desires, ideas, and plans for my life and relinquish it over to God and say “Lord I trust you” (His desires and plans for my life).  Well can I be honest?  At times I struggle with this because in the back of my mind I wonder, will God’s way be what’s best for me?  Of course it will, I answer myself (lol), but it’s still that fear of the unknown lingering around that tries to get me to doubt or me being impatient  in the waiting…. And Sometimes God’s desires and plans for me are contrary to what I wanted them to be.. Why? Because like a parent, He knows what’s best for me. 

 

Two things I’ve been going back to the basics on is: 1. Who is God? 2. Who am I in the Lord? See fear from my past has caused me to question God’s goodness.  Fear has caused me to be afraid of failure, men, the unknown, and lack.  It has caused me to believe that I have to look out for myself, so I’ve created my own habits, tactics, ways to go after what I feel I should have.  Am I saying God doesn’t use the things of the world i.e. degrees, training, people we know, gifts, etc.? No I’m not saying that but it is dangerous (I’m finding from experience) to put my faith in my tactics to bring about what I feel I am entitled to.  

 

There is a story in the Bible of a man who I can totally relate to in this area.  I’ve been meditating on his story as God has been showing me He loves me and I can totally surrender all to Him because of His love.  The man I am thinking of is Jacob.  Jacob’s story is told in Genesis 25 – 37; but the account I will give in my own words begins at the end of Genesis 25 – 32.  

 

Jacob was Esau’s twin brother.  They were the children of Isaac and Rachel.  While Rachel was pregnant, she wondered why she was uncomfortable during her pregnancy. Rachel was told by God that the children were fighting in her womb (and would spend their whole life doing so).  God also told her the older brother would serve the younger brother.  Fast forward some years, Jacob must have known it because all their lives it appeared he was deceptive in receiving Esau’s blessing.  Finally, the time had come for Jacob to make his move.  Isaac was sick and Jacob pretended to be Esau and prepare his father a meal.  When he took his father the meal, his father gave him Esau’s blessing.  Due to the deception, Jacob had to run and hide because Esau wanted to kill him for what he had done.  Jacob went to live with his uncle were he married his cousins and had children.  God appeared to Jacob and told him to return to his father’s house.  Jacob was still afraid of what his brother might do to him.  Jacob obeyed God’s command to go but he devised a plan to deceive and manipulate his brother in case his brother wanted to kill him.  See although God Jacob to go he was still up to his old ways in protecting himself (boy can I relate).

 

After Jacob was alone and on his way to the place God had told him to go, Jacob had an encounter with the Lord (actually the bible says angel of the Lord – this is a debate on rather it was an angel or God).  Whatever point of view we know it was supernatural.  Scripture states Jacob wrestled with the angel all night (can you imagine?) and then the angel hurt his hip so he could stop fighting.  Jacob still didn’t stop fighting and told the angel he wouldn’t let go until he blessed him. 

 

                First off I would like to point out how exhausted Jacob must had been wrestling/fighting with a supernatural being all night?  On top of being hurt fighting… I mean  this shows us his desperation for a blessing. Though I say this oh how I am there in my life… Fighting and wrestling with surrendering to God.  How He is calling me to a place where there is something more but I still have to have my input, my say…

 

                Secondly, Jacob told the angel he wouldn’t let go until the angel blessed him.  Jacob must have been looking for something so great that he was fighting for it.  Man, I can relate to this too… screaming, waiting, fighting for what I feel should be mine.  But what exactly should be mine?  What exactly should have been Jacob’s?  I mean didn’t God just tell him to go back to his father’s house so the Lord could bless him and be with him?  Basically Jacob was going back to get what God had already ordained for him to have when he was in his mother’s womb … How much more did Jacob want.  Scripture doesn’t tell us but I believe he wanted the conflict with his brother to be resolved; that was his fear that stood in his way of his blessing right? So he thought.  So many times I look at my circumstances and think God should bless me a certain way.  The blessing I may be looking for my not be the one that God intended to give me.  

