Funny isn’t it, one minute you are cruising along and the next minute God does something that startles us, and reminds us to ‘be still and know that I am God’. I have had one of those weeks.

I’ve noticed over the years that each year God has given me a ‘theme word’ for my year – joys and struggles throughout the year seem to hone in on an area of my walk with Him that needs attention.

Surrender.

He’s whispered it many times over the last few months.

God has beckoned me to surrender to Him. Everyday.

Whilst yes, I give my life to God, it can be far too easy to try take it back, and make it look like what I think it should look like.

Surrender isn’t a ‘giving up of my control and decision making’ to a nothingness, it’s a handing over, a transference of submission from flesh to Christ. If we don’t surrender to Christ, we surrender to our flesh every. single. day.

The Holiness of God beckons us to surrender to Him.

When we do surrender to God, God changes us. That first time we surrendered to His plan of salvation, through having faith in Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection we were completely, most-fully, undeniably changed.

Some people tend to look at the ‘outward conversion’ change, but consider what happens in the Spiritual realm at that moment – we are dead to self – we are ALIVE to Christ. We become alike to Christ, when we stand before God in our tattered garments, stained by sin, God see’s the righteousness of Christ. Unfathomable.

As this deep spiritual work is done, our immediate transformation completely makes us new – we have a new identity. That transformation continues throughout our daily lives – we are renewed, we are sanctified and prepared further for the day we stand before God.

I found out a while ago, that when a caterpillar changes into a butterfly it’s DNA completely changes. It is a new creation.

The old has gone. The new has come.

I’m a ‘chunk’ reader – I love chunks of time to read God’s Word and with 5 littlies the chance for that is few and far between sadly. The other day however I had a big drive before me (Paul was driving, I was the passenger) and I got to read huge chunks (so refreshing for my soul!) I went through Galatians, Ephesians and Colossians and the overwhelming, standout theme for me at that time of reading was the striking difference, the complete change between no longer living under the law, or for the law, but living transformed lives by the light from the Lord, the power of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of our salvation.

“For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within your produces only what is good and right and true.” Ephesians 5:8-9

“May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:11

We are truly free to be servants of God. We are truly set free from old patterns in our law-filled lives.

“The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised  and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.” Ephesians 1:14

Having said all that, I sat down to sing a little melody yesterday and out came this song (with a bit of help from daughter Grace.), that for me sums up God’s beckoning call to surrender.

I pray that it might bless, encourage and challenge you in your walk with the King.

Love, Erin.

Beckoned Surrender

Here on my knees I fall before you,
Surrender my life, my all, my everything,
Entrust in your hands the burdens I bear,

The cross beckons me to bow,
Your scarred hands touch my soul.

Overwhelming, unfailing, incomprehendible – grace.
Completely, most-fully, undeniable – change.

The old has gone, the new has come x2
When I die to self, I’m made alive with Christ – alive in Christ.

My eyes see your coming, Your Holiness displayed,
No longer looking to old ways, old patterns of my past.

The old has gone, the new has come x2
When I die to self, I’m made alive with Christ – alive in Christ.

(c) Erin Strahan, 2016