The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections
Today's Devotional • Back to Home Page
Aug 21
Devotional Special
The 3-Part Surrender Series
Part Three
The Sweet Life
The Intimacy of the Surrendered Life
There is a sweetness that comes only after surrender — a sweetness so gentle, so quiet, so unmistakably holy that it cannot be produced by effort, emotion, or striving. It is the sweetness of Christ drawing near. The sweetness of His presence settling over a life that has finally laid down its will. The sweetness of knowing Him, not in theory, but in experience.
Surrender gave Him full access to all of me… and gave me full access to all of Him.
That is the sweet life.
It is not dramatic. It is not loud. It is not emotional. It is not forced.
It is the quiet sweetness of a God who comes close.
The Sweetness of His Nearness
The sweetest part of surrender is the nearness of Christ. Not imagined. Not hoped for. Not wished for. Not “felt” in a moment of worship and then lost again.
Nearness that stays. Nearness that settles. Nearness that becomes the air you breathe.
The surrendered life is the life where Christ is not far away. He is right here. Closer than breath. Closer than thought. Closer than memory.
There is no shadow of doubt. No wondering. No reaching. No straining.
You know He is near because He makes it known.
The Sweetness of His Gentleness
He has been so gentle with me. That is part of the sweetness.
Not forceful. Not demanding. Not harsh. Not impatient.
Gentle.
He touches the hidden places without hurting them. He brings up memories without overwhelming you. He shows you where He was without shaming you. He reveals truth without crushing you. He leads you without pushing you.
His gentleness is the sweetness of surrender.
The Sweetness of His Confirmation
One of the sweetest gifts of the surrendered life is the way He confirms Himself.
He brings back memories — moments you forgot, moments you didn’t understand — and shows you:
“I was there.” “I kept you.” “I protected you.” “I carried you.” “I prevented harm to you.” “I waited for you.” “I loved you even then.”
And then He shows you:
“I am here now.”
This is the sweetness that cannot be explained — only lived.
The Sweetness of Being Known
In surrender, you discover something you never knew before:
He knows you. He knows your fears. He knows your wounds. He knows your history. He knows your patterns. He knows your heart. He knows your limits. He knows your tenderness. He knows your fragility. He knows your strength.
And He meets you with gentleness that fits you perfectly.
This is the sweetness of being known by God.
The Sweetness of Being Held
Surrender is not falling. It is being held.
Held in peace. Held in rest. Held in safety. Held in certainty. Held in love. Held in His presence.
You are not trying to reach Him. You are not trying to keep Him. You are not trying to feel Him.
You are simply held.
This is the sweetness of the surrendered life.
The Sweetness of His Voice
Not loud. Not dramatic. Not booming.
Quiet. Steady. Clear. Gentle.
A voice that reassures. A voice that guides. A voice that comforts. A voice that corrects without wounding. A voice that leads without pressure.
This is the sweetness of hearing Him.
The Sweetness of His Peace
Peace that does not depend on circumstances. Peace that does not rise and fall. Peace that does not disappear when life becomes difficult. Peace that stays. Peace that keeps you calm even when your body hurts. Peace that holds you steady even when your chair fails you. Peace that keeps your heart quiet even when your day is heavy.
This is the sweetness of His peace.
The Sweet Life
The sweet life is not ease. It is not comfort. It is not the absence of pain. It is not the absence of difficulty.
The sweet life is Christ near. Christ gentle. Christ present. Christ ruling. Christ confirming. Christ healing. Christ carrying. Christ keeping.
The sweet life is the life where you know — without a shadow of a doubt — that He is here.
The sweet life is the life where surrender opened the door to intimacy.
The sweet life is the life where He has full access to you… and you have full access to Him.
This is the sweetness I am living.
This is the sweetness He gives.
you can visit my Aug 15 devotional: When my Eyes Were Opened
Supporting Scripture References
The Sweetness of His Nearness
Christ near. Christ present. Christ here.
Psalm 73:28 “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.”
James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Psalm 145:18 “The Lord is near to all who call on Him.”
Acts 17:27 “…He is not far from each one of us.”
The Sweetness of His Gentleness
His gentleness fits your fragility perfectly.
Psalm 18:35 “Your gentleness has made me great.”
Isaiah 40:11 “He will gently lead those that are with young.”
Matthew 11:29 “…I am gentle and lowly in heart…”
Isaiah 42:3 “A bruised reed He will not break…”
The Sweetness of His Confirmation
“I was there.” “I kept you.” “I carried you.”
Psalm 77:11–12 “I will remember the deeds of the Lord…”
Deuteronomy 1:31 “…the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son…”
Psalm 139:1–3 “You have searched me and known me… You are acquainted with all my ways.”
Isaiah 46:4 “I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”
The Sweetness of Being Known
He knows your wounds, fears, patterns, tenderness.
Psalm 139:1–4 “O Lord, You have searched me and known me…”
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you… I knew you.”
John 10:14 “I know My sheep, and My sheep know Me.”
Nahum 1:7 “…He knows those who trust in Him.”
The Sweetness of Being Held
Held in peace, rest, safety, certainty, love.
Isaiah 41:10 “I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the secret place… shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 62:1 “My soul finds rest in God alone.”
The Sweetness of His Voice
Quiet. Steady. Clear. Gentle.
Isaiah 30:21 “…your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way…’”
John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice…”
1 Kings 19:12 “…a still small voice.”
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you… I will guide you with My eye.”
The Sweetness of His Peace
Peace that stays. Peace that holds. Peace that keeps.
John 14:27 “My peace I give to you… not as the world gives…”
Philippians 4:7 “…the peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds…”
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace…”
Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”
The Sweet Life Itself
Christ near. Christ gentle. Christ ruling. Christ keeping.
Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good…”
Psalm 16:11 “…in Your presence is fullness of joy…”
John 15:4–5 “Abide in Me… apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”
Comments
Post a Comment