Andrew Murray: Empty Cups

Let us believe God has wonderful blessings for us, if we will but stand up for God, and say, be it with a trembling will, yet with a believing heart: 

“O God, I accept Thy demands. I am thine and all that I have. Absolute surrender is what my soul yields to Thee by divine grace.”

Andrew Murray (1828-1917) in Absolute Surrender (Chicago: Moody Press, 1895) 7. Download this classic work in PDF form freely here. 

This is the fourth of seven posts from this book at this time. Each day I will conclude with the Surrender Novena (in bold italics). Pray it daily. See what happens.

I chose this header photo as this nest atop a large solitary tree is an empty cup that serves as an osprey nest at times throughout the year.

The day I saw it, it was an empty cup. Are you an empty cup?

Today’s Scripture carries a profound idea. God makes us holy and useful, and He prepares us for good work and special purposes.

And then we read the word picture of the useful teacup. We would not pour tea into a dirty or full cup, would we? Of course not. 

Absolute surrender takes shape as seeing ourselves as clean, empty cups, ready to be filled. This requires faith, and as Murray notes, a lot of divine grace.

To appear as empty cups before God might seem counterintuitive and feel weak. But don’t let that stop you. Ask for grace, surrender everything, and see what happens.

Please re-read today's quote. Can you identify with the description Murray gives when he says to stand up for God with a trembling will and a believing heart?

If you are not trembling, you are not doing it right. Remember the apostle Paul said to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

The life of absolute surrender could be linked to a person jumping from an airplane and having to put complete trust in a parachute.

That person believes, trembles, and jumps. The chute saves them. The same is true for you with surrendering everything in your life. You can do it. God’s got you.

Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything. Amen.