Friday, May 01, 2009

What Do You Want of Me?


If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!

Elisabeth Elliot

What do You want of me, Lord? What can I do to hear you, know you, show you? Am I left to suffer, agonize in wonder? Longing to behold Your sweet beauty, grace receive to melt my heart until it is one with You, while I strive to please, to see?

And, oh, dear Father, what do You long for me? In my own longing, I need to envision, to see You, to hear you, and to know you. To have my heart pure, my motives clean. Not things. Not dreams. Not what the world deems. What do You long for me?

What do you want of me? What shall I hear, see, do? How can I find You? Where can I go? Where can I wait? How can I please You? Serve You? What do You want of me?

Dare we ask these questions? Ask, with urgent pleas? Ask, with no regard for selfish pride? Ask, with only sense to please? Ask, with single hearts and minds? Ask, with no regret, only felicity?

For those who yearn, who ache to know Him, the asking often increases in the dark, billowy shadows of life, and in those hot, dry places where there is no cooling stream. The searching heart, desiring His presence, His hope, His voice, His will, His truth, that in willing and doing, wants to please Him and know He is satisfied with all it is and does.

And in the struggle to know God and please Him, the longing ones find the process is as important as the Prize itself. for the search for Him brings searching of self; and it leads to further God-seeking, a passionate longing to know Him; it brings the soul to desperation, with such thirst that only attaining Him and His best will deliver that one from parched, dry hollow, lifeless ground and calm the raging storms or reach through rising waters.

Perhaps this longing is what the Psalmist experienced when He said, "As the deer pants for the water brook, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say, 'Where is your God?'" (42:1). And, likewise, the Apostle Paul shouts from the scriptures, "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10).

Such cries are ones so intense, wells in the soul so deep, hearts so heavy that only the One Who created us can fill them. For God created all. And He not only created the answer to our need, but also created the need itself. Yes, dear friend, we have been created to be empty, thirsty, hungry, seeking vessels, and our only hope of strength, our only fountain of truth, our only bread of satisfaction is found in Jesus Christ. . . . In asking the question, "What do You want of me?"

And the more we know Him, the more we desire to do so. The deeper our love for Him, the greater our cry. For He is the well of salvation that never runs dry. Christ is the unfathomable truth. The only course to eternal life and earthly joy. He is the only All in All. His is the only River of Life. True peace can only be found in Jesus.

To call upon Him and fall at His feet is our greatest opportunity. No other god will answer. No other bread fully satisfies. No other vine bears the fruit of real peace. He created us for Himself. To desire Him. To cry to Him. To hear His voice! And that voice beckons us now, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).

Do not be afraid to ask of Him, "What do You want of Me?"

IN THE HANDS OF GOD

byTeresa of Avila

I am Yours and born of You,
What do You want of me?

Majestic Sovereign,Unending wisdom,
Kindness pleasing to my soul;
God sublime, one Being Good,
Behold this one so vile.
Singing of her love to you:
What do You want of me?

Yours, you made me,
Yours,you saved me,
Yours, you endured me,
Yours, you called me,
Yours, you awaited me,
Yours, I did not stray.
What do You want of me?

Good Lord, what do you want of me,
What is this wretch to do?
What work is this,
This sinful slave, to do?
Look at me, Sweet Love,
Sweet Love, look at me,
What do You want of me?

In Your hand
I place my heart,
Body, life and soul,
Deep feelings and affections mine,
Spouse -- Redeemer sweet,
Myself offered now to you,
What do You want of me?

Give me death, give me life,
Health or sickness,
Honor or shame,
War or swelling peace,
Weakness or full strength,
Yes, to these I say,
What do You want of me?

Give me wealth or want,
Delight or distress,
Happiness or gloominess,
Heaven or hell,
Sweet life, sun unveiled,
To you I give all.
What do You want of me?

Give me, if You will,prayer;
Or let me know dryness,
And abundance of devotion,
Or if not, then barrenness.
In you alone, Sovereign Majesty,
I find my peace,
What do You want of me?

Give me then wisdom.
Or for love, ignorance,
Years of abundance,
Or hunger and famine.
Darkness or sunlight,
Move me here or there:
What do You want of me?

If You want me to rest,
I desire it for love;
If to labor,I will die working:
Sweet Love say
Where, how and when.
What do You want of me?

Calvary or Tabor give me,
Desert or fruitful land;
As Job in suffering
Or John at Your breast;
Barren or fruited vine,
Whatever be Your will:
What do You want of me?

Be I Joseph chained
Or as Egypt's governor,
Avid pained
Or exalted high,
Jonas drowned, Or Jonas freed:
What do You want of me?

Silent or speaking,
Fruitbearing or barren,
My wounds shown by the Law,
Rejoicing in the tender Gospel;
Sorrowing or exulting,
You alone live in me:
What do You want of me?

Yours I am, for You I was born:
What do You want of me?

Scripture is from NKJV

22 comments:

  1. Dear Andrea,

    What does He want of me? It is a simple answer to just simply believe in Him. To trust in Him completely without reservation, or doubt.

    To know Him completely...His love for me is so amazing, is awe inspiring.

    What does He want of me? everything. I am to die to self on a daily basis. Only He can be my life and nothing else.

    Thank you dear friend for sharing such encouraging thoughts. May the Lord continue to bless you and your ministry.

    Lady M

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  2. Lovely and thought provoking post.
    Deep thoughts to ponder on.
    Isn't this what causes us to share our souls with God and then He answers? Yes, I think so.

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  3. Thank you for these beautifully crafted words of life, Andrea. What a beautiful way to start the month of May.

