“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the whole earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

All three of these are required daily. Not weekly or monthly but daily. In order to be able to do that it requires full surrender to Him. I cannot bypass one or any of these because if I do there is compromise and I will not receive the full reward. It has been my experience in my walk with the Lord that what He asks of me always involves sacrifice, commitment and endurance. I hear people say come to Jesus and everything will be just fine. I have found it to be the complete opposite. Whatever He has asked me to do I first of all don’t usually want to do it. Secondly it’s usually very hard to do and I want to quit before it’s done. I have to push myself to endure to the end. 

I have never been sorry or disappointed in completing the task that He has set before me. There is the richest reward on the other side and I am not talking materially. There is a joy and a satisfaction in my soul that only He can put there. It is something that is beyond words to even describe. 

I have also found that what He asks me to do I truly can’t do by myself. I usually don’t have the strength, wisdom or finances to do it. It makes me completely reliant on Him. If He doesn’t show up it can’t be done. That is just one sign of how I know that it is Him and not myself wanting to do it. If it is something that I can completely do on my own without Him then I question whether it is Him. I have found everything that He has asked of me takes full surrender of myself and complete reliance on Him. 

I feel the main reason for this is all about relationships. He longs and hungers for that relationship between myself and Him. We were born for a relationship. As I look to Him and gaze on Him for the direction along the way I am looking at someone who is perfect. I am seeing how He does things. I am getting the heart of the Father. I’m seeing through His eyes what He sees and what He wants. It draws me in closer to Him. It grows and matures my faith. It brings me the greatest blessings I could ever receive on this earth. The more I sacrifice, commit and endure the more I become like Him. Burning off the flesh that has to go. Which in turn allows more of the Holy Spirit to come into my life. The end result is joy and peace unspeakable and full of glory. 

“As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness.” Psalms 17:15 

I just want to say again that I cannot bypass sacrifice, commitment and endurance because if I do then I will sacrifice receiving that joy and peace. There is the loss of that close intimate relationship. Also the loss of growing and maturing to become more like Him. 

It is in giving of ourselves that we will receive. I want to encourage you today in your walk with the Lord to fully surrender!

 Sacrifice -Commit- Endure 

“And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” Job 19:25