 

Scripture states that after fighting all night the angel asked Jacob his name (as if he didn’t already know).  Jacob told him his name and the angel changed it from Jacob (meaning heel grabber) always trying to fight and deceive to get his way to Israel,  because he had overcome struggling with God and man.  Wow, do you get this? We are the same way , once we have surrendered to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we have been given a new name, 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! We are no longer the old man; doing things the way we use to.  We are now a new creation in God totally surrendered to the new nature. Jacob only changed when he was fully convinced that he was a new man..

 

Where are you in this story?  What part of Jacob’s life struggle/victory speak to you?

 

1.       Are you using your old ways, tactics, perceptions, habits, etc. to get what you think you should have? Or maybe you are confident God wants you to have it and like Jacob you use your old ways to obtain it instead of surrendering and allowing God to do it His way.  Maybe you think you can handle your finances, relationships, career, rebellious children, diet, exercise new location, etc...

 

2.       Maybe you are not in the first category… Maybe you are just fighting with God and taking your stance that it is your life.  Or maybe you have been so hurt in the past that you have told God I will not surrender this part of my life.  I will not forgive, walk in love, love my enemies, etc.

 

3.       Or maybe you have surrendered but are struggling to walk out the new life God has given us.  I mean what do you do in the waiting? What does the new man look like? How do we get rid of our old habits?

 

Right now I believe God is waiting to meet us face to face in the struggle (like He did with Jacob).  He is waiting for us to run to Him and tell Him our story and reason from wanting to surrender.  He already knows but He wants to hear our pain, frustration, discouragement, lack of faith, fear, worry, and despair.  This is surrender.  This is running to our father and saying Lord my ways aren’t working. I’m tired… Being tired is surrender and one step closer to change.  Lord help us today & give each of us a fresh revelation of what surrender looks like in each of our lives.  Show us your truth in who we are and that you love us despite our faults and failures.  

Moving on up

Moving is a huge pain I am always appalled at the amount of stuff I’ve accumulated every time I move. I always start sorting and packing being very organized. I put like things in each box and carefully and clearly label it Before long, though, I have 15 boxes of miscellaneous. The only thing worse than moving is moving into a place that is upstairs. It is not too bad at first., but ever trip up the stairs gets a little harder. Your arms, legs and back ace\he and you’re short of breath. You’re probably also short of temper. but maybe that’s just me. By the time you get the furniture muscled up the stairs and maneuvered into the house you wonder just how bad it would be to sleep on the floor. I usually reach a point where I say, “ If its not moved in now, its not coming.”

For many of us, God is in the process of moving us to a higher place. It may be a higher place of faith and relationship with him. It may be a higher lace of favor in work or ministry or a new level of recovery or restoration with people you love. What are you dragging behind you as you climb? What is making your heart beat faster with fear or your breath catch with memories of past regrets?What words were spoken over you that slows your spiritual steps with self doubt. What baggage do you need to leave at the bottom of the stairs?

Paul tells us that life is a journey with a prize at the end. In Phillipians 3:12-15 he says " I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Hebrews 11:10 is clear that we are  not home yet. We read, "For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."

This is not our home, but we are not alone. The writer of Hebrews encourages us "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

May we have the courage this week to look forward as we are moving up and leave things at the bottom of the stairs that will not help us when we get there.

Cracked Pots

Cracked Pots

Jeremiah 18:6
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.



 My friend was telling me about  a type of art that makes the most of flaws rather than hiding them. It is called kintsugi. If a piece of pottery is broken, many people simply throw it out. Others may try to glue it, but it hardly ever looks as good and will probably not hold water. The Japanese have a different approach. They put the broken pieces together and instead of glue, they seal them with molten bronze, silver, or gold. This process celebrates the broken pieces. Rather than pretended that the piece is not flawed, the artist uses the cracks as a framework for the beauty. Not only are  the pieces more beautiful, they are actually stronger than they were to begin with. They are also much more valuable.


