Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me: Devotions to Inspire Surrender

By Lynn Lacher

When my way seems too hard, Lord, it really isnt. You are with me. When my load feels too heavy, its not. You carry it. When my heart feels like its breaking into pieces, it isnt. You are molding me. When I feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life, Im really not. Im at rest in you. You keep me in perfect peace when I trust in you, when all of my thoughts are fixed upon you. Letting go of who I have always believed myself to be, I reach for who you have created me to be. Starved for lasting joy and peace, Im now ready to reach for the life and purpose you have chosen for me. Moving to the edge of what I have never had the courage to allow, I launch into the depths of what has been my uncertainty. One breath and one moment at a time, you form me, you fire me, and you fill me.

Are you ready for these depths? Are you tired of wondering why you arent moved by the wind of his Spirit? Are you exhausted from lasting change that has eluded you? Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me invites you on a daily devotional journey of surrender and abundant fulfillment. It is one that implores you to reach beyond the words you have read and to discover Gods healing purpose for your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512795967

Lynn Lacher

Lynn lives in Anniston, Alabama, where she writes daily devotionals. Married to Pat for 48 years, life has been full of faith, family, writing, teaching, and caregiving. As the leader of a small discipleship group in her church, she encourages women to reach their potential in Christ. Although previously published in other venues, Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me is her first book. It invites you on a daily devotional journey of healing and freedom that is only found in surrender to God.

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Form Me,

Fire Me,

Fill Me

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Devotions to Inspire Surrender

LYNN LACHER

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Copyright © 2017 Lynn Lacher.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-9595-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9597-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9596-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017910701

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/19/2017

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotes marked (NCV) are taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotes marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotes marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

To my parents, Bud and Laurelle Hampton, who, even as they lost ground to dementia, inspired me with their love for Jesus Christ.

Sometimes I feel so alone in my world and so afraid. But then I feel your hand on my arm and I know you are with me and will take care of what I can’t. God doesn’t abandon me now that I am old and gray and lost to even myself. I feel Him in your love, in your words, in your touch, and in the moments that you give me. No matter how lost I may become, I am still me. Remind me of who I am when I have forgotten and love me through times which may break your heart. As long as you love me, I know who I am through you.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my discipleship group, Heart-to-Heart—past and present—a group of the most incredible ladies, who have constantly supported and encouraged me. Thanks to my husband, Pat, who has allowed time each day for me to write. Thanks to my friend, Beverly, who told me in 1991 that I would one day write this book. Thanks to my pastor, who six years ago asked me to write devotionals for our church, and to his wife who has always supported me. Thanks to the Alzheimer’s Support Group, which has been my constant friend through the past thirteen years. Thanks to my family and friends who have stood beside me through all the struggles of life. There are many who have touched my life, and I am forever grateful for their inspiration. A special word of thanks to my friend, Leisa. Without your sometimes painfully honest friendship and constant encouragement, this book might never have come to life.

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1

Just Clay in His Hands

Don’t Settle—Move

Believe Something New

All Not Some

Choose to Win

Get Off Your Fence

Made to Soar

No Greater Love

In My Own Heart

I Choose You

Praise Him in Everything

Never Forsaken

Sacrificial Best

In Whatever Season

Chapter 2

Have Confidence

Smaller Purposes

Lead Me

Potential

Lingering for His Purpose

Greater Than Your Failure

Does He Hear Me?

A Greater Design

Lord, Forgive Me

Like Chicken on Sunday

Am I Teachable?

One Lash is Enough

Stay True

Give Once More

Power from the Vine

Chapter 3

A New Heart and Spirit

Out of the Well

Red Sea Deliverance

Contentment

Perfected for His Purpose

He Waits

The Real Need

My Passion

Benefit of the Doubt

Be Compassionate

Allow Me

My Attitude

Thirst No More

I Am Yours

Chapter 4

I Let Go

Known Beyond Myself

Counting the Cost Spiritually

Continually Pray

Masterpiece

Utter Praise

Words

Live Sincerely

Grace’s Freedom

His Success in Me

Greater Faith

Renewed in the Spirit of My Mind

Risk to Receive

Whatever Is to Come

Chapter 5

Be a Buffer—an Intercessor

Reaching Heaven

As Pure Gold

An Open Book

You Touched Me

Bring Down Your Wall

Wisdom Builds

Times of Refreshment

Throne of Grace

Freedom to Forgive

Great Is His Faithfulness

Priceless

Into the Deep

Repair Your Altar

Chapter 6

Not about Me

No Fear in Perfect Love

His Power Overcomes Weakness

Practice His Presence

My Mask

Make His Choice

He Weighs Motive

Hold On

All Is Well

Blessed by a Sacrifice of Praise

Unintentional Mistakes

Anchored Safely

Walk on Water

You Are My Instrument

I Have Him

Chapter 7

He Looks at the Heart

The Promise at the Summit

Worth the Risk

Speak to Your Dry Bones

A Thankful Heart

In Humility, Victory

Waiting in His Power

Delight

Fear

A New Day

Be Still and Know

Overwhelmed

And Then Comes Joy

An Open Door

Epilogue

Preface

When my way seems too hard, Lord, it really isn’t. You are with me. When my load feels too heavy, it’s not. You carry it. When my heart feels like it’s breaking into pieces, it isn’t. You are molding me. When I feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life, I’m really not. I’m at rest in you. You keep me in perfect peace when I trust in you—when all of my thoughts are fixed upon you.

