Entirely and Altogether God's

I am slowly reading through and chewing on some excerpts from the diary of Jonathan Edwards. I am hoping to find some principles and admonishments that as I contemplate them will draw me closer to God.

His entry from January 12, 1723 captivated me. In this entry he renews what he calls his "baptismal covenant" and "self-dedication." I will only include a few lines of this covenant. As I do it is my prayer to renew myself and my commitment to God in a similar selfless manner.

Listen...

"I have been before God, and have given myself, all that I am and have to God; so that I am not in any respect my own." "Neither have I any right to this body, or any of its members - no right to this tongue, these hands, these feet; no right to these senses, these eyes, these ears, this smell or, this taste. I have given myself clear away, and not retained anything as my own."

He then writes his 42 and 43 resolution. The 42 resolution states "Resolved to renew my dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism, which I solemnly renewed when I received into the communion of the church, and which I have solemnly re-made this 12th day of January 1723." The 43 resolution states, "Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's; agreeably to what is to be found in Saturday, Jan. 12, 1723."

This morning, March 22, 2009, I resolve by His grace, to give myself without reservation to my God as His servant, holding nothing back and to act as altogether His."

I know that Romans 12:1 calls for us to this as a once and for all act, but I know me. Periodically I have jumped down off of that altar of sacrifice and I need to jump back up there.