To have a master and teacher is not the same thing as being mastered and taught. Having a master and teacher means that there is someone who knows me better than I know myself, who is closer than a friend, and who understands the remotest depths of my heart and is able to satisfy them fully. It means having someone who has made me secure in the knowledge that he has met and solved all the doubts, uncertainties, and problems in my mind. To have a master and teacher is this and nothing less— “. . . for One is your Teacher, the Christ . . .” (Matthew 23:8).Our Lord never takes measures to make me do what He wants. Sometimes I wish God would master and control me to make me do what He wants, but He will not. And at other times I wish He would leave me alone, and He does not.“You call Me Teacher and Lord . . .”— but is He? Teacher, Master, and Lord have little place in our vocabulary. We prefer the words Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer. The only word that truly describes the experience of being mastered is love, and we know little about love as God reveals it in His Word. The way we use the word obey is proof of this. In the Bible, obedience is based on a relationship between equals; for example, that of a son with his father. Our Lord was not simply God’s servant— He was His Son. “. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience. . .” (Hebrews 5:8). If we are consciously aware that we are being mastered, that idea itself is proof that we have no master. If that is our attitude toward Jesus, we are far away from having the relationship He wants with us. He wants us in a relationship where He is so easily our Master and Teacher that we have no conscious awareness of it—a relationship where all we know is that we are His to obey.

____________________________________________________________

 

September 22, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional is also a prayer that we pray at every opportunity; that we be conformed to the image of Jesus, daily. We know that we do not measure up on many occasions, and know that your grace and mercy fills in the gaps. Thank You for reminding us to surrender every day at every opportunity so that You can be our Teacher, Master, and Lord.

And God says…”If you want Me to be your Teacher, Master and Lord, all you need to do is surrender yourself to Me. There is no requirement for you to be perfect, completely obedient all the time. There is no quid pro quo. Nor are you required to act or behave like a religious or “Christian person”. Do not worry about the optics (what it looks like). How do you surrender? Simply offer up to Me your life, decisions, and activities for this day. Close your eyes and in your mind’s eye place them at the foot of the cross, and leave them there. Go on about your day knowing that I will meet all your needs according to My riches in heaven. Remember that  we are connected one day, one hour, one minute at a time, and the manna I provide is for this day, hour and minute. Do not worry about anything, pray about everything and the peace that passes all understanding will be yours.”