Consecration

Matthew 7:11 contrasts the Father in heaven with earthly parents. Parents give good gifts to their children. If the child's need is for bread, a snake is not provided. A contrast that seems absurd; however, Jesus is attempting to raise our level of trust in the Father and our consecration to the Father. The 'how much more' of the Father is what should liberate us to consecrate ourselves to the Lord. We dabble around the edges worried that the Father may demand something of us that we don't desire. Jesus says the good gifts the Father gives make the actions of responsible, loving parents seem trivial. When we give our all to the Father, when our consecration is complete and we have placed our life in His hands and becomme His living sacrifice, we begin to taste the divine gifts that can't be found from a source on earth. We have a tendency to ask for good gifts from the Father without first making our consecration complete. The enemy causes us to view this consecration as hard, unfair, life threatening. But this consecration is the doorway to the abundant life, the Spirit filled life of victory over sin, world and Satan. We must be all His. To restrict or rebel against the Father in heaven only plays into Satan's schemes and robs me of the abundant life. Each morning to awaken and say, "Father in heaven, Your kingdom come and Your will be done" is the threshold to a day of victory. When I am all His, I can rest in the 'how much more' of my Father in heaven. When my Edler brother, Jesus, lived out his consecration to the last breath hanging on a cross, the Father did the 'how much more' of resurrection and exalted the Son above all. Father in heaven, 'take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee'.