I Surrender The Right
By Mike Rule

I have been pondering how I think I have so many rights... the right to be happy, the right to be healthy, the right to have a good life, the list goes on. Recently, I was struggling with some fairly intense back pain. I tried everything; prayer, pain medication, prayer, exercises, prayer, stretching, prayer, more pain medication, more prayer, different sleeping arrangements, did I mention prayer? Nothing worked. I was getting burned out from being in constant pain and not sleeping. After several weeks of this, I was lying in bed one night and God began to speak.

"Why do you think you deserve to be better? Surrender your false belief and self-proclaimed right to be better. Circumstances only reveal your heart."

At that moment my eyes were opened to His truth. Why did I think I deserved to have relief and a comfortable life? I surrendered then, "Lord, you have the right. I don't deserve to have relief. If You want this in my life, You have a reason and I will trust You. If I must live with this pain all my days, You are worthy."

Joy and peace immediately flooded my soul. I expected nothing except to see Him through it. He is faithful! Circumstances only reveal what has always been in our hearts; they do not cause anything. Everything points us to Jesus and reveals our desperate need for Him. Are we willing to see it?

"Lord, let the afflictions in life direct our affection to Jesus."