Malachi 4:2 (NLT)
2 “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

Mark 10:28 (NLT)
28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.

This is from today’s devotional from My Utmost for His Highest  by Oswald Chambers “Beware of surrender that is motivated by personal benefits that may result. For example, “I’m going to give myself to God because I want to be delivered from sin, because I want to be made holy.” Being delivered from sin and being made holy are the result of being right with God, but surrender resulting from this kind of thinking is certainly not the true nature of Christianity. Our motive for surrender should not be for any personal gain at all. We have become so self-centered that we go to God only for something from Him, and not for God Himself. It is like saying, “No, Lord, I don’t want you; I want myself. But I do want You to clean me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to be on display in Your showcase so I can say, ‘This is what God has done for me.’ ” Gaining heaven, being delivered from sin, and being made useful to God are things that should never even be a consideration in real surrender. Genuine total surrender is a personal sovereign preference for Jesus Christ Himself.”

1 John 4:16 (NLT)
16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

Acts 2:22-24 (NLT)
22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

The truth is the truth, God did these things for us. Do we appreciate Him like he should be and for the right intentions?

When was the last time you felt real joy and wanted to bound around? The innocence of joy seems lost on the world full of self. I wonder if I’m not resembling that remark about misplaced motives for surrender, if my hope for salvation was misplaced on me instead of Him.

Something to consider. On such subtle nuances does our eternity rest.