Good Morning!

A friend asked me to watch a testimony of a man who spoke of a teacher who radically changed his life as a young child. This boy was traumatized almost beyond belief through prostitution, drug abuse, Satan worship, and anything else you can imagine. This teacher, a Christian, taught him stories of people who God raised from circumstances like his. Moses stuttered, as did he. How did she become so bold, and confident, that she poured her faith into this child? Well, someone had once given her a bible. That man was a member of Gideons International. This young boy, now a grown man, is a strong voice of the transformative power of Jesus. He is a kingdom voice, one that will not be stopped.

My own new devotional, the Puritan one, spoke of the greatest commandment. The guy in the video understood this. Let’s take a look at this commandment as it was written by Moses:

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God your Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

I’ve been walking this Christian life long enough to know that it is impossible for me to do this, on my own. One verse comes in to play.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

I’m going to throw in another verse.

John 6:29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.

This is a tough one to grasp, but God is the one who fires up the guy in the Gideon video. He doesn’t do that on his own. That’s the Spirit of God welling up inside of him so that he cannot contain himself. It is like the prophet Jeremiah, who penned this line.

Jeremiah 20:9 If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

So, it’s not an issue of us trying to perform, it’s a matter of getting out of God’s way. Does that make sense?

Therefore, my question to myself, and to you, is this. What would it look like if I got completely out of the way and let God do what he wanted with me? What if I allowed God to take full control so that I indeed did love him with all my heart, soul, and might? What kind of person would I be? What would I do?

These are no light, simple questions. Maybe we should first ask ourselves if we even want to ask these questions. Truth be told, if we ask them, we then have an obligation to allow God to do just that in our lives. Do we not? The bigger question then is whether or not we want God to do his work through us or whether we want to seek after our own passions and desires.

Doesn’t the thought of this frighten you? It does me. When I think of all that God has done for me, yet I am not willing to give him my all, what does that say about me? Grieving the Holy Spirit comes to mind. I was bought with a price, as well. So, enough of that. I must determine myself to get out of God’s way.

So, why not take the day and enjoy the “what ifs” of a life totally abandoned to Jesus? Think about all the men and women who tell their stories. Maybe it would be a good idea to watch some testimony videos. “I Am Second” http://www.iamsecond.com/ is a good place to start. Then share your own testimony with someone. I’ll bet that before you know it, you will find yourself living the Greatest Commandment without even thinking about it. That will be God in control of your life.

What will you get out of it? Compensation that no paycheck will ever be able to buy. Let’s just say Paul has some insight:

1 Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” –

Can you catch a glimpse?

Father, I want to get out of the way. As crazy as it sounds, I push you out of my life so that I may pursue my own agenda. What a foolish thing to do. Please forgive me. Instead, let me tell my story, which is really your story. Encourage me to go all-out for you. Give me that vision in my mind, a taste of what it looks like. Grand me the desires of my heart – your desires, not mine. I am yours. Use me. Amen.

Copyright © 2018 Scott Powers