When these songs were first released I was still piddling around with my Christian walk. Rarely, did I get into the Word. My church attendance was mediocre. I listened to many a message, but none that really penetrated my soul. The one mainstay in my Christian walk, was Christian music. The things of the world kept me busy, distracted and bound, but God in His infinite wisdom was working to draw me near to Him. There were only a handful of songs that He used to tug at my spirit. These four songs represented all that God wanted from me…my heart. He wanted me to surrender my heart, to surrender my life, so He could heal it, so He could lead me, so He could love me…like no one ever could, or ever would.

I was save back in 1982, except for a couple of country music artists all I listened to was Christian music. My thoughts were always on God, but my heart was nevertheless, far from Him. In 1995, divorce had left me alienated in many ways, yet…I felt good about my place with God. As time passed, the Lord would reveal to me how wrong I was…about the condition of my heart and my relationship with Him. Everything was perfectly timed. These songs were the prelude to what the Lord would eventually work out in my life and in my walk.

From 2004 to 2012, I went through a real dark time in my life and I had no one to turn to. It seemed my Christian friends had all but deserted me. In my dark time I found myself turning to God as never before. It’s a long story, but God did all the teaching. He took me through every closet, every crevice of my being to reveal who I was and who He wanted me to be. He used a handful of instruments, a handful of vessels.

After years of listening and singing songs about surrendering, when I listened to Rich Mullen’s “Hold Me Jesus”, for the umpteen time, the lyrics, and his reason for writing the song, I finally realized what it meant to surrender. I finally realized surrendering was not something I could do on my own. I find it so amazing how God can use a three minute song to create real transformation.  That’s God. That ‘s why it’s so vital to our walk to take in, to breath in, to consume the real truth.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Before God can truly use us, we must first learn to surrender.

Last night, I was sharing with a friend all the Lord has shown me the last few days, and one major lesson had to do with all the spiritual gibberish we learn and accept as gospel truth. We learn and accept, and expect all the goodness of God, while ignoring all the requirements that must be fulfilled, especially when it comes to prayer.  And how much of what we gather as gospel truth comes from the music we listen to?