If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielded, you become enslaved to that thing. (Remember what lust is— “I must have it now,” whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escape from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. “…He has anointed Me…to proclaim liberty to the captives…” (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1).

When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, “Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like,” you will know you can’t. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, “He will break every fetter,” while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person’s life.

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Journal Entry for-JDV

March 14 2016

Good Afternoon God, and thank you for waiting on me as I tried to plow through my workday yesterday and today….trying to get to writing my journal entry. But I know that reaching out and up to you is not something I can put off or wait to do. It is like “manna”, it is to be fresh every day. And thank you for the reminder. This devotional seems to say that yielding is synonymous with surrender. And Chambers asks the question; do we surrender to You or do we surrender to other things like ourselves, or our personal dreams and desires. Do we yield to temptations, and or church activities that “seem” valuable and worthwhile but have their roots in our own ideas and perceptions? It seems to me that You have been teaching us to yield, or rather surrender to You all that we are and do and allow You to lead, guide and direct us. That we have no worries as long as we surrender to You and wait for your direction thereafter.

And God says…”Your ability to yield to Me and not to your own notions, feelings and understanding is manifest when you first surrender to Me. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus and I will provide everything else you require, including the ability to surrender the rest of your personal agenda. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your surrendered and yielded heart.”