Embracing the Unfathomable in Sweet Surrender
Imagine going about your regular routine; school, work, recreation… You believe in the truth of Scripture and desire to do God’s will. You know that God requires obedience and you understand that with it may come a need to surrender parts of your life that you hold as valuable. Then one day God reveals the unfathomable. He asks you to trust him with something that has never even occurred to you before and simply does not make sense. You know God is sovereign but deep within, the logical side of your brain can’t understand how this “ask” could ever come to fruition. You go through a series of questions, doubts, and fears. As you honestly reveal your emotions, you continue to hear the words, “Trust Me. I love you.” You finally come to a point where you are able to stop, acknowledge God’s presence and omnipotence, and find peace. You recall Scripture such as Isaiah 43:3 saying you are precious to God, Romans 8:17 stating you are a co-heir of Christ, 1 Peter 2:9 declaring you are chosen royalty, Exodus 19:5 affirming you are a treasured possession, John 15:15 announcing you are a friend of Christ and Psalm 139 proclaiming you are fearfully and wonderfully made. With this awesome understanding, you suddenly experience a wave of God’s unconditional love. The idea of releasing a protected area of your life no longer carries with it fear, doubt, and trepidation but rather a sweetness of having come to a point of fully embracing the depths of God’s love and stepping forward in surrender to his will. You know there will be a cost; you will be asked to sacrifice, but the recognition of who God says you are and the magnitude of his love is so overwhelming that you not only now have a willingness to surrender, but you actually desire to do so. Surrender has become an invitation to receive God’s love and experience your true self; the self that God declares you to be.
Author David Benner says, “Daring to accept myself and receive love for who I am in my nakedness and vulnerability is the indispensable precondition for genuine transformation...Only love can inspire acts of genuine self-sacrifice. Only love can free us from the tyrannizing effects of fear...Christ does not simply want our compliance. He wants our heart. He wants our love and he offers us his. He invites us to surrender to his love.” It is when we fully receive, embrace and live out this love of God that we are able to sacrifice and surrender to his perfect plan; even if that plan seems unfathomable.
In Luke 1:38, we see Mary expressing a willingness to sacrifice, embrace the unfathomable, and declare herself as a servant of God, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Mary had found her identity in her willingness to surrender.
In what or whom do you place your identity? Do sacrifice and service sound like an invitation to experience an abundant life or do those words fill your soul with fear and uncertainty? Are you ready to step out in faith and fully surrender to God’s good and perfect love?
Lynette Fuson
Director of Care & Counseling
It Will Never Be
I’m sitting down to write this devotion on the 8 year anniversary of my mother’s passing. It’s a day that always stirs many different emotions in me. I think back on her creativity, love, and care. I think back on the way she guided me and challenged me. I think of all the sacred moments we shared. I also think back on the phone call from my dad telling me that she’d passed away. Even though she was sick and declining, I’m not sure you’re ever quite ready for that phone call. As those words tumbled off my dad’s tongue, I was met with sorrow mixed with the helplessness that I’d never felt before. There was nothing I could do, I had to accept that my mom’s life on this earth was over.
When Mary heard the announcement from the angel telling her she was pregnant even though she was a virgin, she responded, “let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) It was the same thing I had to say to my dad that December morning, “let it be.” There’s nothing I could do to fight it. The hard part about saying, “let it be” is that we have to come to terms with what will never be. There is a surrender that’s built into that phrase because, in many ways, surrender is coming to terms with the death of a dream.
What does Mary surrender when she says, “let it be?” First, she surrendered her plans for her life. Who knows what dreams Mary had for her life, but we can rest assured becoming pregnant as a virgin and giving birth to the Messiah was not one of them. While we view that now as a great blessing, for her it stirred feelings of fear, not favor. Second, when Mary said “let it be” she was giving up any ability she has over what we might call image management. She couldn’t control the narrative; what people are going to say, how they’re going to react, the sideways glances, and the whispers underneath a breath. People were going to think negatively about her and there was nothing she could do about it. Finally, she knew that she couldn't control the timing. If I’m Mary, I might have said, “Yes, God, I will bear the Messiah… but please let me get married first.” No, the timing and the direction are all in God’s hands.
Surrender means entrusting the plan, the response of others, the timing, and the results to God - which is why it requires coming to terms with what will never be. I wonder what things God is inviting you to surrender? How do you try to control the plan, your image, or the timing of things? Maybe today Jesus is inviting you to embrace his sufficiency through surrender. I know firsthand that it’s not easy to pray, “let it be.” But I also know that there is a strength God gives as we surrender to him. I pray that as you surrender, you experience his sufficiency.
