Giving God Control

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2 Kings 11:17 Be God’s People

Jehoida then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 2 Kings 11:17

It is common for people to belong to all kinds of different types of groups. People like to be together with other people who think and do the same things. It gives them a sense of belonging and self-worth. It can also give them support and strength to keep moving forward in the expected way and bring about unity.

When Joash was made king, Jehoida made a covenant between the Lord, the king and the people to be His people.

Throughout the world there are two groups of people, those who belong to God and those who choose not to belong to God. Most people do not belong to God but will belong to other groups.

Regardless of which group a person is a part of, he must be willing to follow the rules and regulations of that group. Each one has a set of rules on what it means to be a part of that group.

The moment a person chooses to believe in and follow Jesus, he belongs to God. This means that the covenant the person made with God is that on his side he will give up his old ways of doing things and no longer do the things of the world. It also means that he gives God complete control of his life.

Belonging to God is allowing God to direct one’s path, in action, thought and deeds in everything that he does in this life. It is putting away the former covenant with the world and sin and taking on the righteousness and holiness of Jesus, becoming a new creation for His glory and honor.

As a believer you are no longer to be in covenant with the world and its sinful ways. You have chosen to bind yourself to God in a legal binding covenant of relationship and lifestyle that is directed and controlled by God.

Do not allow yourself to be tricked into going back into a covenant with this fallen world that will lead you into sin and death. Destroy and cast out the sin in your life and become holy as God is holy. Put on the righteousness of Jesus living for God.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will make a covenant to live for God and by His rules; that God will strengthen you to live according to His plan; that every area of your life will belong to God; and that God will strengthen you to flee the sinful ways of this world.

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Luke 20:18 Broken Or Crushed?

Broken Vase

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed. Luke 20:18

Jesus was talking about the people were rejecting the main corner stone and that He was that corner stone. He ends the talk with telling the people that anyone who falls on that stone will be broken, but anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.

The Pharisees who were supposed to be the builders of God’s temple were against Jesus. They had rejected Him as being the new cornerstone for God’s temple. They refused to follow Him and were against anyone who did follow Him.

Since the time of Jesus, people have not changed. There are people who are in the church who are actually fighting against God. They are trying to hold to old traditions and ways rather than following Jesus and being led by God’s Holy Spirit. They do not want to change.

Right now it appears as though those people are winning and that God is not doing anything. However, there will come a day when Jesus will return. Anyone who is against Him will receive His full wrath. Every person who chooses not to follow Jesus will be crushed and destroyed by God’s extreme wrath against them.

Those who have chosen to follow Jesus will allow themselves to be broken by Him. They will fall upon Him, trusting Jesus with all of their heart, soul and mind. In the process of doing that self will be destroyed. They will no longer allow their selves to be in control but will allow God to have all control over their life. In the words of Jesus, they will be broken.

Being broken means that they can be repaired correctly. God will put their lives back together to serve Him and His kingdom in the best way possible. It will no longer be about self, but about God and building His kingdom. It will be about others being saved.

You have to make a choice in your life about Jesus. If you choose to follow Him, you must allow yourself to be broken and allow Him to have absolute control of your life. Allow yourself to broken by God so that He can use you in the best way possible in His kingdom for His purpose.

Will you be broken now?

Or will you be crushed later?

I pray today that you will be broken before God; that you will allow God to have control over your life; that you will not reject Jesus in your life; and that God will use you to build His kingdom.

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Give Him Control

Worshipping God

I was listening to a song by the group, Tenth Avenue North, a few days ago. It was a song I have heard quit a few times, but never really listened to the words, until the other day when I was listening to it.

The title of the song is: Comfort (Somehow You Want Me)

Here are the words to the chorus to the song:

God, You don’t need me, but somehow You want me
Oh, how you love me, somehow that frees me
To take my hands off of my life and the way it should go
Oh, God, You don’t need me, but somehow You want me
Oh, how You love me, somehow that frees me
To open my hands up and give You control
I give You control

As I listened to this song the other day, it really hit me what the song was saying. God really does not need me, but He loves me and wants me.

Just sit back and think about that for a moment. God, the God of all the universe; the God who made everything that is; the God who has absolute power; the God who has always been and will always be; the God who is in absolute control of everything, wants me. And just as much as He wants me, He wants you also.

Before all of creation was started, God already had you on His mind. He had a plan for you.

Ephesians 1-4

For me that is so amazing! It is mind-blowing to think about. That even before He created this great earth, He was thinking about me and you.

Now as you think about that, now think about how you, (if you are like me), like to be in control of your own life. How many times do we like to be the one to call the shots? Or to be successful in what we do?

How often do we set our own goals and try to do what it takes to achieve those goals? Then get upset because we can’t seem to achieve the goals we set.

This is where the other part of that chorus comes in: “somehow that frees me
To open my hands up and give You control, I give You control“

Jumping For Freedom

Knowing that God wants me, loves me and has been thinking about me since before the beginning of creation, brings about a great freedom. That freedom is to be able to let go of this life I have and let Him have control of it.

Knowing that God wants me, loves me and has been think about me since before the beginning of creation assures me that He knows what is best for me. He knows what is best for me in every situation that I may go through in my life.

The only bad situation for God is when I choose not to obey or follow Him. Everything else God has under control and can use it for His glory and to build me up more like Jesus everyday. There is nothing so bad that God cannot use it for His glory and to build you and me up.

Now the question comes, am I willing to give up control of my life? Are you willing to give up control of your life?

Giving It To God

That means letting go of everything and placing all those things in God’s hands. It means trusting God to take care of you. It means following God no matter where He leads you. It means obeying God in every area of your life, every moment of your life. It means that you strive to be more like Jesus everyday.

It is putting complete trust in God and God alone. It is putting so much trust in God, that if He fails, you will fail. But remember that God has never failed and never will fail. He has always kept every promise He has made.

Look at what Jesus went through so that you and I could be saved. It looked terrible, it looked like God had failed, but He did not. Jesus had victory in the end.

You can also have that same victory. Are you going to let go of your life and let God have control? I am striving to do that more and more.

Here is the video of that song by Tenth Avenue North: