Stewardship Devotional Day 7
Experiencing God Reality #7 – You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.

                Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”  One of the things I often pray for is that God would do a work in me so that He can do a work through me. To see God accomplish His work though you, He must first do a work in you. He cannot do a work in you unless you surrender all to Him.

                This is the essence of stewardship: surrender. I must come to the understanding that everything I have and everything I am belongs to the Lord. Therefore, for God to do a work in me so that He may do a work through me; I must surrender everything to Him. Unfortunately, in our sin nature, we struggle with the idea of surrender. We have a tight grip on certain areas of our lives and we have a hard time letting go. However, obedience to God begins with surrender. You cannot truly know God and experience God unless you live a life of total surrender and obedience.

                Jesus taught us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Every day we are to surrender our lives over to Him. We are to sacrifice ourselves and live solely for His glory and for His Kingdom. As we walk with Him daily, we grow in obedience. We learn to obey Him moment by moment. As we live in such obedience, we begin to see how God is accomplishing His purposes through us.

                There is something to be said about daily, methodical, faithful obedience. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” Faithfulness is the foundation of truly experiencing God. Faithfulness is the key to experiencing God working in you and through you. How faithful are you? Are you faithful in Bible study? Are you faithful in prayer? Are you faithful in church attendance? Are you faithful in giving? It is through this kind of faithfulness (taking up your cross daily) that God beings to work in you for His good pleasure. God works in and through those who are faithful.

                Surrender to Jesus today. Let go of your life and give Him everything. Commit yourself to a life of faithfulness. Obey God in every area of your life. As you do, you will experience God in greater ways as He works in you and through you.