Take it All
A Devotional based on “Take It All” from Hillsong United’s CD United We Stand
By Dan Wilt
He lifted the small communion cup to his lips, shaking uncontrollably the entire time. Two men moved quickly to his side – one rubbing his back, and the other helping him to steady his hand. This scruffy and weathered man had lived on the street much of his adult life, alcohol his merciless companion on a journey that would reduce most of us to a state equal to, or worse than, his own. Now, in a moment of simple worship, he was offering himself fully to the God who had steadied his heart while his hands and head still tremor from years of nerve damage. With a smile toward the understanding congregation, and a kiss to both men’s cheeks, the man lifted his head to heaven and mouthed, “I’m yours.”
“Searching the world,
The lost will be found;
In freedom we live,
As one we cry out;
You carried the cross,
You died and rose again;
My God, I'll only ever give my all.”
For most of us, our daily offering to Christ is a time of scripture reading, a prayer, and then hours and moments lived as faithfully as possible. In our best moments, simple words of thanks roll off of our lips in the midst of daily relationships and responsibilities. In our worst moments, our eyes squint and strain toward heaven, as tears moisten our cheeks and we look down to the dust that seems so familiar (Gen. 2:7). In the face of the daily struggle to be naturally supernatural, the most mundane of tasks becomes an opportunity for the flame of devotion to rise from our restless lives.
“Jesus we're livin' for Your name,
We'll never be ashamed of You;
Our praise and all we are today,
Take take take it all,
Take take take it all.”
There seems to be no offering that is more pleasing to God, nor more fitting in response to the weight of His love infusing the world, than our seemingly unimpressive lives (Rom. 12:1-2). Apparently, God is not more impressed with receiving the life of a prime minister, president or movie star than He is with receiving your life or mine. He is the ever-waiting King, lingering over our lives from the time we breathed our first breath, drawing and wooing diadems like us to Himself.
“You sent Your Son,
From heaven to earth;
You delivered us all,
It's eternally heard;
I searched for truth,
And all I found was You, my God;
I'll only ever give my all.”
If we’ll listen closely, today will hold many opportunities to give ourselves afresh to God, in sacred moments on the street, holy encounters in the shower, and privileged moments where worship occurs not in a stadium but in the sanctuary of a heart that has welcomed Jesus to save it.
Our hands and hearts may tremble in the face of the world we know, just like the man whose story began this reflection. In those moments, with the support of the family of God who He has placed around us, we drink the cup of his love, and with a smile to our friends and a glance toward heaven, we say “I am yours; take it all.”
By Dan Wilt
He lifted the small communion cup to his lips, shaking uncontrollably the entire time. Two men moved quickly to his side – one rubbing his back, and the other helping him to steady his hand. This scruffy and weathered man had lived on the street much of his adult life, alcohol his merciless companion on a journey that would reduce most of us to a state equal to, or worse than, his own. Now, in a moment of simple worship, he was offering himself fully to the God who had steadied his heart while his hands and head still tremor from years of nerve damage. With a smile toward the understanding congregation, and a kiss to both men’s cheeks, the man lifted his head to heaven and mouthed, “I’m yours.”
“Searching the world,
The lost will be found;
In freedom we live,
As one we cry out;
You carried the cross,
You died and rose again;
My God, I'll only ever give my all.”
For most of us, our daily offering to Christ is a time of scripture reading, a prayer, and then hours and moments lived as faithfully as possible. In our best moments, simple words of thanks roll off of our lips in the midst of daily relationships and responsibilities. In our worst moments, our eyes squint and strain toward heaven, as tears moisten our cheeks and we look down to the dust that seems so familiar (Gen. 2:7). In the face of the daily struggle to be naturally supernatural, the most mundane of tasks becomes an opportunity for the flame of devotion to rise from our restless lives.
“Jesus we're livin' for Your name,
We'll never be ashamed of You;
Our praise and all we are today,
Take take take it all,
Take take take it all.”
There seems to be no offering that is more pleasing to God, nor more fitting in response to the weight of His love infusing the world, than our seemingly unimpressive lives (Rom. 12:1-2). Apparently, God is not more impressed with receiving the life of a prime minister, president or movie star than He is with receiving your life or mine. He is the ever-waiting King, lingering over our lives from the time we breathed our first breath, drawing and wooing diadems like us to Himself.
“You sent Your Son,
From heaven to earth;
You delivered us all,
It's eternally heard;
I searched for truth,
And all I found was You, my God;
I'll only ever give my all.”
If we’ll listen closely, today will hold many opportunities to give ourselves afresh to God, in sacred moments on the street, holy encounters in the shower, and privileged moments where worship occurs not in a stadium but in the sanctuary of a heart that has welcomed Jesus to save it.
Our hands and hearts may tremble in the face of the world we know, just like the man whose story began this reflection. In those moments, with the support of the family of God who He has placed around us, we drink the cup of his love, and with a smile to our friends and a glance toward heaven, we say “I am yours; take it all.”
posted by ja! | 8:58 AM
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