Category: Daily Post

This morning, I did a quick review of the drafts that I have on my blog.  There are currently 26 of them.  Most of those will never be posted, but at times, some of them turn into something interesting.  I thought this thought from June of 2014 was applicable as a follow-up to yesterday’s post about what you might look like in 5 years.

As I have written about a lot, I really enjoy the lyrics that All Sons and Daughters create and sing.  There’s one song, Dawn to Dusk that contains this particular sentence that really resonates with me:

Tomorrow’s Freedom is today’s Surrender.

hm.  No matter what we want to do tomorrow, we have to give up, or give in to something today.  The question is will you surrender in a way that creates  freedom in the future.  This is especially true in our spiritual realm.

Anyway, give it some thought as you meander through today.

Think about what you are surrendering to?

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14

Yep, 5 years from now you will be 5 years older than you are today.

But will you just be an older version of you or a different version of you?

Today is the first day to help decide the answer to that question.  After all, it is the first day of ‘Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month’.

Let us continue to grow and transform in ways today that when we look back in 2021, we will be proud of who we have become.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  Ephesians 4:11-15 ESV

Yesterday’s post bugged me all day.  I knew that phrase was from a song, but I could not recall the rest of the words.  I spun through Farther Along, To The Work and We’ll Work Til Jesus Comes before it hit. As I walking through the hallway around 2 pm, the remainder of the song quickly arose from way down deep in my brain.  It’s Let Me Live Close to Thee.  Down in the second verse the song goes like this

Not the crown nor renown
that the world might see
I would work, never shirk
blessed Lord, for Thee
But to know where I go
that my soul is free
Let me live close to Thee each day

Here’s a great version by The Chestnut Grove Quartet.  I love the way these voice sound, it takes me back and brings my heart great joy.

These songs have such great deep meaning in the words.  Take a look at the rest of the verses.  Phrases like ‘In the fight for the right I would dare and do’ and ‘Help me bear and to share some poor pilgrim’s load’ contain great encouragement for us to be bold in our daily walks as we impact those we meet and greet each day.

Yeah, let’s not shirk, for our soul is free!

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:37

It’s not that I have a huge obsession with work right now, but when I logged on this morning and was reminded of the title of yesterday’s post, immediately the words to the old hymn  came to mind.

Especially the “I will work, never shirk” bit in the chorus.

Do you remember this hymn?  I can’t see to locate the actual hymn this morning, but during my search I was reminded of the classics “We’ll work Til Jesus Comes” and “To the Work”!

Anyway, that led my mind back to Colossians 3, where it has been spending a lot of time lately, and the bit about doing everything for the Lord.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Don’t shirk today, and give what you have to the Glory of the Savior!