Surrendering All

Hi friends! Thanks for joining us for today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread Devotional. Today's reading, titled Surrendering All, was written by Amy Boucher-Pye. Two men remembered for serving others for Jesus left careers in the arts to commit themselves to where they believed God had called them. James O. Frazier decided not to pursue being a concert pianist in England to serve the Lisu people in China, while the American Judson Van Deventer chose to become an evangelist instead of pursuing a career in art.

He later wrote the hymn, I Surrender All. While having a vocation in the arts is the perfect calling for many, these men believed God called them to relinquish one career for another. Perhaps they found inspiration from Jesus counseling the rich young ruler to give up his possessions to follow him in Mark 10.

Witnessing the exchange, Peter exclaimed, We have left everything to follow you. Jesus assured him that God would give those who follow him a hundred times as much in this present age and eternal life. But he would give according to his wisdom, many who are first will be last, and the last first. No matter where God has placed us, we're called to daily surrender our lives to Christ, obeying his gentle call to follow him and serve him with our talents and our resources, whether in the home, office, community, or far from home. As we do, he'll inspire us to love others, putting their needs above our own.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Mark Chapter 10, verses 26 through 31. The disciples were even more amazed and said to each other, Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but not with God.

All things are possible with God. Then Peter spoke up, We have left everything to follow you. Truly I tell you, Jesus replied, No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me in the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age. Homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, along with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life.

But many who are first will be last, and the last first. Let's pray. Jesus, the things of this world often seem so attractive, and we know that following you will likely be difficult at times. But help us to apply your words in Mark 10 to our lives, trusting that our reward will be far greater than any earthly possession. Help us to surrender all for you today. Thank you, Jesus. It's in your gracious name that we pray. Amen.