As I pulled the weeds away from the beautiful rose bush’s base, I noticed the root ball had four sections. I wondered if I should leave them together or divide and place each section at different posts across the fence…
Just like the uprooting of my rose bush, some of my life’s leaves wilted, petals fell to the ground and a few of my branches produced more thorns than blossoms – at least for a while. God was pruning my ministry and my life, teaching me how to surrender my plans for His.
It was hard. But God was doing a new thing and allowing me to perceive it. (Is.43:19) That was five years ago and I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if He had not uprooted me and planted me in a new place, with new dreams.
It’s easy to doubt God, ourselves and our futures when our lives feel uprooted and our dreams fall apart. For years, I had allowed pain in my past to hinder me from trusting God with my future. I allowed insecurities and fears to keep me from living in the assurance of His promises and the confidence of His love.
The only way I could surrender my former soil was to get rooted in God’s love. So I spent time with Jesus. He was all I had. Each time I wanted to cry or run, I took the broken pieces of my heart and my will and gave them to Him. I was honest with Him about how I felt. How disappointed I was. How mad I was. How hurt I was. How scared I was.
Each day I would ask Him to show me how to process my pain or my questions through His truth. How to rely on Him. How to embrace what He was doing so that I would become more like Him. I remember reading, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. “(Philippians 2:5-7)
As I asked Him to help me understand, I began to see How God could reveal more of Himself through me as I depended more on Him. Eventually those around me would enjoy the new blossoms that were produced through my surrender..
I read through the book of John, journaling each time I noticed Jesus laying down His comforts, His familiar places and people, His rights, His life – to bring glory to His Father. And each time I would let go a little more.
It taught me absolute dependence on God like I had never known and changed me from the inside out. I came to new place of trusting Him and experiencing His glory in my life and in my family. Even now we are living out the lesson of the rose bush as we make room for a new “planting of the Lord” in our lives. I invite you to read through my posts last week and see our little crown of beauty: a display of His glory revealed through a little girl who’s becoming part of our story!
What is God asking you to surrender? I’d love to know so I can pray for you! And if you’d like a chance to win a copy of my “Beyond the Shadow of Doubt” message on DVD, be sure to click on the word “comments” just below my name, then type in the white box. If you don’t have a blog, just click anonymous. It’d be fun to know your first name, age and city (& email address so I can let you know if you win)!
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Hi sweet friends, I am reading comments as they come in today and praying for you. We are all going through a lot aren't we? Let's pray for each other today and find comfort and strength in knowing that we are not alone!
Lord, I pray for each of my friends and sisters in Christ. Jesus, I pray that You would meet them here and speak tenderly and reassuringly to their hearts. I pray that you would give them Your peace and a sense of Hope in the new things that you are doing in their lives, in their marriages, in their homes. Give them courage to surrender and trust you! Sweet Savior, You know our pain,our fears, our doubts and the sting of suffering. Please help us to abide in You today and draw from the courage and power You give us through Your Holy Spirit. It is in Your precious Name we pray. Amen.
Like many families now we are struggling financially. Right now I am a stay at mom to my two very young girls. There is a very good possibility that I will have to return to work a lot sooner than I had hoped and wanted and I struggle daily with the idea of having to find good childcare for my girls. I know I must trust in God completely and surrender completely to Him. He has a plan for me and my family and will get us through whatever lies ahead. But right now I am definitely struggling with giving all the stress and worry and questions over to Him to answer.
You write my heart. 🙂
Love you,
K
Renee-
Thank you for your sweeet words; can't wait to see a pic of Aster. I was also touched by the other comments left here and pray for each as I read them. As with others, my life has been shaped by a "superficial" family. and now by my husband's cancer. Many people are praying around the world for us! Remarkably, God has put many things in place; I can see His workings day by day, and He has prepared and molded me/us in ways I could never have predicted. Whatever happens, I am stronger now than I ever could have imagined. Life is still good and our marriage is still intact! God bless you! Pat, 59, Edison, NJ
([email protected])
God have pruned me a lot already. I can't believe at 71, He is still pruning me. Thanks for your message on "Surrendering" There are still many issues I have to surrender: my vanity, my love for material things.
