Psalm 92:1-4 (Message) "What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night, accompanied by dulcimer and harp, the full-bodied music of strings. You make me so happy, God. I saw your work and I shouted for joy."
Father, I have been thinking about the practice of Lent. The time of year, my Catholic brothers and sisters in the Lord give up something, a practice of sacrificing something, giving up something they enjoy so much, in a manner of worship to You. In a manner to give You glory by not having this, using this, for 40 days. The time from Ash Wednesday until Easter, celebrating Your resurrection. As I am not Catholic I don't fully understand all the elements of it, but I do know it is done in a heartfelt effort to draw near to you. Sort of like a fast would be. As I was thinking about this, talking to You about it, I feel You have shown me a few things in my life that could stand giving up.
Well for months now, I don't drink cokes, which I use to drink a lot of, nor do I eat chocolate. I don't smoke, don't drink, don't swear, so there are not the usual things to give up. I can remember when I was young, I would hear teenagers say they would give up watermelon, which was not in season, or foolish things, they also not truly understanding the true sacrifice that it is to be. But You, once again, my God, have shown me Your love and faithfulness by coming to me with Your thoughts of what I can give up.
You have shown me that there is still some giving up for me to do in You. I still seem, no matter how hard I try not to, to try to handle some things on my own. Just when I think I have given all to You, I realize there is something I am trying to do on my own. So I will be giving up that speck of pride, thinking I don't need to bother You for these things. I know You want me to come to You for everything. I will be giving up the time I spend on foolish things when I could be spending it in Your Word. I will let them go as they are not what is important to the walk You want me to have. I need to spend time in Your Word to truly understand You as You wish me to. I will be giving up trying to fight spiritual wars. I know only You can do that for me. I cannot do any spiritual warfare without You. Through prayer and fasting, Your guiding me, only then can these battles be won. I need Your help with all my battles Lord, especially this kind of spiritual battle. These battles are not mine, as I know the enemy is trying to fight You through me.
I love You so much my Father. You have given up so much for me. You gave up Your Son to be a sacrifice for me so I would be redeemed to You, so I would be covered by the blood of Jesus, my sins forgiven, my sickness and disease covered by the stripes upon His back. Jesus gave up His home in Glory to come to earth to do this for me, undeserving me. Giving up is a pattern set from the very beginning of life. You set the pattern Father, gave the instructions for giving up. For sacrifice.
I do have some other things I joyfully will be giving up, my Lord. I will be giving up, lifting up praise to Your Holy Name. I will be giving up prayer to You Father, for those You send to me that need a touch from You. Giving up sounds of worship from my lips, words coming from my heart and soul to You in adoration and love. A sacrifice of praise will be coming from my deepest being to You, my God, for You are so worthy of all praise, all glory, all honor. These things I will be giving up to You as my heart longs for, needs Your presence. I know through giving up to You, giving up all of myself, all of my thoughts, honoring You, loving You, will Your presence be found. I need Your presence my God. I would give up everything to abide in Your presence continually.
I give up my will totally into Yours, Father. I give up any rights the flesh might think I have, just to sit at Your feet and worship You. I give up any selfish desires to fulfill the great desire in my heart, to be always known as Your beloved. I give to You my Lord, everything. Everything I am, everything I may want to be. I only want to be in Your Will. I want to be where You want me to be, doing what You have planned for me to do, Your design for my life. I give up anything else necessary to be in that design, that holy design for my life inYou.
You are so holy, my Lord. You alone are worthy of all glory, all honor. I sacrifice everything worldly to abide in You spiritually, to walk in the spirit with You, to live in the spirit with You. This season of Lent, although I am not of that faith, I am still Your child along with those spirit filled brothers and sisters, who like me want to offer a sacrifice of praise to You. To the God of all, the King of Kings, the precious Lord of Lords. I love You so much.
This 13th day of March, 2011, Lord, I am giving up all of myself to have more of You.
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