OC April 27th and 28th

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 “And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.””

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭45‬:‭5 ESV

Titles - “What Do You Want?”  “What You Will Get”

Underlines:

“Are you seeking great things for yourself, instead of seeking to be a great person?”

“You have become a Christian based on your own terms.”

“Ask God for what you want and do not be concerned about asking for the wrong thing, because as you draw ever closer to Him, you will cease asking for things altogether. ‘Your father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him’ (Matthew 6:8).”

“If God does not (give you what you pray for), it is because you are not totally surrendered to Him.” I wrote in the margin - your will be done

“…ultimate future completeness. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy right now, but He’s continually working out His ultimate perfection for you.”

“So many of us are caught up in exhibiting things for others to see, not showing off property and possessions, but our blessings. All these things that we so proudly show have to go.”

“Are you prepared to let God take you into total oneness with himself, paying no more attention to what you call the great things of life? Are you prepared to surrender totally and let go?”

“The moment you allow yourself to think, ‘what about this?’ You show that you have not surrendered and that you do not really trust God.”

“Abandonment…”

“The reason people are tired of life is that God has not given them anything – they have not been given their life ‘as a prize’. The way to get out of that condition is to abandon yourself to God. And once you do get to the point of total surrender to him, you will be the most surprised and delighted person on earth”

Years ago I was helping a friend through a hard time and we were talking about prayer. What he needed. I told him that Jesus says to ask God for what we need, like a child would. Struggles still ensued. Then after not talking for a couple weeks he called and sounded so at peace. I asked him what had changed. He told me that he realized he was asking God for things that he thought that he needed. He finally just stopped asking for God to do things for him and asked God for His will to be done. His surrender brought peace.

We do not know what is best for us. Sometimes the path of our life is rocky, sometimes it is smooth. There are reasons for these seasons. And He is working on us, and sanctifying us to that ultimate place of perfection. So if we can seek to be as close to him as possible, we will want for nothing. Because we have been given the prize of our very lives. What more do we need…?

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