Giving up

As of late, the Lord as been showing me things I need to give to Him. Things I need to let go of. And I won't try to lie and tell you it's been easy and a joy to give what I treasure. It has been hard, painful and at times I sit in a daze wondering why I must give what I love. But as I read through my quote book a couple quotes have been such a comfort to me!

"When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love Him. If I can say yes to that question, can't I say yes to pleasing Him? Can I say yes even if it means a sacrifice?"

~Elisabeth Elliot, "Passion and Purity"

"...but let me give to Him not what I value least, but what I prize and delight in most."

~Elizabeth Prentiss, "Stepping Heavenward"

"If God, like a father, denies us what we want now it is in order to give us some far better thing later on. The will of God, we can rest assured, is invariably a better thing."

~Elisabeth Elliot

Now read, and reread those. I have! :) If I can say yes to loving Him, can I say yes to sacrifice? Yes! Do I say yes and give Him the things I almost love? No, let me give Him my best. Be it a treasure, be it a talent, be it a desire, be it the things I can't control. Let me give Him all! And if He denies us something, let us thank Him for His wisdom. For His kindness in allowing us not to have all that we want, but for teaching us to lean and be all satisfied in Him. Let us willingly give Him anything in loving obedience! Let us offer to Him not what we almost prize, what we almost value, but those things which we love the most! And not just the things that we love the most but everything! And if He denies us something we want, let us love Him all the more and find true joy, delight and pleasure in Christ alone!