You never know how or when God will use something in your life from your past to minister to you. When I was young, we attended church periodically, but I didn't realize how much had remained in me until the other day. We used to sing these hymns - "Leaning On the Everlasting Arm," "At The Cross," and “I Surrender All”, and they've been playing in my heart lately. I can remember laughing at some of the deacons because they always opened the church singing these songs, but all of them weren't great singers. The words and their meanings had no impact on my life when I was younger, but now that I am older, I see them in a different light. These hymns are all about my relationship with Christ. I need to lean on him and not my own understanding. I must recognize Him as our Lord and Savior of my life and what he has sacrificed for me, and I must surrender my complete will to Him.
I went back to look at the words of:
Leaning On the Everlasting Arm
What a fellowship, what a joy divine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What have I to dread, what have I to fear
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
I only remember the chorus from:
At The Cross
At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the Light
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by Faith, I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day
I only remember the first verse and the chorus from:
I Surrender All
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
Lean on Jesus. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV
Always remember why Christ died on the cross. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 KJV
Surrender all to our Savior. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:24-25 KJV
By speaking these things…over time, I’ve been learning how to incorporate Christ into every area of my life.
Below are two books that God has inspired me to write. "The Flip Side" and "Blinded By Sight: The Heart Matters" both available now.
So… what’s this book about?
“The Flip Side” depicts the possible feelings and emotions of lesser-known Biblical characters as they navigated their lives in the shadows of the more popular characters in the Bible. While the Bible gives us snippets of their stories, we are usually left in the dark about their true motives, desires, and thoughts concerning the situations they are in. However, one certainty is that despite how little we know about these characters, they were often the catalysts to pivotal moments in the main characters’ lives.
So… what’s this book about?
Join me on a journey of self-discovery. “Blinded by Sight - The Heart Matters” is a compilation of short biblical devotions. These stories are not conclusive. They are depictions of how God is revealing my heart to me.
My prayer is, Lord, make it real for me, show me your heart, show me my heart, and give me the wisdom to change what hinders my relationship with you. I am learning that my perception is my biggest obstacle it affects my mind, what I think, and how I process my experiences. What I have experienced in my mind is expressed through my feelings and these experiences dictate my choices either consciously or subconsciously.
This devotional will allow you to explore and evaluate your past and present situations that have hindered you from seeing the heart of the matter. Simply put, look at the heart – it does matter. Your future depends on it!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalms 34:4
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