Recently we sang the songs “Set Free” and “All Things New”. They both speak about surrender. Surrender is a tough concept. The idea that we should hand our lives over to a “being” that we have not seen with our eyes or heard with our ears is foreign to us. We are taught to be self-sufficient. So giving over our lives takes courage and trust.

The first verse of All Things New:

I've heard You can take what's broken

And make it whole again

Well, here's the pieces of my heart

What can You do with them?

'Cause I can't hold them all together anymore

So I let them fall surrendered to the floor

I can’t include the entire song here, but we have all been there. We have been broken and He has put us back together. In my case, it’s been more than once, and I am so grateful! He is our King, our father, brother, friend, provider, healer….. who can and will do what it takes to make us whole again. This alone would be enough reason to love and follow Him!

Set Free :

Here I surrender, lay down every weight

Remember Your love has broken all my chains

What You have finished cannot be undone

The work of the cross was more than enough

Jesus is also our savior. What He did at the Cross is more than enough and nothing can ever change that!

This world is a tough place. We get bruised and battered, beaten knocked down. Thankfully we have someone who is there to pick us up, dust us off and hold us until we can walk again on our own.

The same God that gave Sampson his strength, that stayed with Daniel in the lions’ den so that the hungry lions never touched him. The same God who gave Moses what he needed to bring his people out of Egypt. The God who heard the trumpet of Joshua and caused the walls of Jericho to tumble. Any God who can do all of that, can certainly put us back together again.

Lord, as we are nearing Thanksgiving, let us start to remember all that we have to be grateful for. ALL of our blessings are from you. Every good thing! Amen.

Shirlene Peterson