Pastor Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Unexpected Favor
Imagine how young Mary felt when the angel Gabriel appeared and said in Luke 1 “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” We don’t have to imagine it because the bible tells us that “she was greatly troubled and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.”
So just like we would be, when the angel appeared she was troubled or frightened and didn’t understand. I think no matter what he might have said it would be troubling to Mary or to any of us. Then the angel said “Do not be afraid” which let us know that she was, and then he gave more information about God’s plan for her life. Here she was, a recently engaged young girl, planning her wedding and suddenly her life takes a drastic detour, but God is telling her that because she is favored and He is with her, everything will be okay. Then she questions the angel, how can this be? I am a virgin, so how can I have a baby, let alone the Son of God? I’m not even married. Gabriel explains in more detail in verses 35-38. Finally, he reminds her that nothing is impossible with God.
I love the detail given here of Mary’s initial responses. She is afraid, she asks questions, and throughout the conversation, the angel Gabriel comforts, answers her questions, and explains what the Lord is doing. It’s a lot for her to process that in an instant her life has changed drastically. Of course, she is confused. When something unexpected happens in our lives we are allowed to be confused and even fearful. We’re allowed to honestly ask God for understanding and discernment. He wants us to cry out to Him in our confusion and be honest with our feelings. Then He can begin to comfort us and restore our hope. When we cry out to Him, it’s a sign that we believe he is at work in all things and sovereign over all our circumstances.
I remember being in shock, confusion, and fear after receiving a cancer diagnosis ten years ago. Yet, he gave Psalm 139 to comfort me and restore my hope. I had memorized it years before when my husband was deployed in the Gulf War, so I immediately went there and found my peace restored in God’s word. It reminded me that no matter what the circumstances, he was with me, and knew me from before I was completely knit together in my mother’s womb. He was with me! He was with Mary, and He is with you! You are his precious child, and no one loves you more than God.
Finally, Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” We might not completely understand God’s plan, but we can surrender control and trust that he has a perfect one. May we be servants trusting God’s will as best in hardship and blessing just as Mary did.
Deb Hill
Executive Assistant
Surrender
Mary was essentially told of her supernatural departure from normal life in Luke 1:26-38. She had no warning of any kind and no say in it. She had been chosen for the singular honor of being the mother of our Lord, but no one knew what that would look like in practical terms. In the face of uncertainty, and fear, she responds by surrendering her plan for her life and adopting God’s plan.
Gabriel interrupted Mary’s life with pretty stellar news, but oftentimes, our plans are interrupted by less wonderful news. Sometimes the Lord has us go through some really hard stuff that is soundly bad from our perspective, stuff we’d never choose for ourselves. Stuff that we couldn’t imagine being redeemable. No finer example of this can be found than Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew the depths of suffering the cross would entail yet he responded, “your will be done.” The physical torment of the cross was only dwarfed by the anguish of the momentary separation of the timeless trinity as Jesus became sin for us.
Jesus, as we know, defeated sin and death and rose triumphantly and after his ascension, God gave him every honor and the highest name. He presently sits at the right hand of God forevermore. He accomplished nothing less than our blessed salvation in this age of grace. God is good! Good enough to trust, nay, even anticipate what he’s got planned for us. When hard things come, that means the ride has begun and the end will certainly justify any present ordeals we may be in.
Mary relinquishes her own control of her life and responds, “may it be.” She knew her God. She had an accurate idea of God’s character and was confident He would bring about something better than she could have. Let’s strive to know the same goodness of God so that when our plans are hijacked, we can know it will be for the better. Then we can also respond, “Let it be”
Jonathan Duncan
Infinitely Precious
“Ashley, don’t you know that even if you went out and did the worst thing you could possibly imagine doing, we would still welcome you back with open arms?”
I still remember vividly that my teacher said this while looking at me very intently, with conviction and tenderness; I remember feeling embarrassed, and I also remember fighting an intense urge to cry. I also remember getting very hot and clammy and leaving that meeting shaken to my core.
My sister and I were having a paper conference with our teacher to discuss a play we’d been working on, and I'd expressed my fear that the play had too depressing of an ending: all of the characters coming to “know themselves” and realizing they were irreparably selfish and broken. I suggested we add some small snippet of hope at the end, but our teacher thought it would feel too tacked on. “Besides, you’re telling this story to an audience of Christians; there’s nothing wrong with us sitting in the magnitude of our sin. If we understand grace, it only makes the play that much more meaningful and poignant. Right?”
I must have looked unconvinced, because he added, “Knowing the depths of our sin should not be a scary thing for us to face. Because we have grace; nothing can depress us regarding our own depravity if we understand what Jesus did for us.”
I remember starting to feel uncomfortable at that point, because I had a sudden prick of fear that a bomb was about to drop, and I wasn’t ready for it. And I was right. I wasn’t ready.
