Day #10: Wednesday, January 13th

An Attitude of Surrender

Scripture References: Rom. 6:13, Rom. 12:1,  Luke 5:5, Mark 14:36

Devotional

Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life." (Rom. 6:13 NLT)

Surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes." (Rom. 6:13 TEV)

Surrender is an unpopular word because it is almost used in a negative way such as forfeiting a game, yielding to an opponent, or surrendering to authorities.  But surrendering to God is the heart of worship.  It is the most natural response to God’s amazing love and mercy.  Paul urged us to fully surrender our lives to God when he said, “…offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him  This is the true worship that you should offer.”  (Rom. 12:1 TEV).  True worship - bringing God pleasure - happens when you give yourself completely to God.  God wants your life - all of it.  

Surrender to God is framed in His love for us.  God is not a cruel master forcing us into submission and breaking our will.  Instead, He gently leads us to Himself so that we might offer ourselves freely to Him.  A.W. Tozer said, “The reason why many are troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves.  We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us.”  Complete surrender to God will eventually eliminate the stress of having complete control of your own life.

Surrendering to God is also demonstrated in obedience, by saying, “Yes, Lord.”  And how can you call Jesus your Lord unless you make the commitment to obey Him?  After a night of failed fishing, Peter modeled surrender  by saying, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.  But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5). Surrendered people obey God’s word, even when it doesn’t make sense to their natural minds.  

Abraham followed God’s leading without knowing where it would take him.  Hannah waited for God’s perfect timing without knowing when.  May expected a miracle without know how.  Joseph trusted God’s purpose without knowing why circumstances happened the way they did. 

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." (Ps. 37:7 GW)

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus surrendered Himself to God's plan. He prayed, “Father, everything is possible for you.  Please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want your will, not mine.” (Mark 14:36 NLT).

Prayer

“Lord, thank you for giving me new life.
Because you gave me new life, I completely surrender my life to you.
I give you the reins of my life.
I give you control for you to use me for your purposes. 
Even though it may not make sense to my natural mind, I still surrender.
Today, I offer myself in complete trust and surrender to Your will.”

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