Does this statement express something you feel deep down in your heart? I believe at some point every child of God has this thought and experiences the feelings that go with it.
In his classic book “They Found the Secret”, V. Raymond Edman shares what God is up to in your life when you have this stirring in your heart. His book is made up of brief spiritual biographies of men and women that God has used in a special way throughout Christian history.
“There is a pattern that emerges that reveals their secret. Out of discouragement and defeat they have come into victory. Out of weakness and weariness they have been made strong. Out of ineffectiveness and apparent uselessness they have become efficient and enthusiastic. The pattern seems to be: self-centeredness, … self-effort, … increasing inner dissatisfaction and outer discouragement, … a temptation to give it all up, because there seems to be no better way; … and then, finding the Spirit of God to be their strength, their guide, their confidence and companion — in a word, their life.” (V. Raymond Edman)
Here are some portions from one of these special servants of God who founded the China Inland mission, J. Hudson Taylor:
“He was a joyous man now, a bright, happy Christian. He had been a toiling, burdened one before, with not much rest of soul in recent years. It was resting in Jesus now, and letting Him do the work — which makes all the difference!”
“When my agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a letter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before. McCarthy, who had been much exercised by the same sense of failure, but saw the light before I did, wrote (I quote from memory): ‘But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One.’
“The sweetest part, if one may speak of one part being sweeter than another, is the rest which full identification with Christ brings. As I realize my oneness with Him, I am no longer anxious about anything; for I know He is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine! It does not matter where He places me, or how. That is for Him to consider, rather than for me. It is all the same, for in even the easiest positions He must give me His grace, … and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient. God’s grace is indeed sufficient, and the heart that has come to know personally and intimately the risen Lord Jesus by the outflow of His Spirit experiences the reality of “rivers of living water.” With Isaiah, he knows that “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (26:3).
It is one thing to memorize:
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
The greater thing is to realize what this verse means. You see, the goal is not memorization, it is realization when it comes to God’s Holy Word.
This is what happened to J. Hudson Taylor, he realized from God’s Word, I’m in Christ and Christ is in me.”