Letting go of who I have always believed myself to be, I reach for who you have created me to be. Starved for lasting joy and peace, I’m now ready to reach for the life and purpose you have chosen for me. Moving to the edge of what I have never had the courage to allow, I launch into the depths of what has been my uncertainty. One breath and one moment at a time, you form me, you fire me, you fill me.

Form Me

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. (Genesis 2:7 NLT)

Fire Me

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:7 NLT)

Fill Me

You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. (Acts 2:28 NLT)

CHAPTER 1

Imageforone.jpg

Fort Augustus, Scotland

I have never left you.

I am the faint stirring—

That whisper against your cheek

Waking you and lingering.

I’m a prayer from long ago

A remembrance of closer times

When my heart beat as your own.

I wait in your darkest moment

And in your deepest despair

Heart longing and arms reaching

Aching to be near you once more—

Speaking softly

Hoping you will hear

Child, I love you.

Come home.

Just Clay in His Hands

I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. When the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the Lord gave me this message: O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.

—Jeremiah 18:3–6 (NLT)

To be molded by God means that I am changed by the Holy Spirit into a vessel that is usable in God’s hands. He separates my desire from His as a diamond is perfectly cut. He chisels my purpose carefully and repeatedly like a stone. He does all this until my life is pliable as clay.

This is not only His work in my life; it is also mine. I yield to what He wishes. I submit to His Word and His will. I let go of what is not right in my heart and in my life. I recognize any selfishness in my motives, actions, or thoughts and seek God’s help to remove them. I come to Him and place myself on His wheel to be shaped by His perfect will.

His power has given me everything I need to grow spiritually and live a godly life. I gain this spiritual maturity through knowledge of Him in His Word and through surrender to His will. He has provided promises so that I might have more of Him and less of myself. Because of this, I shall make every effort to add goodness to my faith.

To goodness, I will add knowledge and to knowledge, self-control. To self-control, I will add perseverance and to perseverance, godliness. To godliness, I will add brotherly love, and after brotherly love, I will seek agape love. I shall strive to add these qualities and allow Him to continually change my heart’s attitude until it is perfected by His grace.

I surrender to whatever He wishes to create in me. In my surrender to His power, He can change how I think, feel, understand, decipher, trust, and love. If these qualities are increasing in my life, nothing will keep me from being effective and productive in living for Him.

This is a work in my heart and life that needs both His power and my surrender. It is a work that can be disheartening at first. As I surrender to His power and my eyes are opened, I see so much more that needs to be done in me, but I am determined to persevere and not let what still lies ahead bring discouragement. I will remember that it is His power that brings change.

As I grow, I learn courage by surrendering my fear. I learn patience by surrendering my control. I learn perseverance by surrendering my struggle. As this cooperative work is accomplished through my surrender and His power, His qualities increase. I am molded into a useful tool in His hands. I am formed into whatever He deems best.

Does it hurt to be just clay in His hands? Of course it does! When I allow Him to mold me, the pressure He brings to bear hurts. There is no other way to say it. It hurts to give up selfishness and what I want. It hurts to let go of the control that I have determined is mine. However, it is in letting Him form my life that I discover His joy and His purpose. I discover that what I thought was joy in my own life is nothing compared to the joy I find in His.

Don’t Settle—Move

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

—Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NIV)

Settling is not what God desires. If we settle for less, we miss His best. The days ahead can be an amazing time of growth in faith if we step out of the certainty of where we have settled and risk something that pushes us to believe in what we can’t perceive with our natural minds. We need to move forward in our walk with Christ and let go of the comfortable place where we have settled. Leaving the safety of our boat, we are called to launch into the depths with Him:

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. (Psalm 42:7 NIV)

The depth of the Holy Spirit calls to the depth of man and bids him come. Do we long for the waves and breakers of His Spirit to sweep away the dust and carry us to new heights? Are we tired of just observing the power that the wind of His Spirit brings to another life, of being someone who observes instead of one who partakes? If we yearn for these unknown depths of absolute surrender, we will let go of all that has defined who we are. We will risk believing in what He has chosen instead of the place where we have settled.

Are you ready to risk? I’m ready to invest myself in the unknown to which He has called me. I’ve allowed my failure, pain, attitude, and even sins that were crucified with Christ to hold me back. Christ invites me to let go of all that has defined me. He calls me to let go of what I consider the certain security of the boat.

There is no security in the boat I’ve constructed—only false hopes and dreams that offer nothing in the end. The boat is subject to the waves and storms of life. The boat can sink. But I discover that when I let go of my self-constructed identity and step out into the depths of the unknown in Jesus, I’m at last standing strong upon faith in Him and not sinking into the depths of my own doubt.

When I step out of