How Much Have You Surrendered

2 Timothy 1:12 says, "Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." 

This verse has long been a favorite of mine giving me peace and hope during the trials and storms of life. Yet as I read it again today I realized a very important truth. It follows the statement that God can and will guard all that I have given to Him.

The question is, what have I given to Him? Most Christians will say that they have given God their hearts and eternity. Yes this is important but it leaves most of everything in our hands to guard and protect. When we make Him our Savior and Lord then we place everything in His care. So what have you not surrendered to God … your health, job, pleasure, family? We need to surrender every aspect

of every day  to God. This means daily surrender and all throughout the day. Now this might seem like a lot of work, but the benefits are worth it. Remember, when we surrender, trusting God to guard something, He will guard it better than we could hope to.

So be willing today to start surrendering everything to God and discover the peace that He has promised will guard your heart and mind

Life Changing Faith

In John 5:1-15 we find an interesting story of healing and faith. A story that should inspire and challenge us all at the same time.


As we look at the crowds, what do we see? Here we are reminded that it is the individual that makes up the crowd that is important. Jesus saw the man and took time to learn about him. We need to make sure we see the individual. When we do, don’t just assume you know what they are all about, take time to learn about them. This doesn’t have to be a long process, just a personalized one.

Once Jesus had learned about him, notice that He asked if the
man wanted to get well. Why would Jesus ask that? I believe it is for the same reason that He wants and waits for us to ask in prayer, sometimes public prayer, before providing what we need. Jesus wants us to express our faith in words. Why? Because when we verbalize our faith it becomes more concrete in our lives, we are becoming specific in what we are asking and believing for. Now
consider what had to happen for this man to receive healing. When Jesus didn’t say, ‘you are healed’, he had to act in faith. The crippled man was told to ‘get up and walk.’ Do what you haven’t been able to do … walk by faith. I am amazed at the faith of this man. He had wanted healing for decades and never been able to get it. Now, when told the steps into that healing. Do we let the
past, our history, keep us from the miracles that God has for us?

Another thing to note here is that this crippled man didn’t even know it as Jesus, God made flesh, the worker of miracles that was talking to him. He just had faith in the almighty God. So often we put conditions on receiving what God has for us. If we know beyond any doubt that it is God who is doing this. You know a certified letter with signature and picture proof that it is God, then we might accept it. Yet here is an example of desperation for
what God can do. He simple took things at face value and lived in the blessings of God. May we have that kind of faith today and every day.