Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
A dedicated life. Being in Christ sets you aside to live a dedicated life. But ultimately, whether you live unto Me or unto the world, is up to you. In Christ, you are in the world but not of the world. You have a higher vision, a higher calling, and a higher goal, it reaches beyond the eyes of men to My eyes.
For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. 2 Chronicles 16:9.
For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth.” Zechariah 4:9-10.
And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:6.
What does it mean to live a dedicated life? You find a good definition of its daily application in this verse penned by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by My servant Paul, who lived a dedicated life:
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Colossians 3:23-25.
The Levites were the priests under the Second Amendment and Complete Restatement of My Eternal Covenant and as such they were My portion. I carried them through life and took care of all their needs, wants, care, and provision. They in turn lived a life of dedicated service to Me, taking care of My holy things and sacrifices, and serving their High Priest as well.
Behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service for the tent of meeting. Numbers 18:6.
Today I want to talk with you about dedication. Dedication is a life style that flows naturally from a heart in love with Me. And I mean totally committed love—love without limits.
A life of dedication looks like the life of Jesus. He was totally committed to My plan. He walked in honor and integrity and Satan had no place in Him. Not even a crack where he could enter. To do My Will was His delight and My Law was within His Heart. He is the Light of the world. He only did what pleased Me. That is true dedication. You are all Mine and you walk in the Light of My Love.
You have entered My rest. You trust Me to perform My Word. You do not give in to worry or fear because you know I am there for you and that you have dedicated yourself to Me. I take care of My own. There is no snatching out of My Hand.
And a life of dedication gives you joy. Remember My Son rejoiced in the Holy Spirit? And His joy caused Him to cry out to Me in loving praise of My plans. He told His disciples that what He told them was so they could share His joy and their joy would then be complete. John 15:11.
A life of dedication brings complete fullness of joy for you have come home to where you belong and to who you really are.
You may be thinking you would like joy but you may not be sure what a dedicated life requires of you.
Dedication is not something extraordinary that you have to work up and only a few can accomplish. No, it comes naturally if you love Me in the way that I tell you to love Me. And how do I tell you to love Me? My Son called it the first and most important of all the Commandments, and stated it as follows: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And when He emptied Himself of His power as God and became as one of you in all things but sin, He kept this commandment and kept it perfectly. And He told you that all believers can do the works He did and greater ones. So do not say you cannot do this.
My Commandments are enabling, if I tell you to do something I put the strength in you to do it by the power in My Word. Just as I said “light be” and light was, if I say to love Me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, I give you the ability to do so. I pour My love into your heart by the gift of the Holy Spirit. And I am Love, so I pour Myself into you so that you can be filled with the fullness of the Godhead in all wisdom and power. And love is really who you are for you are in My image, so you really will only know true joy when you love and are loved. Live on in My Love and you will find life a treasure trove.
Dedication is to love Me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. It means you put My Word first in everything. In your thoughts, in your words, in your actions, in your choices, in all you do—in other words, it is a life style where the most important word to you on any subject is not your own word, not your doctor’s word, not your co-worker’s word, and not the world’s word, but My Word.
You trust that if I said it, I will perform it in your life. I am your Healer and if you really believe this you will have no fear of illness, accidents or disease. You will smile and rebuke those things, knowing I will not profane My Name. I will heal you every time.
Being dedicated is being single minded. It means you have set your mind to live My Word and you are determined to do so no matter what the cost.
Dedication makes you different and sets you apart. The majority of the world is not seeking My interests but their own. The dedicated person is first of all about My business. Just as Jesus was, from when He was a child at twelve years old to the time He died upon the Cross.
And what is My business? To bless you to be a blessing. I desire that you prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers. My business is salvation. I want you to minister salvation. To share the good news of Jesus. It is My desire that all men are saved and come to know the truth. I want all to know Me from the least to the greatest, from the child to the adult. My business is family business. My business is for you to make the whole earth into a Garden of Eden.
