April 14

When you live a surrendered life, God is willing and able to provide for your every need.

...your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:8

Lord, show me where I still try to provide my own needs. Teach me, by Your Holy Spirit, to trust You.

April 13

So often we do not live as richly as is possible because our unwillingness to yield stands in the way. Yield! What God does not have at His disposal, He cannot sanctify. Let His will be your will, His way your way, and all insufficiency and earthly ineptitude will be met by the sufficiency of His grace.

Make me a captive, Lord

and then I shall be free

Force me to render up my sword

and I shall conqueror be

I sink in life’s alarms

when by myself I stand

Imprison me within Thine arms

and strong shall be my hand

—George Matheson

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God . . .

1 Peter 5:5

Lord, make me willing to be made willing to do Your will.

April 12

Because their situation was serious and dangerous, I am sure that the astronauts did not quarrel about little things. They saw things in the right proportion: great things great, small things small. They had faith in their chief, in their equipment, and in their calling.

Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.

See Ephesians 6:15

Lord, give us vision on our lives, and on the world around us, so that we may see things, as it were, from Your point of view.

April 11

An astronaut was drilling to see if there was something deep in the crust of the moon. The drilling was hard work, and he asked the leader on earth if he might stop. His leader said no. The astronaut did not argue, but worked on until he found what he was seeking.

Isn’t that a good example of what we must do! We ask, “Lord, may I stop?” The Lord says. “No, go on.” We must trust that in obedience we will reach the goal.

God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning.

Philippians 2:13-14

Lord, may our obedience shine forth to others as a beacon, urging them on until You declare the job complete.      

April 10

We are representatives from heaven to this earth. I learned from the astronauts, who were representatives from the earth to the moon, that 100 percent obedience was necessary for them. Jesus, by His obedience to the Father, taught how we can be like Him.

And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on across.

Philippians 2:8

Father, if we would lead others to You, we must obey Your will. Show us where we have failed.

April 9

If you make a compromise with surrender, you can remain interested in the abundant life, all the riches of freedom, love, and peace, but it is the same as looking at a display in a shop Window. You look through the window but do not go in and buy. You will not pay the price of surrender.

E. Stanley Jones

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

John 12:24

Lord, what joy it is to belong to You, to live in the realm of life abundant now, and to know that the best is yet to be. Hallelujah!