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thanks for the devotion and your blog, I sure am in that place that feel like what God was taking me on fell, and your rosebush example, I have to trust even though it seems there is nothing ahead, but press into my father, who will not waste the gifts he has given me
my name is stacy I am 44 years old and live in Cincinnati, OH
Hello I was reading you passage and I felt like it was meant for me. 1 day ago my mom passed away. This is truly hard for me. My parents relationship throughout my life has been superficial. As a child and now adult I have been seeking the love and validation that we all need from a parent. This battle is a beginning for me and I despartely want God to reveal to me the way I can heal and grow to serve him. I am Marissa 49 Howell NJ [email protected]
Hi Renee! God is telling me to surrender myself actively, not just as a lip service.
It's wonderful how God uses everyday things to teach us about Him and ourselves. This just further verifies Him!
For the drawing, my name is Larie, 31, Goldsboro.
smooches,
Larie
Renee,
Loved the devotion today! I am preparing to go in to my last day of work as I will begin working full time in ministry starting Sunday! Please pray for my family as we are obedient and step out in FAITH that HE will provide and protect us! I so love the ministry you ladies do, it was only a few short weeks ago that I was struggling with the decision to leave my full time job and go into ministry all the ladies at church were praying for clarity for me and the following week I get the daily devotional from Marybeth Whalen "Do It" I knew at that moment what I was supposed to do!!! Thank you all for being Women of God that He may speak through you and touch the lives of so many!
Blessings,
Maria Shepherd
[email protected]
Hello,
i have just read you story, with tears in my heart. yesterday i was so confused and hurt, because of what i am going trough, now i understand God wants me to surrender All MY LIFE, i have seen my dreams falling appart and all my support turning their back on me. it is painful but like you said He has to get the glory only Him. I want you to pray so that my hear must be willing to obey and let go on things and people and surrender all in Him.
Thank you for your testimonie. May God bless you in everything.
I am so inspired by the daily devotions. My life is in upside down mode. I come here each morning to read, and come away with such God inspired messages and ideas for my day! Renee, I am going thru some pruning, and your words speak truth. We are in interesting times. I see God's hand in so much more than I ever did. We are dealing with issues of the struggling economy, finances, and the nest emptying..
age 52
Cincinnati, OH
Thank you so much for your stories ,they are such an encouragement in my life.I'm a christian who is still growing ,i'm still wnat to know what God wants me to in His ministry,I want Him to use me.Please pray for me that i may draw closer to God.My name is Ruth Ncube
Renee, this blog was so wonderfully timed with my life right now. In another week my very dear friend and her family will be leaving NY and moving to CO and I am feeling the heartache of separation even though I know it is God's plan for them to move out there. Also, a dear friend of mine passed away yesterday and there are so many questions left unanswered as to why God chose to take him now when he is needed by his family, friends, and church community. Please pray for his family – his name was Phil. Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing your walk with God with others.It is really encouraging and strenghtening to know that I am not alone in this journey.God is getting me to surrender the hurt and pain of two broken marriages.
Thank you so much for sharing your walk with God with others.It is really encouraging and strenghtening to know that I am not alone in this journey.God is getting me to surrender the hurt and pain of two broken marriages.
Thank you so much for sharing your walk with God with others.It is really encouraging and strenghtening to know that I am not alone in this journey.God is getting me to surrender the hurt and pain of two broken marriages.
I just graduated law school and took the bar however I am still unemployed as well as battling forgiveness of someone who hurt me very deeply. If you would have asked me 3 years ago where I planned to be right now I never would have guessed that this is where I would end up. I feel as if my hard work was for naught. I struggle so much with letting go of what I think my life should be and giving God complete control. Your devotional really touched me today and I thank you for it. If you have time I would greatly appreciate a quick prayer on my behalf. Thank you again
Hi Renee — I've been following the story of Aster and it has touched my heart. It brings back such wonderful memories of bringing my own little girl home from Korea some 21 years ago now.
One of the *many* things (LOL) I'm trying to surrender is my need to try to direct that little girl's life now that she's grown up. It's so difficult to place a child's future in God's hands, knowing full well that she may not go in the direction *I* would like. It's a constant struggle for me!
Thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement and for sharing so much of your personal walk. It is such a great example!
opps here is my email address, 🙂
[email protected]
Lisa
Halifax, NS
Hey Renee:) what a Beautiful little princess you have there, she smiles and you see God:)
God is getting me to surrender the guilt that happens to creep up when i do something he told me to do and my family doesnt agree with and they let me know they dont. It really causes me to second guess myself.
For the drawing you are doing here is my info: My name is Lisa and im 41, and i live in Halifax, NS.
God bless you and your family:)