“The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne… ” Revelation 4:10

All to You I Owe

I have been musing of late on how little I contribute to the remarkable relationship I have with a great and majestic God. I have heard people refer to the time they “found the Lord.” That’s how we think. God was never lost. We were.

I would never have known Him, unless He had revealed Himself to me. I was ignorant, blind, and pursuing my own pleasure in my own way with never a thought directed His way. He got my attention in ways I could not deny. He came looking for me. He pursued me with a holy passion. He showed me who He was and I was stunned into silence. It was all Him.

As a young believer He sat me at the feet of learned and holy men. He pointed me to godly women as examples. They encouraged, edified, and exhorted me. At that time I knew nothing of the Holy Spirit, His gifts, or His power. Yet that gentle Spirit was revealed to me and came upon me. It was all Him.

Over the years, He has never left me. I have found Him always to be faithful. He has given me gifts, and dreams come true, and riches I never could have predicted. In the hard places, He stood with me. In confusion, He was my peace. In doubt, He was wisdom. In victory, my delight was in Him.

As I struggle with temptation, I become discouraged and doubt my worth in His eyes. Sin so easily besets me. And then He comes to me to say, “Lift your eyes and look to Me. I always knew you would need a Savior. This is My work and I have overcome.” His grace abounds to me. My failures are under His blood. And I can have the confidence of victory over sin and temptation and the struggle of my flesh. It’s all Jesus.

Jesus has done the heavy lifting. He bids me only to yoke myself with Him. He invites me to walk beside Him on my life’s journey. So I will continue to gaze into the eyes of the One that knows me absolutely and yet loves me entirely.

There is no victory I have won. There is no crown I have earned. There is no glory I have merited. It’s all Jesus. “For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13).

“Father, You alone have saved me. You have justified me in Your sight. You are sanctifying me. You will see me through all that is to come until I am standing before You in awestruck wonder. You are worthy of highest praise. The ages will declare your worth. Glory to God in the highest! Amen.”