If we are alive, we are broken. Life is hard and knocks us around. We try hard to fix ourselves or at least look like we are fixed. Unfortunately are methods are not effective, whether we use denial, substances or bluster. God never meant for us to deal with brokenness ourselves. We need only look as far as Adam and Eve who sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness. God took the life of an animal and made coverings for them. He will do the same for us. Look at the promises he has made to us. .


He gives me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Isaiah 61:3.


Therefore I will most gladly boast of my weakness for when I am weak then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10.

 God demonstrate his own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dies for us. Romans 5:8


When we let God heal our brokenness, it becomes a testimony to his grace and goodness. our wounds become beautiful to him and we are stronger in the broken places. We can be a living testimony to what he can do for others. Turn your broken places over to God and let him use them for his glory.

One Another

One another

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

At church a couple of weeks ago we were talking about our animals and how much better they make our lives. We were talking about the difference between dogs and cats, including the joke that dogs have owners and cats have staff. Our friend said that he had a cat that had crawled up on the kitchen table and gone to sleep. The cat was sprawled out and looking very contented. The cat knew the table was off limits and when our friend walked by the table he swatted the cat. It hit the wall and slid down, almost cartoon-like. Annoyed at being awakened this way, the cat glared at our friend. Sizing him up, he decided that this was a bigger adversary than he wanted to tackle. He sauntered down the hall with his tail twitching until he found the chihuahua, who was smaller than he was. The dog was sleeping and the cat clawed  him. Poor dog never knew what hit him.

We tend to react the same way when life strikes out at us. Even when we know that danger or irritation comes from one direction we lash out in a different direction. For example my family and i had some people staying with us and it was very difficult.The stress of too many people in a small environment meant that tempers ran high. Unfortunately when we were irritated with our "company", we didn't want to offend him and instead took our frustrations our on each other. Working at a job where the supervisor is difficult can cause us to snipe at our co-workers. Worse than that, pain that is caused by dealing with life or by attacks from the enemy we can turn on each other.

 The most important thing we need to remember is that we learn in Ephesians 6 that  our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."Ephesians 6 12. Let's not be like the kitty. God has given us instructions on how to treat one another. Here are some of them.

Love on another as I have loved you. John 13:3

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, and honor one anther above yourselves. Romans 12:6

Accept one another just as Christ accepted you. Romans 15:7

Be completely humble and gentle; Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Encourage one another and build one another up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

These guidelines will help us to treat each other right. One thing that will help even more is this verse that I will leave you with. If we are secure in the knowledge of God's Presence in our lives we can be less easily swayed by the attacks in our lives.

Psalms 139 

You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

All at Sea.

I was talking to a Navy Veteran the other day about his time aboard an aircraft carrier. Apparently an aircraft carrier is like a small city. There were chapels, game rooms, gyms and a library with daily bulletins of information that was helpful. It was also enormous, measuring 250 feet across and more than 1000 feet long. He also said that the flight deck was 65 feet above the water’s surface. He said that the biggest problem that he had was that you could never tell where you because there were no landmarks. Looking out from the deck you could only see miles and miles of water, and water off of Vietnam, Formosa and the Philippines all looked alike.

Some people see the laws that God sets out for us as unfair and burdensome, or just a way to spoil our fun. Leaving sex for marriage is not be easy and yielding to the temptations looks like fun. Loving our neighbor as ourselves goes against every instinct we have. Dietary laws seem harsh to us.  Even the Golden Rule seems like a way impossible task.

In reality, God’s laws are for our protection and our good.  They give us landmarks for our lives, so that we are not adrift in a spiritual ocean. God knew that keeping sex in its proper place brings fulfillment and outside of that place it can be destructive. The foods that were unclean are things that we now know to be harmful to eat, like uncooked pork or bottom feeding fish or scavengers.  Keeping the Golden Rule is an excellent way to deal with other flawed and broken people.

This is what the writer of Psalms 19 says about God’s law.

7The law of the Lord is perfect,refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.9The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.10They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.11By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

Many other verses mirror these thoughts. I think we can all agree with them. Our problem is that we are human and sinful. Paul describes it this way in Romans 7.
.

