8/1/2022 • Desk of Dennis Piller
Being Lost in His Presence – I Surrender All
I love awakening to a short conversation with God. Telling him thank you for another day to bring him glory. For another day to say YES! I woke this morning with such a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness. I was literally overwhelmed with God’s goodness in countless areas of my life. I laid there close to tears for the joy of remembering his love and compassion for me and for mine and for so many of you who have become a part of my prayer life and so such a vital part of me.
My thoughts took me to the many mistakes of my children…being children…and to those times they were wildly foolish, but my love for them was unrelenting, unconditional and this wave of thankfulness came upon me for the souls that they are…for the good I see in them…for the beauty, they hold inside…the seed of righteousness…the glory of the Almighty God himself. And to think that he has given them to me. To think that I have this most extraordinary wife I have shared almost 25 years with…I am overwhelmed by the great goodness of God and was awash with the Love of my Father.
I thought about what it would be like to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise if I were called home today and I thought it must start with feelings like this…with thoughts of pure praise for so many things I am thankful for. But mostly just for God being God. It was like I was one with the Spirit. One with God. One with my Father. I was caught in the joy of remembering his manifold goodness as I scanned my life and how much He must love me to pour himself into me. And I remembered that scripture in
Zeph 3:17
Yahweh your God is among you,
a warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will bring you quietness with His love.
He will delight in you with shouts of joy.”
I felt our Father God with me. I began to just talk with Him in my mind and spirit and poured out my spirit and feelings to him with a joy of gladness and humility. I could feel him rejoicing over me with gladness and I felt this quietness that only comes from the love of complete trust and surrender. As I considered my life…as I contemplated so many failures and so much wasted time I think that the most precious thing I can offer him is my complete surrender. Whatever that is…whoever they are… the joy of living…and the pain of it…The sweet taste of success…and the countless failures.
How have I come to this place without his calling me to it?
Without him filing me with it…His Spirit to obey?
I have a pen whose only purpose is to surrender to my hand so that I can write and express myself properly. It cannot give itself over to two hands simultaneously. There is no room.
Neither will flourish or be a compliment to the other.
I cannot be to God this instrument of praise without complete surrender to Him. Yet it is He, not I who works this wonder in me. As I immerse myself in the joy of my salvation. As I meditate at the wonders of His goodness…It is He that calls me there…It is Christ alone that works in me the hope of His glory.
At times like these, I get a glimpse of His leading me…overwhelming me with His love and acceptance as I am a temple of the Holy Spirit…I …like you, being called out of darkness into his marvelous light…
… I but need to surrender.
But it is not you but He. His promise in Phil 4:13 is:
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him”.
And what is required of you and me?. To fall on our faces and seek His face…seek his presence. Until he works in us …and out of us…
the worldliness that separates us for that season.
Today was almost a vision of loveliness as his joy washed over me. As a father, I teared up with joy over my children and my wife and caught the reflection of Father God himself looking over me with that same joy and gladness,… celebrating me…He was rejoicing over “ME” with shouts of joy.
What a way to begin a day…
Lord that you would help me to make it an every day, in Jesus name.
“I Surrender All”.
.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKSkl1bQna4
I surrender All Carrie Underwood