I think it's because I hadn't fully come to terms with the reality of the Gospel message.
The central message of the Gospel is that Jesus came to take away our sin; he came to rescue us and give us everlasting freedom and joy so that we can experience a relationship with him that makes every other relationship pale in comparison.
But the only way we can come to realize that what Jesus did was truly, insanely loving, is if we also come to terms with the reality that each of us is the worst of sinners. We are capable of any atrocious act of inhumanity that horrifies us to think about, and any delusions we might have about our goodness need to be undone. Knowing that we are capable of (or have already done) truly awful things, will help us to see that trying to “be good” is ultimately completely laughable and wildly crazy. We must realize that something that is broken can’t possibly fix itself.
After coming to this realization, we might be tempted to think that because we can and have fallen to the greatest depths of wickedness, we are also worthless; the radical message of Jesus is that this is not so. Not to God. To God, we are infinitely precious, even at our very worst. And that is why Jesus came. To save his precious children from the crippling brokenness of sin. Our sin, your sin, my sin. The sin we’ve already committed, the sin we’re committing now, and the sin we will commit in the future. He came to save us from all of it. He’s beckoning us to fall at his feet with it every time it threatens to overwhelm and consume us.
Fellow brothers and sisters, don’t you know that you can go out and do the worst thing you could possibly imagine (when you feel so disgusting that you can’t even breathe a word of prayer to God), and Jesus still says to you, “Come to me, [you] who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28-30)?
Ashley Carr
But I’m afraid…
If you are like me coming into Advent season, there can be mixed emotions. Excitement for the season, joy for Jesus coming, and then sometimes unexplained fear. The first two emotions make sense, but I had to wrestle with fear. It isn’t fear as you get from a roller coaster or because it is the end of the year and there is so much to do (although in my business days that was overwhelming)! Realistically for me, it has to do with not allowing the Good News and the news of this season to be what saves me from my sin, and instead of resting in Jesus, there is this twinge of fear of not being good enough.
It is in that twinge of fear that the enemy plays with during this time. Maybe it is because of relational issues, maybe it is work issues, maybe there has been loss, maybe there is just some sin that has had power in your life for too long, and instead of turning to Jesus, we hide because of fear. That is why this is such an important time of the year because Jesus came and took on flesh (John 1:14) we can accept his glory and truth that he freed us from punishment and judgment (1 John 4:17-18). Jesus is with us, he has given us the Father’s love so we can be with him! He has done this so we do not have to be trapped in the fear that we are not enough! His love has changed everything for his followers. God’s love allows our hope to be bigger than our fears during this season.
We do not have to fear the future either. Because Jesus came there is now no fear of death or the enemy, we are no longer slaves to his power (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus wants to be free to enjoy him and this season. He came to usher in his kingdom and give rest to the weary, hopes to the hopeless, and courage to those who are afraid. He is my challenge and prayer. If you are struggling this season, will you ask God for the hope in Jesus to stand in his love? WIll you reach out if you need help? It is our joy to walk alongside you in this season because we are family. If you have hope to give, can you encourage those around you, can you check on those God puts on your heart? As always we are here for you if we can help.
Pastor Jeremy Johnson
family Pastor
Shame and Salvation
I can remember the day like it was yesterday. It was my fifth birthday and my parents had gotten me a new Big Wheel. You know, the kids toy that has a big wheel in the front and two small ones in the back. I was dressed and ready for my party. I had on red shorts and a red and white striped shirt. I begged my parents to let me take my new Big Wheel out on a quick spin around the block and they reluctantly agreed.
I rode out of our driveway like I was shot out of a cannon. I can remember feeling such excitement and joy as I tested the capabilities of my new ride. As I got ready to make my last turn to head home, my back wheel caught the edge of the curb and sent me flying into the gutter. There just so happened to be a huge mud puddle that I found myself lying in. I got up, looked around, and tried to brush myself off, but I quickly realized I was covered in mud and it was going nowhere regardless of how vigorously I brushed my clothes.
As I rose to go home, I can remember wondering if I could just keep riding. It’s the first time in my life I’d felt shame. Covered in mud from head to toe, I didn’t want to face anyone. I knew my parents were going to be upset and I just wanted to hide. Shame has that effect on us. Adam and Eve were created naked and the Scriptures tell us that “they felt no shame.” (Gen 2:25). However, as soon as sin entered the picture we saw them hiding from each other and from God. They quickly sewed fig leaves together to cover their imperfections. (Gen 3:7)
We all have parts of us that we’d like to hide. There’s a part of us that is covered with mud, and if we’re honest, we don’t want to expose our true selves to people. Shame is powerful. Author Curt Thompson suggested that shame says, “I am not enough. There is something wrong with me. I am bad. I don’t matter. Sooner or later they’re going to discover what a fraud I am. I do not have what it takes.” Shame maintains an exhausting hold on our soul when we believe those lies.