I look for dedication. I seek those who worship Me in spirit and truth. That is, who walk in the spirit, which is walking by faith and not by sight, which means setting your mind on My Word for My Words are spirit and life. And My Word is truth. Dedication all comes down to keeping My Word with all your heart. It is having a heart towards Me. And My eyes roam to and fro over the earth looking for those whose hearts are towards Me to show Myself strong on their behalf.
When you are dedicated to Me, loyal to My Word, it is never out of compulsion or a sense of guilt. People who approach Me under compulsion, fear or guilt are never totally committed to Me. They do not truly give Me their hearts. They really do not love Me and trust Me. They do not delight in My presence and in My Word.
But the dedicated person cannot be in My presence enough. Such a person is hungry for Me and My Word. We have sweet fellowship and share thoughts and dreams. And My Word causes joy in his or her heart. Just like it did in the heart of My Son. He found life in My Words.
My servant Daniel was totally dedicated to Me, everything he did was unto Me alone. And in the midst of a pagan people when he was taken in exile, I gave him favor and he rose to high government positions, but he never sought after the favor of men but only My favor. He would rather get thrown in a den of hungry lions than submit to a decree that said he could not pray to Me. He never budged off My commandments in even the smallest matters for the sake of making it easier for himself with his captors. He had no fear of men, his only fear was of losing his relationship, his close fellowship, with Me. He let no one and nothing interfere with that.
A person who has tasted and seen My goodness becomes a dedicated person. A person who has experienced My presence and seen mighty works in his or her life is excited about Me and what I can and will do for those who love Me and let Me act in their lives. A person who has experienced life with Me as compared to without Me becomes a dedicated person.
It is a wonderful thing to be a dedicated person. Let Me tell you what happens in the life of such a person.
Those who love Me are known by Me. I call them and they follow Me. I give them great works to do because I can count on them. They are faithful in small matters and great matters. They keep their eyes on Me and are ready to obey the minute they discern My Will.
I confide in those whose hearts are dedicated to Me. Psalm 25:14. I show Myself strong on their behalf and work great works through them, with them and in them.
Dedication equals emancipation. It equals freedom. Freedom from bondage to any worldly thing or lust. Nothing ensnares you. You cannot be overpowered by lust, anger, impurity, fear or any other evil that originates in the heart of man for your heart is filled with My light and love and the darkness can find no place there.
When you truly are living a dedicated life flowing out of your love for Me and your excitement about Me, the devil can find no place in you and the curse cannot land upon you. Discouragement and depression must flee in the light of My goodness and love.
A dedicated person knows Me. And knowing Me means knowing My love, for I am love. And once you have known My love you will never fear again. Perfect love casts out all fear.
And when you keep My Word, I reveal Myself to you and take up My abode with you and I am Love. John 14:21, 23. Your life then becomes love—surrounded, filled and overflowing with love. And it becomes beautiful. And your life becomes the place you love to be–like the promised land flowing with milk and honey. You are filled within your heart with sweetness and light which flows from your total connection to Me. It becomes the fountain welling up within you to eternal life that My Son described to the Samaritan woman at the well.
At last you have joined to your Source, which is Me. And I am Light.
A dedicated person is always looking to Me and trying to determine what I am doing, what I am dreaming, what My plans are. Such a person pursues Me. And that too is keeping My Word. I tell you to pursue love. If you pursue love, you are actually pursuing Me. And you will find that what you pursue will also pursue you. David pursued Me, and I am Love, and he found that goodness and love pursued him all the days of his life. Psalm 23:6. Blessings will come upon you and overwhelm you. Deuteronomy 28:2.
Come to Me. Get to know Me. Let Me show you My love. My yoke is easy and My burden light. I am as an apple tree among the trees of the woods, come rest in My shade for My fruit is sweet. Song of Songs 2:3. Let Me bring you into My banquet hall where My banner over you is love. Song of Songs 2:4. My left hand is under your head and My right hand embraces you. Song of Songs 2:6.
This is the dedicated life. I am totally dedicated to you. Dedicate your life to Me and it will be sweet. A truly dedicated person cannot be moved by anything from My Love. Romans 8:35-39. Why? Because they know Me in whom they have believed.
I love you. Rest in My shade. I will always heal you and restore your soul. I will prosper you.