Serve God with a Willing Mind

In order for us to reach this high ideal, that which causes the soul to stumble must be sacrificed. It is through the will that sin retains its hold upon us. The surrender of the will is represented as plucking out the eye or cutting off the hand. Often it seems to us that to surrender the will to God is to consent to go through life maimed or crippled. But it is better, says Christ, for self to be maimed, wounded, crippled, if thus you may enter into life. That which you look upon as disaster is the door to highest benefit….

Only through the surrender of our will to God is it possible for Him to impart life to us. Only by receiving His life through self-surrender is it possible, said Jesus, for these hidden sins, which I have pointed out, to be overcome…. If you cling to self, refusing to yield your will to God, you are choosing death. To sin, wherever found, God is a consuming fire. If you choose sin, and refuse to separate from it, the presence of God, which consumes sin, must consume you.—Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 61.

You need to drink daily at the fountain of truth, that you may understand the secret of pleasure and joy in the Lord. But you must remember that your will is the spring of all your actions…. There is no such thing as following Christ unless you … determine to obey God. It is not your feelings, your emotions, that make you a child of God, but the doing of God’s will. A life of usefulness is before you, if your will becomes God’s will.—Testimonies for the Church 5:515.

With God at Dawn p.251
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Prayer Requests
—-Prayers for grandpa and grandma. They were in a head on collision and are in ICU with lots of broken bones and excruciating pain. Please pray! Vale
—-We will be traveling across country and need God’s protection. Betty and Barbara
—-Pray for good health in these scary times. L
—-Please pray for my in-laws as they will soon be relocating. Sherlyn
—-Please pray for Johannah and my granddaughter. Annie
—-Please pray for my brother Alwyn who was just admitted in the hospital. His sugar level went low, the doctors did a test and said they found something that’s affecting him. Arlene
—-Don’s friend has a sister who has brain cancer. He would like us to pray for her. Also Pastor Chuck has died of Covid. He had been in the hospital for several weeks. Prayers are needed for his family and congregation. Thank you Joy
—-Prayers for my brother who is not recovering well from a fall. Lost all short term memory. And for his wife Patti who has to deal with the situation. M
—-Please pray for Paul and Marie. Marie had her surgery and is home now, but she has Covid.
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Dear Friends,

Before we had children, I drove very fast—much faster than the speed limit. One day, as I came “flying” over the top of a hill on an unfamiliar road, I saw a stop sign at the bottom. I put my foot on the brake. To my horror, my foot went clear to the floor as if there was no pedal there. For some reason I had no brakes! I didn’t even think of my emergency brakes. I just kept trying to pump up my regular ones. It didn’t help.

Worse still, there was a car coming on the other road! Since I could not stop, the only thing I could do was hope that we would not collide. Praise God! We didn’t! After speeding through the intersection, I turned off the key and let the car coast to a stop. Thankfully this was before locking steering wheels.

How often our life is like my brakeless car. How many times, we are totally out of control, rushing toward eternity, and unable to stop our frenzied pace. How much we need “brakes” in our life that we may stop rushing down the hill of life.

In His Word, our Great Creator supplies those brakes. He bids us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Ps 46:10. If we let Him, He will control our circumstances so that our life becomes controllable again. Through His Holy Word, we are able to hear the Spirit’s “still small voice” saying, “this is the way, walk ye in it.” 1 Kings 19:12; Isa 30:21

In His mercy, the Great King of the Universe gives to us the law of His Heavenly Government. Obeying its precepts can keep us safe and happy and prevent our mad rushing down the hill of life. “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” Ex 20:1-17

The first four of these commandments show our love for God. The last six deal with our love for those around us. When asked which was the greatest commandment, Jesus spoke of this fact. “Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matt 22:35-40

May we be quick to hear our Loving Redeemer’s voice through His law which is holy and just and good. (Rom 7:12) May we hide His Word in our heart that we might not sin against God. (Psa 119:9-11) May we pray as did David, “Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” Ps 25:4, 5

Rose