The power of the gospel frees us from the debilitating grip of shame. When Jesus stretched out his arms on that Roman cross, he opened his arms to all humanity. Those arms welcome us even when we’re covered in the vilest of mud, and even when we carry the heaviest of shame.
Today, will you think about the areas of your life that you’re hiding? What are the parts of your story you believe would cause people to reject you if they knew the “real you?” Pause today and prayerfully ask Jesus to remove your shame and trust that he will.
Pastor Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Almighty God, the Lamb
Over the years, I have heard many pastors and theologians refer to Jesus as a Lion and a Lamb. In fact, it is typically in that order. We sing songs about Jesus being the Lion and the Lamb. However, I find it interesting that we tend to give these descriptors equal weight, if not a slight priority to the Lion metaphor by the mere fact that it is often mentioned first. However, what if I told you that these two descriptions were not even close to being equally represented in the Bible? One of them far outweighs the other. In fact, it is so disproportionate that it will make you wonder why we often hear them together. The truth is that in all of scripture, Jesus is given the title of “Lion” a grand total of one time, while the title “Lamb” is used 30 times in scripture! It isn’t even close.
So, why is it that we use Lion imagery about God so much? Maybe it is because of C.S. Lewis’ amazing allegorical depiction of Jesus in the character of Aslan that Lion (which is one of my favorites!). Or maybe, we just like depictions of strength over weakness. But, no matter how we justify it, one thing is clear, the image of Lamb is the one that is much more dominant in Scripture.
In fact, the distinction is most stark in the book of Revelation. An author named Brian Zahnd pointed this out masterfully in his book, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God. He writes:
There is no lion in Revelation, only a Lamb…a little slaughtered Lamb. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah only in that he is a descendant of the tribe of Judah. (The lion was the symbol of the tribe of Judah.) But when we look for Jesus to be a lion, we see only a lamb. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords; he reigns not as a predatory lion but as a sacrificial lamb. Part of the divine comedy of Revelation is how the beasts of the empire are conquered, not by another beast, but by a tiny slaughtered Lamb. The elder tells John to look for a lion: “Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah” [Rev. 5:5, this is the one time the title is used]. But a lion is never seen. What is seen is the Lamb.
What does it mean that Jesus, the one who makes Almighty God knew (John 1:18), the very image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), the one in whom the fullness of deity dwells (Col 2:9)... what does it mean that this Jesus is more Lamb than Lion? What does it mean that when we look for the Lion, it is the Lamb who shows up? What does that say about who God is? What does that say about who we should be? This Christmas season, let’s be people who behold the Lamb of God!
Josh Rose
Teaching Pastor
Behold!
When you hear the word “behold” what picture comes to mind? Do you envision standing on a mountaintop, overlooking a breathtaking forested landscape with snow-capped peaks in the distance, while listening to the tender whisper of the wind and a baby bird chirping nearby? Or do you see yourself standing on a cliff looking out over the neverending expanse of the deep blue ocean, with a spectacular sunset displaying God’s splendor in a colorful tapestry? Maybe you see a newborn baby; each tiny little finger and toe, so delicate and so perfect, yet so helpless.
To behold is to pay attention; to be captivated, or fascinated by someone or something. In John 1:29, John the Baptist clearly communicates the delight and wonder that must have been felt by many as they saw Jesus walking towards them alongside the River Jordan. At that moment John looks up and declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Having the authority to “take away the sin of the world” is a bold declaration! Beholding the ONE who has that authority must have been an experience full of awe, reverence and wonder.
I love the words of an old hymn that I remember singing as a child: “I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene. And wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean… How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be… How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me.”
As you stand amazed in the presence of your Savior during this season when we celebrate his birth, just take some quiet moments to behold. This baby entered the world as God incarnate; fully God and fully man. He has carried each of our burdens to Calvary, suffered, died, rose again, and declared us to be his precious children; holy and righteous.
What do you feel invited to this season that will help you pay attention to this marvelous and wonderful gift? What will cause you to stand in awe or wonder? How will you Behold the Lamb?
Lynette Fuson
Director of Care & Counseling
Behold Gospel
Series: Behold the Lamb
Text: Luke 2:8-20
Speaker: Pastor Ryan Paulson
On Sunday, December 19th, Lead Pastor Ryan Paulson continued our sermon series for the Advent season, Behold the Lamb. In this latest message, we took one more look at the word "behold" from Luke 2:8-20 in Ryan's message, Behold Gospel.