And I surrender all to You, all to You
For a long time I didn't quite understand some of the lyrics to the worship song "Blessed Be Your Name." I love the song, but the lyrics at the end repeat the lines "You give and take away." After that there is a line that says "My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name." When I first heard the song the lyrics puzzled me, but as I grew more in my faith and learned more about God's nature I learned about His sovereignty. James 1:17 says "Every good and perfect gift is from above." All that we have, it comes from God. He gives us these things. But sometimes these things need to be taken away from us. Sometimes these good gifts are only to be in our lives for a little while. Sometimes God gives us things, takes them away and then gives them back. Other things He takes away and that's the end of that. It might seem harsh, but in the long run it's for the better.
I've seen this play out a lot with my relationships with people.
For example, my relationship with Christopher truly was a gift. I learned a lot, and though we were both silly and immature, God used that relationship and taught us a lot. But in the long run, how we composed ourselves in that relationship was not entirely glorifying to God and our relationship was just not healthy. God used our time in that relationship to teach both of us a lot but it needed to be taken away for me to truly appreciate what God was teaching me. It was a long and difficult process, but that is where the gift of divine insight comes in. Chris and I weren't really friends for a long time. We said we were, but just where I was emotionally in regards to that friendship was a mess for quite awhile. But I've grown and matured and God has revealed Himself to me through that process and I treasure every last bit of that. Chris and I are finally good friends again and that is a huge gift. It's all a time thing. And realizing God's ways and God's timing is not our ways and our timing.
We need to let God work according to His plan and timing. We need to accept that He does give and take away, but in the long run it is in those times that God shapes us and cares for us so tenderly. And through that entire process, we need to choose to say Blessed be His name. Through it all, He is still good and He still loves us.
This topic has been pressed on my heart because I am going through a different process, but it is still the give and take away concept. God gave me a wonderful gift that taught me so much and helped me grow so much, but He's taken that away right now and its for the better. I've surrendered part of it to Him but it's come time for me to completely surrender my grip on the situation. I find it really funny that I titled my last entry "I'm giving it away" as I contemplated the situation while listening to Mae.
And by the way you brought me here,
it makes me believe the best is still yet to come and I don't want to leave.
Forgive my hesitation but I'm learning to trust in you.
Help me to dream these dreams because I don't have a clue.
And if you'd be honest and say what you mean
you know I would promise I'd do anything
because I know that without you I'm giving it away.
God brought me to where I am. I know the best is still yet to come, but I don't want to leave. I'm hesitating and holding on. But I am seeing where real trust and faith comes in. I have a dream of real beauty that comes from a heart that is completely God's, but in all honesty I hardly have a clue. God is honest. He's showing me what He means. And now it's time for me to follow, to do anything. Because without Him, I'm just giving away the most true love and real beauty that I've ever known.
is this what you wanted?
'Cause I'm willing to change.
Now that I'm certain,
that there's much more to gain.
You've introduced me to the moment
oh but I'm looking to stay for good.
You asked me to stay forever.
Well, you know that I would, I would do anything.
I see now what He wants. Now its up to me to put myself into His hands and be willing to let the beautiful change begin. I am certain, I know that there is much more to gain. He's introduced me to some wonderful blessings that I want to cling to, but I know that it's timeto let go and move on. I'm staying with Him forever. I am eternally His. And I will do anything as I follow Him so that I may be transformed into who I was meant to be.
Surrendering is not easy. But it is so much better than clinging to something that hurts us. We hold it closer and closer and tighter and tighter, but it just digs into us drawing blood because in reality we just need to let go.
What are you holding on to?
What are you giving away by clinging to it?
Are you willing to let go?
I've seen this play out a lot with my relationships with people.
For example, my relationship with Christopher truly was a gift. I learned a lot, and though we were both silly and immature, God used that relationship and taught us a lot. But in the long run, how we composed ourselves in that relationship was not entirely glorifying to God and our relationship was just not healthy. God used our time in that relationship to teach both of us a lot but it needed to be taken away for me to truly appreciate what God was teaching me. It was a long and difficult process, but that is where the gift of divine insight comes in. Chris and I weren't really friends for a long time. We said we were, but just where I was emotionally in regards to that friendship was a mess for quite awhile. But I've grown and matured and God has revealed Himself to me through that process and I treasure every last bit of that. Chris and I are finally good friends again and that is a huge gift. It's all a time thing. And realizing God's ways and God's timing is not our ways and our timing.
We need to let God work according to His plan and timing. We need to accept that He does give and take away, but in the long run it is in those times that God shapes us and cares for us so tenderly. And through that entire process, we need to choose to say Blessed be His name. Through it all, He is still good and He still loves us.
This topic has been pressed on my heart because I am going through a different process, but it is still the give and take away concept. God gave me a wonderful gift that taught me so much and helped me grow so much, but He's taken that away right now and its for the better. I've surrendered part of it to Him but it's come time for me to completely surrender my grip on the situation. I find it really funny that I titled my last entry "I'm giving it away" as I contemplated the situation while listening to Mae.
And by the way you brought me here,
it makes me believe the best is still yet to come and I don't want to leave.
Forgive my hesitation but I'm learning to trust in you.
Help me to dream these dreams because I don't have a clue.
And if you'd be honest and say what you mean
you know I would promise I'd do anything
because I know that without you I'm giving it away.
God brought me to where I am. I know the best is still yet to come, but I don't want to leave. I'm hesitating and holding on. But I am seeing where real trust and faith comes in. I have a dream of real beauty that comes from a heart that is completely God's, but in all honesty I hardly have a clue. God is honest. He's showing me what He means. And now it's time for me to follow, to do anything. Because without Him, I'm just giving away the most true love and real beauty that I've ever known.
is this what you wanted?
'Cause I'm willing to change.
Now that I'm certain,
that there's much more to gain.
You've introduced me to the moment
oh but I'm looking to stay for good.
You asked me to stay forever.
Well, you know that I would, I would do anything.
I see now what He wants. Now its up to me to put myself into His hands and be willing to let the beautiful change begin. I am certain, I know that there is much more to gain. He's introduced me to some wonderful blessings that I want to cling to, but I know that it's timeto let go and move on. I'm staying with Him forever. I am eternally His. And I will do anything as I follow Him so that I may be transformed into who I was meant to be.
Surrendering is not easy. But it is so much better than clinging to something that hurts us. We hold it closer and closer and tighter and tighter, but it just digs into us drawing blood because in reality we just need to let go.
What are you holding on to?
What are you giving away by clinging to it?
Are you willing to let go?