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