22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

What is the answer then? In a word, Jesus. Jesus took the punishment for our disobedience. He has paid the price for us to be reconciled to God. Aren't you grateful that our eternal future has much more to do with His righteousness than ours? God has not only given us boundaries to help us find our way, but also an example to follow and a Savior. 

Well, 2018 is closing soon and to be honest it has been a bad day.  I have had problems due to circumstances beyond my control. I would like to tell you that I was very spiritual and handed it all over to God, but I didn't. I fell apart. I am re sharing one of my early stories because I apparently need to be reminded of the lesson.

High Priest

We do not have a high priest who cannot understand our weaknesses, but he was tempted in all things, just as we are, yet without sin.  Heb 4:15

    I was talking to my child the other day about sports.  I told him that when I was in high school the coaches would come out on cold days wrapped up in t-shirts; sweat shirts, quilted coveralls, jackets, gloves and hats.  We would come out in our sweats, and they would say, “Go run. It’s not cold.”  We always complained that of course it wasn’t cold to them in all their layers.  Off we would go, shivering and grumbling.  About half way around we would meet the boys coming the other way.  There was one important difference though.  Their coach was running right along with them. Dressed the same way and willing to undergo the same thing he asked them to, he would encourage us as well.  He did not let them get out of the workout, but he went through it with them.

    We have the same privilege.  We do not have a God who sits up in the expanse of heaven and shouts out rules to us.  He did not just start the world spinning and then watch to see how bad we would mess it up.  He came to earth, personally, in the form of Jesus.  He was tempted like we are. He felt the pain and joys we feel.  After leaving us a path to follow, he paid the price for our sin and shame. 

    I worked with a lady once who had problems, which had isolated her. She told me that she was complaining to God and said, “Lord, do you have any idea of what it is like to be rejected?” She said that in her spirit she felt that God was laughing, because of course he knew exactly how it felt to be rejected.

    Take heart when you feel alone. When temptation feels like it is too much for you, be assured, you have a God who has not left you alone.

We're not From Around Here

We’re Not From Around Here

The summer after my freshman year in College, I worked for a week as a teacher at church camp in Oklahoma. It was a different kind of place than I was used to and even boasted a ghost town close by with a population of seventeen people. One afternoon, I went on a store run with another woman from our group. The first sign of trouble came when we could not find road signs. We drove for miles, hoping we were on the right road. Before we found road signs, though, we found something else. Cows! About twenty or twenty five cows were relaxing in the roadway we were trying to cross.  They ignored our shouts and horn honks. Finally they decided on their own to move along. We drove on down the road for a minute, laughing at our adventure. Then the other lady suggested that we find a farmhouse and let someone know that the cows were out. Since we couldn't find any road sings I wasn't hopeful, but we did find a farmhouse. We knocked on the door and when the farmer answered, she explained to him that a quarter mile back we were trying to cross the road and the cows must have gotten out, and we felt that someone should know. He listened to the explanation and then asked, "Where're y'all from?" We told him we were both from West Texas. He smiled and told us they had open range. I asked the other lady as we drove off what open range meant. She said that the cows wandered and ate wherever they wanted and then were sorted out by the brands when it was time for market. We were glad to finally reach the town we were looking for and get back from our trek.

Sometimes things are hard to understand if you don't know the language or the customs. It can leave you feeling homesick. Sometimes we feel ill at ease in the world here. It is partly because we are not from around here. This is not our home. Advent reminds us that our  hope is a home in heaven because of what Jesus did . Many of my family and friends have gone ahead of me the last couple of years. I am reminded of the old song that says, 

This world is not my home. I'm just a-passing through. 
My treasure are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door 
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

The Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 tells us that Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. (11:10) Others In John 14, Jesus is telling his disciples about his going to the father and preparing a place for them. He says, "in my father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place I will surely come again and receive you unto  myself. (John 14:2)
There is a beautiful description in John's vision  in Revelation.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

I admit that I long for that. Life is so hard here sometimes. I want to be where There is no night and the Lamb is the light. I want God to welcome me and wipe the tears from my eyes. Until that time, let us encourage our fellow travelers who are not from around here.