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by John Doyle“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves…but I have called you FRIENDS, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit... ”John 15:13-16 Joseph Scriven faced real tragedies. Born in Ireland in 1819, as a young man he fell in love. But, tragically, on the night before he was to be married, his fiancée drowned.Later, after moving to Canada, Scriven fell in love again and became engaged. But his second fiancée also died before they were married.We cannot imagine how these painful experiences might have made him bitter. But Scriven decided to become devoted to serving others and sharing the Love of Jesus. He gave freely of his possessions and he always was ready to help those who were in need.In 1855, when he learned that his mother was ill, Scriven wrote a poem for her called, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” This later became a powerful hymn that many of us still sing today. Scriven in the song described what Jesus meant to him: “What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!”Because of the difficult experiences he had faced, he wrote with conviction, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!” He knew that God could bring peace to troubled hearts who seek Him: “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”In these difficult times of Covid19 and Lockdown Instead of becoming discouraged when we face trials, and troubles, lets take the words written and simply “take it to the Lord in prayer.”Am sure like Barbara and I you have some wonderful Family and friends that the Lord has placed into your life over many years and you are thankful for them especially when you went through those difficult times of trials and troubles that we have all gone through. A Godly Friend is a Friend for life and for all eternity.Lets always remember that Jesus is your Friend for life and because "He layed down His life for us" He will never "leave you or forsake you" or give up on you unlike some friends and family that may have done that to you in your life. Take your problems to Him. Talk with Him. Spend time with Him. He loves you and has such a desire for you to walk with Him through these tough times and display to the World that you have a Friend called Jesus that has "appointed you to go and bear fruit" v16Lets be a people that Lovingly thank the Lord Jesus for being our Friend and lets build a strong desire…

by John Doyle"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present (Surrender) your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this this World, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."Romans 12: 1 - 2 Let's start the devotional by singing a verse from the hymn *I Surrender All*All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give;I will ever Love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.I Surrender all, I Surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Saviour, I Surrender allMany of us over the years have heartily sung these words, but living in their reality may be very different. The word Surrender may be understood as a sign of weakness, and yet there’s no more secure place to live than in daily surrender to the Lord Jesus who is utterly faithful, unchanging and steadfast and Who surrendered His own life for us all.The meaning of the word surrender includes ‘To yield to the power, control or possession of another; to agree to forego in favour of another; to give up one’s rights.' If we’ve learned to be in control of our own lives, surrender may be difficult for us, because we fear being out of control.I have heard some say "that surrender is the opposite to control. The Devil controls, but God never will" But we know as believers that God is in control of all things and graciously He gives us each the opportunity to surrender to His Ways and His Will for our lives. Surrender to Him draws us to the heart of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and intimacy with Him. In surrender we’re saying, Lord Jesus, I take You into every part of my life. I will hold nothing back. I make a free will choice to surrender all I am to You, and to uncompromisingly obey you.A great start to Surrender is allowing the Lord and His Word to search our lives and help us expose those things that we are reluctant to Surrender as they have become a constant habit in our lives. I am not referring here to sinful things which we do need to turn from. The reference here is to those habits in our lives that keep us from a closer walk with God. When we seek the Lord He will never fail us, so let's encourage one another in these difficult days of Lockdown to allow the Lord to search our hearts and lives and reveal those things to us that we have yet to surrender to God.Another Hymn for us to sing together as we think on this important truth:Search me, O God, and know my heart todayTry me, O Saviour, know my thoughts, I praySee if there be some wicked way in meCleanse me from every sin, and set…