- Benjamin Franklin
During the late Ronald Reagan's presidency, the First Lady, Nancy Reagan, began her campaign against drugs. The slogan, "Just Say No," is still used today. No is usually one of the first words a baby will say. They repeat what they often hear. The word no is ingrained in us from childhood.
Yes is a word we learn much later. A dear friend of mine was taught by her southern parents to say, "Yes, ma'am," and "Yes, sir," whenever she was given a command. But today we hear no, more than yes. We have almost forgotten yes—the word of surrender.
In order to receive all God has for us, we must learn to say yes to Him. One of the most precious songs to come out of the Church is a reminder of that word of surrender. "Yes Lord, Yes, Lord, Yes, Lord, Yes, Yes, Yes."
"Yes" means I will, I do, I agree. One church I attended even placed the words over the doors of each church exit, "Yes, Lord." We were constantly reminded to commit our will to the will of God for our lives.
It is time for the Church of the living God to come back to the condition of YES. You may have given your life to God, but still have difficulty in saying yes to His will, or yes to His way.
Speak to your soul in the words of the familiar old chorus, "I say yes, Lord, yes. From the bottom of my heart, from the depths of my soul, Yes, Lord, completely yes. My soul says yes."
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God" (2 Cor. 1:20 NIV).
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
