O God, be Thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing of earth's treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life. Be Thou exalted over my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth. Be Thou exalted above my comforts. Though it mean the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee. Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream. Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me decrease that Thou mayest increase, let me sink that Thou mayest rise above. Ride forth upon me as Thou didst ride into Jerusalem mounted upon the humble little beast, a colt, the foal of an ass, and let me hear the children cry to Thee, "Hosanna in the highest."
-- A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God --
One of the more dangerous prayers I've heard. One which I doubt many of us, myself included, are ready to pray. But could it be that this is truly the key to "victorious living?" Is this what it means to lose your life in order to gain it? By surrendering everything at the feet of Jesus and allowing him alone to live and reign in our hearts do we cease to exist as an individual, or do we only then begin to be? I couldn't tell you.
Then across the troubled waters, Jesus comes to us. We cry out in fear against Him, for we suspect what He will ask of us. He will ask that we cease all this and lose ourselves. And that is exactly what we do not want to do—we want to express ourselves. It is unnatural, ghostly, impossible. But as we strain further into our futilities, He keeps coming, till at last we let Him in. Then we lose ourselves in His will and purposes. We forget about our self-expression. And suddenly, we are at the land where we were going! We are never so much ourselves as when we are most His. We have found ourselves. We have arrived. We have obeyed the deepest law of the universe: “If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.”
-- E. Stanley Jones, Victorious Living --
4 comments:
Nick, you're gonna make me cry! Those are such meaningful, profound and dangerous words. Thanks!
I have prayed that "dangerous" prayer. I have asked those things of my God. He has answered me with a trial and situation that I can hardly bear. He has asked me if I am willing to give up something that is precious and dear to me, one of my six children. I have said yes. With my hands open, and tears streaming down my cheeks, I have said yes. I can trust Him. I can know that He his plans are for our good and not our harm. I don't know what the future holds, but I know that if I continue to trust Him, He will take me to my promised land. I have never had to press into the Lord as close as I have in the past seven weeks. There is joy in KNOWING the Lord and passing tests that I never thought I could pass.
This post was beautiful. Thank you!
Great photos, thoughts and quotes, Nick!
Stacie, I can only pray that you will be faithful through it all and that in the end our God will bless you and your family with life, and that more abundant!
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