A Living Sacrifice

One of the things that really stood out from my year-in-review was a desire for more prayer and worship in my daily devotional life. I'll start the story by saying I took on a little cleaning project yesterday. The project was cleaning out the pantry. This was a huge deal. The pantry had become the place where I put things that were "overflow" or that I really didn't know where to put. I'd say to myself, "I'll just put them in the pantry." Well, things were so haphazard in there and were falling out all the time, I knew it would be a blessing to clean it out. Not just for me, but for L too. It just brings so much peace when things are less cluttered and disorganized. This entailed taking everything out of the closet, throwing tons of it away and sorting through everything so I could put everything back nice and orderly. So I was listening to my worship music player and it was just incredible what happened. A Chris Tomlin song came on, "How Great is Our God" and my heart just about melted. Immediately the song brought forth tears and I found myself in true worship. The words just flowed from my heart to the Lord as I sang, cried and just praised my savior. Here's the song, I really love the words.

How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin



The words that tell of the Lord's sovereignty (time is in his hands - beginning and the end) were so moving as I thought about my depression and having this feeling like I'd never get better or I'd never feel like "myself" again. Now being on the other side of that, I see how everything is truly in his hands and again I just praised him for the work and healing he has done in my heart.

As if this worship time could get any better, the next song had the same effect. It was The Wonderful Cross by Matt Redman/Chris Tomlin. The words were just piercing. The agony which Christ took on FOR ME,
"See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

O the wonderful cross,
O the wonderful cross,
Bids me come and die
And find that I MAY TRULY LIVE."

I took on the words like it was me singing them to the Lord and it was so powerful to present that to him, a living sacrifice. Like Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

I just meditated upon the words as I sang them and felt such gratefulness, a thankfulness that words can't do justice.

I just love HIM! I love Jesus. My savior, My all.
"Love so amazing, so divine.
Demands my soul, my life, my all."