Day 11: In the Surrender

We’ve looked at God’s nearness in love, in pain, in sin, in battle, in the fire. Today, we add surrender. The life of Jesus was sacrificial in more ways than one. Our lives as disciples mirror his. And he is with us every step of the way.

Today, I am sharing an excerpt from a friend’s article published in Charisma Magazine a few weeks ago. Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Surrender was written by Beth Taylor. It’s perfect for today.

This is Emmanuel: With us in the surrender

Excerpts—

“And yet, Messiah’s arrival was anything but impressive. Rather than entering on a white horse, He was born in a filthy, crude cave and laid in a manger made of cold stone. Rather than issuing forth on the wings of majestic angels, He was pressed through the birth canal of an unknown teenage girl whose only qualification for the job was that she said yes to her God. Rather than reveal His divinity through manifestations and miracles from an early age, He spent 30 years in humble preparation for three and a half years of holy ministry…

…Yes, there were beautiful soul-soaring moments as well. Mary looked straight into the eyes of God, seeing His first smile and feeling Him breathe. She held Him, kissed His face, nourished the Savior of all mankind at her own breast. She witnessed His first miracle in Cana. The tiny hands that once grasped her fingers turned water into wine, thus bringing attention for the first time to who He really was. The little feet that kicked inside her walked on water and trampled all over religious traditions.

But His favor isn’t always easy and may not seem like favor. When the life of Christ shows up in our everyday moments, it can be beautiful and peaceful and elating, but it can also be lonely, empty and painful. It can even look as if God is opposing you.

That’s why we don’t focus on what life looks like, but rather on what He looks like. And He looks like love. Unfailing, unclenching, never-ending love. We don’t train our eyes on facts. We hone in on truth.”

Read the whole article here: Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Surrender