My favorite style of Spanish music. Simply beautiful!

I Give Myself Away

As we sang this song in church yesterday, the Lord began to speak to my heart. The face value meaning of this song is so valuable: we do need to give our lives to God and His purposes so that He can use us. God is never going to force us to yield to His will for our life. It must be a choice that we make. Only we can place our life in His hands. My deep desire is to be used by God. To follow Him completely. To be that light to the world that He calls us to be. But the more I sang, the more I heard a subtle truth the Lord wanted me to capture. "I give myself away, so you can use me", the song says.  My goal is for the Lord to use me, but according to this song, (and scripture) until I give my self away, it won't happen. Myself. My SELF. Self can easily be translated into flesh. That part in me that rears it's ugly head every once in a while, or maybe more often than that some days. It's the part of my character that opposes the will of God. Anything in me that contradicts God's word is flesh. Many times we talk of people walking in the "flesh" and it brings instant pictures to our mind of spot-light loving, proud, puffed up egotistical people who are only concerned with fulfilling their own desires are receiving accolades from everyone in their sphere of influence. I can say, without hesitation, that I am not one of those types of people. In fact, the polar opposite is probably a better picture of who I really am. I prefer to be in the background. I am more quiet and reserved. A good listener. Better one on one than in groups. But these characteristics of myself, if allowed to rule my life, are just another face of "flesh". It's a face that can be hidden easily from people, and disguised to look like humility. But many times, it is nothing more than knowing what God wants to do in and through you, but deciding that you aren't capable, talented or savvy enough to do it. We look at our own abilities and feel very incompetent. We wonder what we could possible contribute to God's big plan. And then, without even realizing it, we have disqualified ourselves completely. But remember what I said about flesh: it's anything that contradicts the word of God in our life. A defeated person is definitely not one that God can use. Or maybe more accurately, is not going to place themselves in a place where God can use them.

God has been stretching me in new ways lately. It feels a little uncomfortable because I haven't walked this path before, but deep inside I feel like it's right where I need to be walking. So I am at a crossroads. I can stay on the familiar path that is paved with security and comfort, or I can choose the path where each step is faith and takes me out of my comfort zone for a greater purpose. The second path is where my heart desires to go. It all comes down to this question: Am I willing to give my SELF away, so He can use me?

Created with Purpose

This is what God said [to Jeremiah]:

"Before I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
that's what I had in mind for you."

Jeremiah 1:5

Each life is so precious to God. In heaven, there is no such thing as an unplanned pregnancy or unwanted child. Each baby planned in heaven, even if not planned on earth. In the Bible, each child born was given a name. A name with meaning. Some children were born in joyous times, with the celebration of the whole family. Others were born in pain and suffering, during times of utter dispair, yet still given a name. A name respresents purpose, it gives identity. A name is usually decided long before we catch the first glimpse of our little one's toes or feel the softness of their cheek.

As the Lord spoke to the future prophet, Jeremiah, so He speaks to all of us today: "You are my plan. I made you with a specific purpose in mind. I didn't have to wait until you were born and see your face to know that purpose lies within you. The purpose has been there since before time, and you were create to be a tool to help fulfill the purpose of heaven on earth. I created you with my purpose in mind. I formed you with my plans written on the blueprint of your life. Your strengths, your weaknesses, your personality were set in place long before you opened your eyes for the first time or took your first breath. I want you to know your purpose. I want you to walk confidently in the plan I have established for your life. Seek my face and draw close to me, and I will exchange your mystery for my destiny. Let me show you what you were created for. I am the One who called you and only I can reveal your purpose in it's fulness. Seek me and you will find the true desires of your heart."

Taste and See

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who finds refuge in him.

Psalms 34:8

A friend of mine came for a visit with her kids over spring break. She prepared some fabulous burgers for our indoor picnic. As we were setting the table, I noticed that she brought bean sprouts as a topping. All the kids sat down to eat, and when mine were asked if they wanted the bean sprouts on their burger, they turned up their noses and said, "I don't like those." I had to laugh because the reality of it was that I had never bought bean sprouts, so I know for a fact that my boys have never tasted them. Already, in their young, opinionated mind, they had an opposition to the nutritious little spouts. With just one glance at the unique appearance, they deemed this burger topper as inedible. Well, I didn't force my boys to try them, and no one made a big deal about it. But the imagery has stuck with me since that day, and I was reminded of it when I read this scripture in my devotion this morning. How many times do we turn our noses up at things that are so wonderful for us, because we have already drawn a conclusion about it before we ever give it a try? When I was a young girl, fear was the great motivator in my life, and the force that kept me from experiencing all that life had to offer. Granted, it probably kept me out of a heap of trouble, but in the process, I missed out on extraordinary things that would have changed my life. Other times, my life has been so comfortable that the status quo had become my only desire. Life was perfect and conflict free, and that's how I wanted it to stay. In this verse, we are invited to "taste " of the Lord. To give His way a try. Many times I have told my kids to taste something, and then if they didn't like it, they didn't have to eat it. Until they actually tried it, they would never have know if it was the most delicious morsel ever to cross their lips or not. There is a sense of mystery in those few moments prior to the sampling, and we watch intently the faces of our little ones for their reactions. As with food, many of our life choices are open ended. We aren't going to know if we like something until we put in an effort to try it. This invitation in the Psalms, however, is very different. Yes, it is an invitation to "Taste and see", but right away it tells us that the outcome is going to be positive; "that the Lord is good"! It doesn't say, "Try God, you might like Him" or "Give him a chance and maybe something will click." In effect, the only way your wouldn't see that "the Lord is good" is if you never "taste and see". With that logic, who wouldn't choose to try putting the Lord in your life? Maybe you are reading this and have never given God a place in your life other than a religious Sunday morning check off box out of tradition or obligation. He wants to be so much more to each of us than just a meaningless ritual or an aspirin in times of pain. He wants each of us to take refuge in Him, to trust Him by taking the first step in His direction. The step might feel really strange at first. It might seem even scary to some. But I assure you that what will follow will be unlike anything you have ever experienced before. A whole new world will open that has always been there, but you never knew existed. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, give Him a try and you will not be disappointed.

But the Blood

This song has been resonating in my mind since our Easter Sunday service. The words are so powerful! Even now, I am reminded of how much God desired to be close to us again, and so He paid the highest price. What amazing love the Father has for us!