Take Away

Take away any desire in me that hurts you;
Take away anything that stands between me and You.
I want to be what you've created me to be.
It's my desire that you find favor in me
Lord take away anything that displease you.....Yolanda Adams

Sitting in my car at lunch one day last week and listening to my Yolanda Adam's station on Pandora and talking to the Lord, the song above came on and instantly arrested my attention.  As the tears begin to flow I realized that there was still alot of work God needed to do on me.  I am not where I want to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be.    would like to think that after growing up in the church and being saved now for twenty-five years that I would be rid of  all those things that are not like God. But truth be told, I am not.  There are just some things that I enjoy that I continue to hold on to. It isn't that the Holy Spirit hasn't pointed those things out to me.  It's more about me ignoring the Holy Spirit.  And not only that, there are times that I feel that God is dragging His heels.  He doesn't seem to come to my aide quickly enough. Now don't get me wrong, God always shows up, just not always in a time frame that coincides with what I want.  Nevertheless,  I can't continue to ignore the voice of the Lord and the urging of the Holy Spirit and expect to be growing in the Lord.  Now if you are satisfied with where you are in your relationship with God and don't feel the need for growth then stop reading.  But if you are like me and have a strong desire to be everything that God wants you to be and who He created you to be than keep reading.

With that being said what do you do when you recognize things in your life that hinder your relationship with God? Of course SIN is at the top of the list and I will leave it up to you to dig deeper in your personal life and identify those specific things or people that continue to separate you from God.  Above everything else in my life, my heart's desire is to live my life pleasing to God.  I have learned that first and foremost I must submit and give God supreme authority to make decisions over my life that may at times be painful but very necessary. I must confess that I haven't always made the best decisions for my life.  Therefore, because I know me and I understand that I have become comfortable and secure in my way of doing things.  (You know, those behaviors that are not necessarily becoming of a child of God.)  But I thank God for the piercing power of His Word that brings to my attention those things that I need to change.  And because I am a creature of habit and used to trying to control my own life it is not easy to just give those things to the Lord.  Instead I have to ask the Lord to 'take away' everything that displeases Him.  

The Psalmist said it best, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See is there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting". (Psalm 139:23-24)  This is not a scripture to be taken lightly.  When David wrote these words He was asking the Lord to search him thoroughly, till every point of his being is known, and read, and understood; for he is sure that even by such an investigation there will be found in him no complicity with wicked men. This type of request is not for the weak at heart.  It is for a thorough investigation, the innermost search.  I like the way one commentary put it. 'Read not alone the desires of my heart, but the fugitive thoughts of my head'. That's deep.  Total exposure. Nothing is hidden. Even though God already knows our hearts and our innermost thoughts it is showing total trust.  Go ahead and try me by the fire, send the flood.  I want to better by any means necessary. Singing...I trust you Lord.  It's the beginning of the new year and many of us Those of you that have been with me for a while know that I often refer to this life as a journey of trust.  Along this journey there should come a time when we stop bucking and fighting against what God wants to do in our lives.  I don't make New Year's resolutions but I do take a moment each year to reflect.  Upon my reflection this year I determined that the only change I wanted to make was to trust God more. To be the person He created me to be which in turn would make be a better wife, mother, friend, servant.   My challenge to you today is that instead of trying to determine what things need to be changed on your own, give that task to the Lord.  Pray as David did and give God free reign to make you better.  Truly 'take away' those things that hinder your service unto Him. 

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

I thank You for this another day you have granted me. Whatever bad choices I may have made on yesterday, I ask You to forgive me.  Some of those things I may have been aware of and some things may be unknown to me.  Whatever the case I ask that You see whether there be in my heart, or in my life, any evil habit unknown to myself. If there be such an evil way, take me from it, take it from me. No matter how comfortable I may be in this behavior, if it is contrary to Your will and Your way then please deliver me from it altogether.  Take it away from me by whatever means you deem necessary.  I truly want to me what You have created me to be so that You can get the glory out of my life.  In Jesus' precious name I pray Amen.