With all of the uncertainty that exists these days, we can trust in the steadfast love of a good God and rejoice in His salvation through Christ. We can sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with us.
May this song, written and performed by friends of the ministry encourage your heart and faith during this time of uncertainty! God is good. He’s in control. He pursues us with a steadfast love.
“All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live”
~ I Surrender All (J.W. Van Deventer )
Growing up, I sang the lyrics to this well known hymn many times but never really stopped to think about what I was singing. Take a minute and listen to some of these words:
All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I Truly Give
As I thought about this statement, I was forced to ask: Do I freely giving Him all that I have? In Matthew 16:24 Jesus tells His disciples that “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. To follow Him, I need to let Him rule my life and not try to rule it myself. If I’m honest, there are parts of me that are easy to give and others that are more difficult. He doesn’t ask for some, but all. Oh how I wish to sing this song in full sincerity.
I Will Ever Love and Trust Him, in His Presence Daily Live
Do I ever love and trust Him? When the rubber meets the road and the trials and temptations of this world come my way, do I really trust him? In the good times and in the bad times do I seek His presence? These are just questions that I’ve asked myself.
These verses and questions led me to think about David, “a man after God’s own heart.” If you ever want to see an amazing example of authentic love for the Lord, read Psalm 63. In this Psalm David is proclaiming his unshaken love for our God, his desire for God’s presence and his willingness to surrender all for the gift of relationship with the Father. May that be my own desire!
Though I’m not yet near where I want to be, I have seen growth in these areas over the last few years. Many people think that in order to grow in our intimacy with the Lord we must strive harder, but it’s quite the opposite. Instead of striving, we’re called to surrender - surrender our desires, our wills, our wants and perceived needs, our heart, our decisions, our dreams, everything. And as we surrender and empty ourselves he begins to fill us. He fills us with his heart, his dreams, his will, his character, his presence, his Spirit! Surrender doesn’t come easy, though, but it is necessary to become fully satisfied in Him.
Africa Freedom Mission
As I thought about these lyrics and their implications for a life of surrender, I was taken back to an event that happened in my life this past fall. I was on Instagram one evening and stumbled across an ad for a ministry called Africa Freedom Missions (@AfricaFreedomMission). When I saw it, my heart jumped out of my chest because Africa has such a special place in my heart. After learning more about their organization and its leadership, I quickly submitted an application for the trip.
AFM sends teams on 2-week, 4-week and summer long missions to four different countries in Africa. Because of previous experience serving on teams in South Africa (twice in the last three years), I knew that 2 weeks was just not enough. So, I applied to serve for a month in Zambia along with my amazing girlfriend Hallie.
If I’m honest, when I applied, I hadn’t taken time to fully discern the Lord’s leading. I always want to be someone who submits my plans and desires to Him and the respond in obedience to His leading. So I slowed things down for a week. During that week, Hallie and I committed to pray for discernment and for one another with respect to serving on this team in Zambia. There were also things that I hadn’t considered that would be impacted by such a decision (lack of summer income to pay for my final year of school). So, I wanted to make sure it was Him leading and not just my desires to return to a place that I’ve grown to love.
This devoted week brought me back to those truths in Matthew and Psalms about completely surrendering my all to Him. Going to Him in prayer not only helped solidify my desire and acceptance to serve in Zambia this summer but allowed me to continually let Him take the lead. Seeing the Lord provide opportunities like this has really strengthened the relationship I have with Him. It has allowed me to witness His active hand in my life. And it has helped me rest in the fact that His plans are far better than mine.
I’m continuing to learn what it means to surrender and give Him with everything. But if I am going to be His hands and feet on this Earth, I can’t take this task for granted! Would you join me in this High calling of surrender?
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Malik Peterson is a junior at Grace College studying nursing. He will be serving in Zambia with AFM for the month of June.
Showing a smile, hugs, words of affirmation, giving attention to the usually ignored people are things which are always within our reach in our everyday life, yet we daily take them for granted.
Every year as I have served with mission teams, I have seen them manifesting the fruit of the spirit usually in the form of caring deeds both among each other and so much more to the locals here.
On one occasion we spent the whole day listening to one couple's problems and praying with them. On other days, we spent time playing with and investing in the lives of children in my community. On some evenings after worship we would minister to each other as we shared about our group and personal encounters that we had during ministry. We would then pray for each other. In fact, I would always look forward to these times because of how I saw the Lord use them to change so many of the team members lives, including my own.
I’ve seen time and time again; these teams come and actively show God’s love for my friends and neighbors here in Zambia. It’s a simple ministry but yet, so profound. And as I have observed them, year after year, God has used their example to teach me this truth – “I have all that I need to show the light that is within me.”
