Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Psalm 103:1

ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME. These words have resonated through out my mind tonight. This morning I attended class at the O.G.T.C. as I do every Friday. Tony Howeth taught for the first hour on the life of Hannah from First Samuel. As I had thought about my desire to serve God with “all that is within me” I was challenged to look at all that is “within me”.

In the life of Hannah there was a complete abandonment for any other desire that I have never known. She did not want a son for her own sake. She was going to give her son to God, for His glory. She just wanted to be used of God and she knew this could be a way He could use her.

Last night I heard my friend Aaron, missionary to a creative access country in North Africa, tell about how he feels so alive when he shared the gospel with people who have never heard of Christ. His says his life will never be the same.

When I read the words “all that is within me” I quickly judged my life today to previous days of serving God. What an erroneous method for judging my dedication. My previous days of surrender should not become my goal for today. I should want my life to be poured out as a drink sacrifice.

As I read about Hannah and heard the stories from Aaron I knew their ware depths of my life that are “within me” that are not giving completely over to God for His purposes. There are emotions of sadness that I have felt for the loss of family members that I have never felt for the loss of a soul in Haiti that died without accepting Christ. That emotion is “within me but has not been properly offered over to God. There have been emotions of happiness I have felt for my son that I have never felt for the young men I desire to mentor. There are things that I have been blessed with that I have never considered giving to the ministry.

I am asking God to search my heart and allow me to say that I want to bless His holy name with “all that is within me”!

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