LIFE ON THE ALTAR

This article is taken from Issue 1, Called to Surrender the Will

By Corrie Ten Boom

It is years ago that I heard Oswald Smith, that great man from Toronto, the evangelist, and he spoke about total surrender, and he used an illustration.

He took four books, and he said , “Lord, I will surrender all. Lord I will lay myself on the altar.

Here is my family (one book went on the altar).Here is my time (another book).
Here is my house (the third book).
And here is my money (the last book).

I’ve lost my life for Jesus’s sake; I lay it all on the altar.

Hmm, now, my time. I’ve booked a hotel for my vacation, and the time for my vacation I will keep for myself. (One book is taken off the altar).

My money. Yes my money is The Lord’s money! But that money for my hotel and for my vacation, that I will keep for myself. The second book came off.

My family. Oh yes, we dedicated our children to the Lord! They are the Lord’s; my whole family are the Lord’s. But, my oldest daughter has told me that she will be a missionary. But that’s impossible, she must stay and help her mother! We have a big family, she cannot go. I cannot give her permission to go to the mission field, she must stay put at home.

The third book came off the altar.

My house. Oh I will never forget when we dedicated our house for the first time, we had a beautiful celebration and we committed all the rooms of the house to the Lord, and we said ‘This is The Lord’s house!’ Hmm…I got a letter from my sister yesterday.

She has six boys, very undisciplined boys, and now my sister is very ill. Now everyone can understand that I cannot invite these six boys for my house is spic and span! These boys will make it dirty. The last book come off and the altar is now empty.”

I can tell you I left that meeting and I went alone and walked over the fields and had a talk with my Lord, and I said “Lord? Is the altar empty? You know that I gave myself to you, but is it empty?” And the Lord said “Yes.” And I took my life again and I laid it on the altar. Was it the only time I had to do that? No, I had to do it again and again. But the Lord has such patience with me, and I believe we must never forget that the clay in the hands of the potter cannot be formed when it is not totally laid in His hand.

Taken from Life on the Altar Publications
Issue 1 Summer 2021