"Take My Life and Let It Be"
Sep. 8, 2019
"Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
"Take my hands and let them move, At the impulse of Thy love; Take my feet and let them be, Swift and beautiful for Thee."
In ancient Israel, kings and high priests were anointed with oil, an act that consecrated them, setting them apart for a holy purpose. The high priest Aaron and his sons, and their garments, were anointed with blood and oil, by which they and their priestly robes were made holy (see Exodus 29:21). When David was anointed by the prophet Samuel, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon the new king "from that day forward" (1 Samuel 16:13b). The titles for our Lord Jesus, Messiah (in Hebrew) and Christ (in Greek), both mean "the Anointed One." The Son of God, like His ancestor David, was anointed by the Holy Spirit for God's holy purpose (see Isaiah 61:1). When the time was right, our Lord accomplished the purpose for which He was sent, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins and rising from death to give us—through faith in His Name—the gift of eternal life.
In the hymn we sing, "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee." That is what happens in Baptism. We are anointed by water, Word, and Spirit, set apart as holy, consecrated to God's sacred purpose. Our old sinful self is drowned in the baptismal waters, and we are dressed in priestly robes, in Christ's righteousness. We pray, "Take my life," and God does just that. In Baptism, we die and are buried with Christ, rising in Him to new life. Raised and redeemed, we are set apart like priests and kings of old, members of God's royal priesthood, to proclaim the glory of Him who called us "out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9b). Our sins are forgiven; every day and every moment of our lives we are redeemed by God and set apart for praise and service to others in His Name.
Baptized, we are consecrated to this life of service as members of Christ's body. We pray in the hymn that our hands would move at the impulse of Jesus' love, that He would use our hands as His own to humbly serve others in love. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the beautiful feet of those who brought a message of peace and good news: "Your God reigns" (Isaiah 52:7b). We pray, too, that our feet would be swift and beautiful, like those described by the prophet, as they carry us into the world with the message of forgiveness and hope in Christ.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, lead us to opportunities to share the good news of salvation with others. Move us to acts of love and service in Your Name. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you feel your life is consecrated unto God?
- How do you live so as to be in tune to the leading of the Holy Spirit?
- Do you have favorite songs that you carry with you throughout the day to inspire and cheer?
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Take My Life and Let It Be." Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you feel your life is consecrated unto God?
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