Lutheran Devotional 7th September 2025, Sunday Message
TOPIC: Take My Life and Let It Be
“Take my silver and my gold, Not a mite would I withhold; Take my intellect and use Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
“Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine; Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne.”
God gave Israel the words that became for them a confession of faith in the God who saved them: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Unlike the Egyptians and the nations around them, who worshiped many gods, Israel trusted in one true God. They were to love Him with all of their heart, soul, and might, to serve Him with everything they had and everything they were, but they often failed to live in total commitment to the Lord.
When the Son of God, Jesus our Lord, was asked to identify the greatest commandment of God’s Law, He summarized Israel’s ancient confession of faith: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37b). Our hymn echoes that confession: “Take my intellect and use ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose … Take my will and make it Thine … Take my heart, it is Thine own.” There are no halfway measures when it comes to faith in Christ Jesus. “Take my intellect … my will … my heart.” It is a theme that continues throughout the hymn. “Take my life, my moments and days, my hands, feet and voice, my silver and gold and my love.”
Faith in Jesus is not just for Sundays. To trust in the Savior is be fully committed to Him, but we are not always so generous in giving ourselves to the Lord. The Israelites often failed in their trust, turning to worship the gods of other nations. We too fail and withhold from the Lord the gifts He has given to us. Our intellect turns to follow the temptations of the world around us. We would rather live according to our own will, instead of God’s will. Our hearts are often unfaithful. Yet even though we may be unfaithful, our Lord is not. Jesus was one with His Heavenly Father, obedient to the Father’s will with heart, soul, and mind. Jesus was fully committed to giving Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross. His voice cried out that our redemption was complete. He gave all of His moments and days and yielded up His spirit to accomplish our salvation. In wonder and gratitude, we look to the cross and pray, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to You. Take my intellect, my will, my heart, my hands, my feet, my love—all of me. I am Yours!”
WE PRAY: Lord, shape my intellect, will, and heart to be of service to You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- What special gift or aptitude has God given you to serve Him and others?
- How dedicated was ancient Israel to the one true God? Can you give examples when they were devoted to Him? When they went astray?
- How does the Holy Spirit empower and enrich our lives to serve God faithfully? See John 16:13, Romans 8:26-27, and Galatians 5:16-25.
Today’s Readings:
Isaiah 1-2
2 Corinthians 11:16-33
Lutheran Devotional 7th September 2025 was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, “Take My Life and Let It Be,” which is number 783 in the Lutheran Service Book.