Living in an environment like Zambia. where you are surrounded by many who have an un-ending list of needs, you are tempted to feel that you always need to provide things in order to show the love of Christ. But these teams have shown me something different. As they have come here, stepped out of their comfort zones and served, they’ve done it mostly by just being present, listening to the stories of my friends and countrymen and then stopping long enough to pray for and encourage them. I’ve seen them stop what they’re doing, put their own agendas aside and just play games with children who are starving for attention and the love of the Father. I’ve seen them go into homes where oppression and fear exist and proclaim the love of the Lord over broken situations. They’ve taught me through their actions that there are many ways in which we can be the hands and feet of Jesus and that we are fully equipped to do so if we only surrender all that we have to Him.
So, as we prepare for another year and another season of ministry. I’m excited. I’m excited for the new friendships that I will be able to form with visiting teams. I’m excited to see how the Lord will work through this new crop of young missionaries and I’m excited to see the fruit that comes from our time serving together in Zambia!
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About the Author: Laban Mwelwa is a dear friend to many who have served on a mission trip to Zambia. He is an associate pastor at Lusaka South and works part-time with Awana Zambia. The article above is his perspective of working with visiting teams.
A Blog by Rob Buck (joy-in-the-journey.com)
Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Galatians 3:3 NIV)
It’s taken me decades, but I think I’m beginning to get it. As believers in Jesus Christ, the only way we’re to live is in the flow of the Holy Spirit. We’ve been indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ and our life is to be a life of continuing to recognize our spiritual death and depending on Christ’s life within.[1] Any other way of living is a dam against the flow of the Rivers of Living Water within us.
Abiding, walking in the Spirit, depending on Jesus are not just nice suggestions, not just good ideas, but vital to living life the way God intends. After all, Jesus tells us that apart from a life of remaining in Him as our nourishing vine, what we do is worth nothing. I’ve grown tired of wearying myself out doing things to please God in my own strength. It’s a sobering thought to hear what Paul says about our attempts to please God by our own feeble efforts:
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. (Galatians 2:21 NASB)
It’s a cool spring morning. The trees are blanketed in leaves and the birds are chirping. The breeze is crisp. As I look down toward the barn, where the hens are scratching, the winter rye is still emerald green.
I recognize the Lord’s nearness. This is not necessarily a feeling, but an acknowledgement of the truth. The Lord Jesus indwells me by His Holy Spirit. He wants me to abide in the flow of His Spirit. This means being about what He wants and not what I want.
He’s all I need. He’s my Great Reward, my One Thing, my Pearl of Great Price. I declare these things because I know they are true, even when I don’t feel them. I also recognize that in spite of the way others might treat me and regardless of what I do or don’t do, the Creator of the universe wants to be with me. He delights in me and was willing to die to be with me forever.
These truths are stunning. Allow them to wash over you and settle into the deep parts of your heart. The eternal truth are greater than our thoughts feelings.
As I walk forward, believing these truths, yielding to Christ in me, longing for what He desires, isn’t this walking in His Spirit?
A humming bird hovers at the feeder a few feet away on the other side of the back-porch screen. Several birds begin to sing melodious songs back and forth. An impatient hen squawks for a nesting box down in the coop.
Lord, guard me from discouragement. I want to focus on you and not on circumstances, but times are hard. A good friend has brain surgery in a couple of hours. They found cancer on Wednesday.
Yesterday, another friend lost a nephew suddenly of a heart attack. He was a young man with a wife and six children. Members of my own family are going through deep emotional pain.
Lord, how do we make sense of it all? I call You near for the comfort of Your presence. You bring joy to my heart.
It’s raining now. Freshly laid zoysia sod soak up the drops. A red headed woodpecker pecker is so long it has to hang under the feeder as it pecks some seeds.
Lord, how do I stay in the flow when I leave this serenity and turn my attention to tasks? Love must lead in the midst of duties. Please keep me from doing anything apart from your leading. I wait upon you as a waiter attends a table. Please teach me how to be attentive to your nearness and your desires.
I’m called away to do something. As a work, I remain conscious of the Lord’s nearness. May every word and deed bring glory to my Savior.
Eating strawberries now. I praise you, Lord, for taste buds and for a wife who cut them up for me and poured on cream. You’ve given me so many things to enjoy! May I rejoice in Your nearness as appreciate life’s moments.
It’s raining harder now. My bride brings me extremely fresh eggs and oatmeal with cinnamon.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law (Galatians 5:16-18 NASB)
Lord, as I seek to walk only by your Spirit, I ask you to show me quickly when self rises up. I know when I insert my-self in any situation the flow of your Spirit in my life is blocked. My flesh is opposite to your Spirit. I never want to hamper what you want to do, so please guide me in bringing self desire, self dependence, self achievements, self glorification, self defense, self whatever to your cross where self was crucified with you.[2]
[1] Galatians 2:20
[2] Romans 6:4-11
