Friday, June 22, 2007
Submission
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
The journey of the past year has not been easy. When God set me on this journey—and surely it has been His choosing, not mine—I often pondered the unanswerable question, “Why?” There never was a satisfactory reply forthcoming. I often said aloud, “God, what are You doing?” I sensed God telling me not to try to understand, just submit beneath His hand and simply trust that a higher purpose would be accomplished. That is a difficult lesson to learn and at times the pain seemed crushing to the point of insufferable. But in that crushing I have begun to find answers to my questions.
Consider the spices that the Lord instructed Moses to have prepared for the sacred anointing oil and incense to be used in the temple worship. In Exodus 30:34-36 the Lord said, “Take sweet spices…and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you.” Perhaps my life is like the spice, which has no value in and of itself until it is crushed. Once the pestle of God is used to crush the spice, then it releases what has been inside all along—the fragrance for which God is longing. Receiving the aroma, He is glorified and He blesses the fragrance through the execution of His perfect will.
Submission is an aroma that pleases God. As I have yielded to God’s choosing, He has responded with gifts, which I might never have known were within me aside from the total surrender to His will. I need not enumerate those gifts here. In whatever form or fashion God wants to use me, I willingly give back to Him and pray my life is a sweet fragrance that testifies of His grace and glory.
Submission
The path that I have trod has brought me nearer God
Though oft it led thru sorrow’s gates
Though not the way I’d choose,
in my way I might lose
The joy that yet for me awaits.
CHORUS
Not what I wish to be, nor where I wish to go
For who am I that I should choose my way
The Lord shall choose for me,
tis better far I know
So let Him bid me go, or stay.
Submission to the will
of Him who guides me still
Is surety of His love revealed
My soul shall rise above
this world in which I move
I conquer only when I yield.
5 Comments:
Friend Carol - how sweet to see personally some of those gifts God has responded with...
Along with your description of the spices for the offering, I am reminded also of something I learned from the book of Ruth, about the name Naomi chose to take, Mara - bitter... from the word Myrrh (one of the gifts the wise men brought to the young Child Jesus), and where the name Marie comes from - it is bitter until it is crushed, then releases a sweet fragrance...
Love you always!
Ruth Marie N.P.B.
Like Elizabeth Elliot said, "In acceptance there is peace."
The first few months after my husband died, I thought I had accpeted it, but in reality I had been tolerating it. A few years later I had a better understanding of what acceptance involves. Like Elizabeth learned, acceptance means embracing God's will. That was hard for me to swallow because in my mind it would be saying, "Yes, God. I didn't want to be married to my husband, the one who I dearly loved, my high-school sweetheart, the father of my son."
Instead, God lovingly showed me I was wrong. It didn't mean I didn't love my husband. It just meant God had a different journey for me to now take. And just like always, He would be with me.
Thank you for sharing the insights God has been giving you on your new journey.
Praise God, we're on our way home... He is so good. May our lives be a sweet smelling savour to Him!
Blessings today my sister. You ARE praising Him!
hi...
I was blessed by Pastor Malcom's life and I will always remember those message that I heard from him. I miss him and i miss you too. I will always pray for you.
God bless!!!
Carol, that was my dad's "signature" song...he sang it so beautifully, and it will always have special meaning to me. Wonderful lyrics!
I remember the chorus from when I was a child from the Submission lyrics. Does anyone know where I can get the sheet music for the song?
Last week, a family member asked me about the song and I searched the web and found this site. I was so happy to see the lyrics.
Please send to inspirationalorchestra@gmai.com or post here. Thanks so very much.
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