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I read a certain verse a few weeks ago, and it has been on my mind since then.  I had never noticed it before.  The reality of these words struck me and I can’t help but think about them. All the time.

The words come from Luke 23.  In the text, Pontius Pilate has brought together the chief priests, the Jewish leaders, and the people. Jesus has already been arrested, questioned, shuffled back and forth between King Herod and Pilate.  Neither of these authorities can find any basis for executing Jesus, but the people (incited by the religious leaders) are demanding that Jesus be crucified.  Pilate must follow tradition and release one prisoner for the Passover Feast, and he is shocked when the people ask for the notorious Barabbas instead of the innocent Jesus.  He decides to grant the people’s maddening request, releasing Barabbas and sending Jesus to the cross.  You know the story well.  Me too.  But you may have missed a minor detail like I did. This is what the last phrase of Luke 23:25 (NIV) says about Pilate and the people:

He surrendered Jesus to their will.

My first reaction– this is totally backwards thinking!!  But how often is this true in our lives?  It’s backwards living!!  How often do we ignore the Lord’s promptings and His word?  How often do we force Him to surrender to our will?  We lose out on what He had planned…

  • amazing opportunities to be used by Him
  • abundant blessings from His hand
  • awesome demonstrations of His power and love

And then He has to re-route us to get us back on track with His will. Most times, the opportunites go to someone else. The blessings wait, never discovered. The demonstrations of His power and love are a part of someone else’s testimony — not ours.

I want to surrender myself to Jesus’ will.

It has to be a conscious choice.  We have to lay down our own will.  Sometimes we have to lay it down over and over again until we get it right.  Many times, we have to ask for the willingness to lay down our own will.  The Holy Spirit will provide the willingness.  It’s His desire to work in us and enable us to surrender to Jesus.

Are you living backwards?

By Posted on Posted in God's presence No Comments Tagged with , ,

When I’m not completely in line with God’s desires for my life, He has to work at getting my attention and revealing the area of my life that He wants to change.   I think that awareness is half the battle here.   Once He brings the problem out into the light, I just have to surrender and He walks me through the rest.  I get back to where He wants me to be.   Today, I’m wondering why this journey to awareness and surrender is so painful.

Maybe it’s because I’m so stubborn.

How can I be so stuck, holding on to something that isn’t God’s desire for me, and be virtually unaware of my death-grip on this thing?  How can I be so oblivious to how it’s affecting my life, my stress level, my family, and God’s ability to work freely in my midst?   I am so grateful to my God for pursuing me and continually revealing truth to me.

Today in my bible reading, I read about Bezalel in Exodus 37.  He was a man that God blessed with amazing talent, and He used Bezalel to build many of the items in the Tablernacle of Meeting. This morning, I was overwhelmed with the privilege that this man experienced. He was used of God to make the most sacred items the world has ever known.  He built and carved the ark of the covenant. He sculpted the two cherubim on the mercy seat–where God’s presence would dwell when He visited the children of Israel.  He embellished the curtains that would separate the holy place from the most holy place.

He touched the sacred.

God instructed Bezalel (through Moses) to install rings on each corner of the ark with poles to carry it when they needed to move the Tabernacle and the items within.  Later, after God’s presence began to dwell among these sacred items, anyone who reached beyond the poles and touched the ark would be struck dead.  Bezalel (and maybe Moses and Aaron) were likely the only ones to ever have touched the ark and remained alive.   I looked up his name, and it means  “in the shadow (protection) of God.”  Do you see how privileged he was?

So why am I interested in touching the stupid things of this world?  Why am I stuck holding on to ministry assignments and friendship positions?  Why am I grappling for material things?  Why am I worried about the things that are being taken away from me, when I can reach out and touch the sacred?

We aren’t living under the Tablernacle order of worship.  God is not dwelling in a tent or a building these days.  He is dwelling in my heart (Ephesian 3:17).  I can enter the Holy of Holies any time.  Any place where I am still, and reach out to God, is a holy place.  I can touch the sacred today.  Let me just set down all this other stuff I’m carrying around.