Marji is a homeschooling mom of 4 with the oldest working in
the mission field in Africa. She spends her days transporting to and from volleyball,
teaching writing classes at a local coop, and directing the children’s music
program at her church.
With decades of leading worship, directing and performing in
theatre productions, and script-writing, Marji took the plunge to creating
scintillating Christian romance and romantic suspense novels with a side of
Texas sassy. She invites readers to unravel their inspiration, seeking a deeper
knowledge of the Lord’s Great Mystery that invites us all.
Here's where you can find her online:
Surrender
by Marji Laine
There is such a
beauty about a new surrender to the Lord. When a heart releases expectations
and desires, lifts up hands, and says, “Whatever You want, God.”
Abraham did that when he took Isaac, his only son, to the
altar. Mary also as she faced shame and possible stoning after the angel told
her about the baby she would carry. Christ, Himself, surrendered to God’s will
in the garden of Gethsemane.
Ps. 51:16-17 “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise
I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not
despise.”
In this verse, David relates that God doesn’t want the sin
offerings. He’d rather have hearts that are wholly His. Think about that for a
moment. It’s a reasonable request. Would you prefer to have a mate or a best
friend who is really good at apologizing?
“That man o’ mine done gone and gambled the house away, but
he brung me the purtiest little bouquet o’ flowers you ever did see.” Uh … no. Definitely
not the type of relationship God wants to have with us either.
1 Sam 15:22 clears this right up. “But Samuel replied:
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in
obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than
the fat of rams.”
Obeying is surrender. The more we practice obeying the Lord,
the more that surrender to Him becomes part of our lives. For Him it is a love
song. We show adoration with our actions. Isn’t that the way we show love to
others in our lives?
But our surrender has monumental effects on us as well.
Living a life of obedience to God means we can be assured that we’re walking
our most abundant path. Seriously. If you blindfolded your daughter and took her
by the hand, would you ram her shins into the furniture? Our loving heavenly
Father doesn’t do that either. He coaxes us along the way that He’s set for us.
The one that will bring us the most joy and work the best for his plan on
earth.
The collaborative novella being released from Write
Integrity Press, A Dozen Apologies, deals with surrender. Mara has done some
pretty horrible things, but when she comes to know the Lord, she feels she must
do her best to make things right. Not an easy task considering the humiliations
she created. To read her story, find the posts on Write Integrity Press and watch for the
notice of the free e-book. (WriteIntegrity.com)Your Turn: How are you surrendering today?
Thanks for joining us today, Marji.
Blessings,
Great thought, Marji. Surrender is hard, but worth it in the end...
ReplyDeleteI agree Jennifer. The verse comes to mind about the discipline of the Lord creating in us the peaceable fruit of righteousness. I think surrender is like that, too.
DeleteI love that verse, Ginger. Thanks, Jennifer. I totally agree.
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