What is that?

I'm not going to attempt to be a theologian in this post, however, I need to explain the next major event in my Christian experience with a little Bible story. I'm sure many of you have heard the story of Job, "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" Job 1:8. Have you ever really thought about Job and his life, I mean this man had it all, money, home, family that loved him, a huge farm (at least what we would think of today). He was set, living the life and living a good life serving the Lord. No this is Old Testament so Jesus hadn't come upon the scene yet, sins had to be forgiven via sacrafices, which I'm sure Job did whenever they were needed. Job was so good that God actually brought him up to Satan, you see Satan thought Job was only serving God because He had blessed him so much, little did he know that was NOT why Job was serving the one true God. Job was serving God because he loved him and wanted to be pleasing to God, that's why God said he was upright, perfect, feared Him and escheweth evil. God knew Job's heart and exactly why he was serving him, Satan however didn't. In case you don't know the story, Job lost it all, children, farm, got sick, Satan could do whatever he wanted to Job short of killing him and he did.

Job had what we call today surrendered everything to God, his life, family, home, job, finances, health all of it none of it was his and he knew it. Even after God took it all away Job NEVER turned his back on God, which was what Satan thought he would do.

I said all that to say this, I had been traveling for work and for some reason that week was when God had started really dealing with me on giving Him everything in my life. He just didn't want me on Sundays, He wanted me 24/7. Not only me, but everything I loved and cared about, oh he wanted that too.

I remember being out to dinner with some of my co-workers from California and questioning whether I should pray over my meal in front of them. I tried to tell myself that I didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable, but really it was I who felt uncomfortable. It seems funny today to have struggled over something such as thanking the Lord for my food in front of others, but at that time it was a issue for me.

After I returned home from my trip I remember driving to church on Sunday morning and all the way there the Lord speaking to me, I want it all. If your ashamed to pray in front of others I don't have it all and I want it all. By the time I made it to the church doors I knew what I had to do. You see, I could have just as easily brushed it off and said oh Lord you have it all, I just didn't want to offend anyone with my public prayer. I knew that He didn't have it all and if I wanted to go any further, I was going to have to make that choice that morning and give it to Him. Before Aunt Carol gave an invitation to the altar after she finished her sermon that morning, I was already there. It wouldn't have matter what was happening that morning I knew I had to totally surrender my life and everything about it to God and trust He was going to take care of me.

I got up from the altar and Aunt Carol knew exactly what I had been there for and her words were so profound and scary at the same time, she said, "Now is when your trials will come." I didn't really understand it at the time, but completely understand it today. I hope through my next few posts you'll understand also what it means to totally surrender your life to Christ, mean it with your whole being and watch Him work in your life like I have.

A thought for today, are you ashamed of Him? Are you trying not to offend others and not truly serving Christ the way you should be because of it? If so, you need to pray the Lord help you to surrender it all to Him, because let's face it, it's all His anyway.


If you want to know how the story ended, I suggest you read the book of Job, God is always faithful to His Children.