My, Devotion to Him #252
The dictionary describes fall as; spiral downward, to lose control, to lie down flat, to get into a proper place. The amazing thing is this is about someone actually falling. I can’t help but look at this and think that the season is so accurately described as well.
I think fall is great. In East Tennessee the leaves are starting to change colors from green to so many different colors with different hues. The weather changes which is great for me as I am no fan of summer. The smell in the air changes, you can know the season by just the smell. But we should also think about this change. Because as fall arrives something has to go. Same is true in our life, it is a fact that cannot be changed or denied.
I was sitting in the living room with the curtains opened one day. The deck was filled with brown, yellow, and red leaves. I get this good feeling inside because I know fall is here. The air is crisp, the nights are cooler, the air speaks of change, the trees are in a transformative time. I can see it happening in front of me. Leaves falling from the trees. What was once a tree deep in dark green, became a tree with bright shades of red and orange. Though it’s process has not ended yet, it will soon become a tree empty of its leaves, empty of what surrounded it, what brought comfort, shade, and shown its beauty will not be bare, and unattractive.
Some would view this as sad. In part we wished the color would stay, we think the only thing that makes the tree beautiful is the colorful leaves. Why does it have to be so bare, unattractive, and even some might say useless? We shouldn’t worry ourselves with that question. Instead we should be wondering what is to come?
Every beginning there will always be an end and for every ending there will be a new beginning. What is amazing is that those trees still stand still. Those branches still reach out and upward and have not retreated. There is beauty in the strength of those branches. There are words to be spoken of their continued presence.
This is the very picture of what Jesus does in our lives. We go through all kinds of seasons. Some are seasons of struggle, maybe loneliness or loss, or other things such as financial hardships, growth, dominance, transformation, newness. These seasons change us. We have seasons that are bright and so full of beauty and richness. Then we have seasons that He allows things in our life to enter so that we don’t remain the same. Through all these seasons in our life He is telling us let go. Let go of all that you know, all that you have, all that you are. Let me show you what I can do in your life. Let me show you what I can teach you. There is strength in you, even when I take away all that you think makes you attractive and when all that you surround yourself with is gone I promise you will still be here. I have declared that you are important and that you will still be standing. You may feel bare, you may feel useless, but I am bringing something new to you. I am going to bring about change. A new season is coming. A newness within you is on the horizon. Don’t worry about how you look or the process, or what has fallen away from you, or what others might say about you. For I am bringing change.
We cannot continue in our walk with Jesus and never let go of us! We will never be a true follower of Christ if we never let Him mold us. You can never be molded properly if you never give Him total access. We must go through these seasons so that we continue to learn to surrender our control and in the process we desire to be more like Him, to trust Him more, to fall in love with Him more, to have this more in depth understanding of Him, the world, and us. He did not create us to still look the same from season too season. The Bible is very clear on that subject.
To come to a state of total and utter surrender is hard. Because it means giving up control of our hearts, our souls and our minds, the power to make decisions, and how we speak, think, our emotions, and every other thing we can do. When we are in control of our heart we start to lose sight, concern, and passion for the things of Jesus. When we control the soul we control the wounds and the spaces that are not yet His. When we control the mind, we allow fear, anxiety, shame to lay assault on us. We give in to unholy voices. When we are in control we have effectively rendered ourself ineffective. Soon we believe the winds, the spirits of the east, voices from the past, unnatural things, we follow pagans, and all kinds of other things instead of resting on what our Father says is true and standing on the His declarations and decrees that are absolute throughout the land.
We cannot hold on to parts of us and say we have surrendered our whole being to Him. God wants all of us or none. God wants us to let go of the things that are holding us, the things that are sweet to us, the things that are bad for us, the things that are of no true value to us, the things that are harming us, the things that are hindering us, the things that are effectively keeping us from the very person we were made to be. When we surrender and give Him every key to our life and allow Him to take reign we will see the leaves fall. Change is coming. Even after seasons of absolute surrender. We will still go through processes of change. Growth in Christ is limitless and that is part of what makes Him so amazing.
Christ reminds us that we are important, and when our leaves have fallen and people don’t think there is much use for us, there is a change taking place. Soon we shall come forth from this season to a new season a totally different person! He says let go and let Me!
God bless!
Verses Studied:
Isaiah 43:18-19
I Peter 2:2
I Corinthians 13:11
Luke 10:27
Isaiah 41:10
I Peter 5:6, 10
Copyright © 2020 by Jacob Olinger
Spirit Warrior Ministry 