Monday, June 04, 2012

Driving down through the beautiful, bucolic farmlands of south central Pennsylvania, I noticed the gloriously golden wheat fields and pondered these words spoken by Jesus.  

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But, if it dies, it produces many seeds.  John 12:24

Glorious Father-
Thank you for this beautiful word picture. Like a grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies to live anew, I lay down all my dreams and worldly desires to follow you. Plant me wherever you want to produce a harvest for your Kingdom. Press down on me, crush me, and break me. Soften me and release me to press upward to reproduce an enormous multiplication of blessings.

God please crucify me with Jesus - fully yielded, completely surrendered, totally submitted. Use the problems and challenges that are part of my every day life to put me to death. Then raise me, like a kernel of wheat to an abundant ... victorious ... blessed ... fruitful ... powerful ... Christ-like ... Spirit-filled life. I love you Lord and want to be more like you! In Jesus name, I surrender all. Amen.

What do you need to surrender in order to reproduce abundant blessings for the Kingdom of God?

Make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what interests God. Intentionally, remove everything from your life that keeps you from following God's dreams and plans. Concentrate on the Son who did not give up when He had to suffer shame and die on a cross. He knew of the joy that would be His later. This joy will be yours too, if only you will die to yourself and devote your life to Him.

O. Chambers writes (06/19) in My Utmost For His Highest, "The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that "falls into the ground and dies" - it will spring up and change the entire landscape.

No comments: