MORE THAN I BARGAINED FOR. 018

A new year has commenced. What has been the record of the past year in your Christian life? How stands your record in heaven? I entreat you to make an unreserved surrender to God. Have your hearts been divided? Give them wholly to the Lord now. Make a different life history the coming year from that of the past. Humble your souls before God. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” Put away all pretense and affectation. Act your simple, natural self. Be truthful in every thought and word and deed, and “in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Ever remember that the moral nature needs to be braced with constant watchfulness and prayer. As long as you look to Christ, you are safe; but the moment you think of your sacrifices and difficulties, and begin to sympathize with and pet yourself, you lose your trust in God and are in great peril. {4T 521.4}

As I enter upon a new year of life, I am grateful for all that God has brought me through and I look forward to all that I still have to conquer with Him. It is a solemn thing to think about how my record stands in heaven, I mean if the reader of this post knew of my record in heaven, they probably wouldn’t ever read another blog post or watch another video of mine. That’s also a sobering thought; if man knew what God knew about me, I would have been condemned and ostracized by them. I guess that’s why they say it’s amazing that we are fully loved by God even though we are –fully known. This is also the same for the reader.

God, I make total surrender to You. My heart has been divided at times, but as much as in my power, I give it all to You now.

As I reflect on my Birthday today, I must say that I am overwhelmed with the amount of love and support that I am surrounded with. I feel nearly jealous for those who don’t have this. This, as in, family, friends, men and women to look up to, that are there when called upon, and life, so long lived and so rich with more life to give. Lastly, I feel jealous for the sake of those who do not have my God, Who incessantly gives me more than I deserve. His love is more than I could have ever bargained for, I could pay with my life and His grace would still be too expensive, but Jesus paid what I couldn't pay. Now I give my life, not as payment, but as offering, an offering of incomprehensible gratitude, that can only come from Him. That is only due to Him

Lord, throughout this year help me to balance feeling extreme gratitude for what and who I have, and also extreme hunger to give as much of the good there is to give to those who don’t have.

IJN,

Amen

- Thank you for all the birthday love, to God, and to man.

Thank you