    What you wrote,
    "...we have been created to be empty, thirsty, hungry, seeking vessels, and our only hope of strength, our only fountain of truth, our only bread of satisfaction is found in Jesus Christ..." is so true.

    Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.

    There is a God shaped vacuum in our hearts that no one else, and nothing else, can satisfy.

    We were created as creatures longing for a Creator!

    And St. Teresa of Avila! For twelve years, I went to a Catholic school in Manila run by Belgian nuns, and here is where I got to know St. Teresa of Avila. She was our school's patron saint. It is only a few years ago that I discovered she had such a deep love for her Savior. Thank you for posting this beautiful poem here!

    Blessings to you Andrea for how you have stirred our hearts anew.

    May your post cause many readers to once again long and hunger and thirst to do the perfect will of the Father.

    Love
    Lidj

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  4. As always, visiting your blog transported me to another world this morning. What a glorious, renewing trip it has been! Bless you, Andrea for your craft and your generosity of heart to share it with us.

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  5. Just the thought of being among the "longing ones" takes my breath away. Can't tell you how many days & hours I've spent before Him with that question in my thoughts. I also can't tell you how many times He's opened wide His way.

    I don't know that such knowledge is for the aged only, but I do know that it's taken me these many long years to rest comfortably in His hands. We are safest there. Hallelujah!

    Kathleen

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  6. What do you want of me? Such a simple question, yet we often forget to ask it in our busy-ness. I know on days that I forget to ask the Lord what his plan is for me just for that day, I seem to get lost in the little tasks and forget that he has plans that work toward a goal. Thanks for this beautiful reminder to never take for granted our ability to ask of the Lord and he will answer.

    Blessing!

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  7. What a beautiful blog you have here. Beauty for the eyes, and food for the soul. Thank you for visiting my blog. I will definitely return to this beautiful place!

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  8. Hi Andrea,
    I live in Somerville, Alabama. We are only 20-30 minutes from Huntsville. My daughter lives in Madison. I am so happy to meet someone who lives near by. I have enjoyed my visit to your blog and look forward to reading more. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

    Blessings,
    Elizabeth

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  9. Reading your heart here, friend, makes me want to know him even more! My heart cries out for this unfathomable truth every day. The more I know him, the more I want to be swept up in him forever.

    He is my everything; the reason behind my doing anything of worth.

    peace~elaine

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  10. Empty, thirsty, hungry and desperate. I find myself wanting to know more, and more, and more of Jesus my Lord, Saviour and Redeemer!

    He is my River of Life, My All in All, my Peace!

    Like St. Teresa of Avila my question too...Lord, what do you want of me?

    I know beyond a shadow of doubt, the answer to that question is found in the living, breathing, word of God.

    Oh that I might spend more time in the word of God!

    ~Blessings, mercy, peace & grace~

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  11. This was SO beautifully rich! ;)
    Thank you for this blessed wisdom and
    encouragement, dear friend!!!

    With Much Love in Christ,
    Miss Jen

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  12. Hello!

    Thank you for the very kind and encouraging comment you posted on my blog!

    On your section of cottage living room, the picture there is so beautiful! I also see you talk about rosemary, do you have a plant of it? If so is it a standard (a tree)? If not I am going to be doing a tutorial sometime soon on my site on how to start a rosemary standard(tree).

    May the Lord bless,
    Miss Megan

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  13. Andrea,

    How is it you always find a way to speak to my mind and my heart? I know that the Lord finds a way to speak to us, to lead us, and to giude us in many ways. I am always so excited to visit your blog as I know He will have left a message for me through your words. You are truly one of my cherished friends. How amazing that we have met through this very modern and virtual world of blogging. Wow, God really does work in wonderful ways, does He not?

    Praises to Him!

    Blessings to you and yours,

    Kim

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  14. Thank you Andrea for stopping by to visit!!
    I always enjoy my visits here!!
    How my soul pants for My God!!
    I have long loved this passage of scripture!!
    When we ask... He is always faithful to answer!!

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  15. Excellent thoughts worth contemplating! Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Hi Andrea,
    What an awesome post so inspiring. I have asked this same question of God so many times! Your words have expressed how I have felt so many times too, I t was like reading my own thoughts. Thank you for sharing.
    I loved the poem also.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  17. Beautiful! In Bible study we are learning "Surrender," yielding my life as a living sacrifice in view of the mercies of God. What mercy! What grace! How can I not but bow before Him?

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  18. I'm amazed at the process of seeking Him. The more I dig into what it means to meditate and contemplate...and how they are different resonates with your post here. Thank you for the encouragement to keep pressing through the darkness of the process and the waiting and the intense longing....we are made to long for Him. I can't wait for complete fulfillment when we see Him face to face.

    Drinking my favorite green tea, Madame Butterfly as I read your blog....love visiting your parlor!

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  19. What a wonderful post! Thank you for that. I have been in that season of my life a while just sitting and wondering what He wants of me.

    :) Jill

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  20. Dear Andrea,
    Your heartfelt questions stirred my soul. Oh, I do pray that I will ask with only wanting to please. I'm so thankful that as we seek Him, we find Him and He fills every hurt and hole in our pilgrim hearts.
    Blessings to you dear one.

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  21. Oh! yes and the longing brings forth suffering that brings us nearer to our goal.

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Thank you for visiting. I cherish your thoughts. You are special to me, but most of all, you are special to God, who loves you with everlasting love. May your life be swept into His joy and peace.

In the Wonderful Love of Christ our Savior,

Andrea