Surrender. Just the sound of the word conjures up an unhappy feeling. It involves a white flag, an admittance of failure. The most common picture is of one general facing another either on a battlefield or in a meeting room, surrounded by the enemy and laying his sword down in shame. His surrender puts him under the other's authority. Any way you look at it, surrender is an ugly thing. It is painful, embarrassing and leaves me feeling empty inside.
And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did when he allowed them to nail Him to the cross. He surrendered to people that he could easily have annihilated. His surrender bought peace for you and for me. That is the amazingly good news. The rest of the story is not always so amazing. That's the part when He asks us to do the same. To follow his lead in surrender is painful, often embarrassing and just plain scary.
This past week, the Lord brought me to a place of surrender in an area very close to my heart. It was painful and frightening. I resisted for quite a while. I 'discussed' it, argued with the Lord, made my claim to rights - all very legit claims in the natural. But the time came when the Lord brought me to that still small voice that asked if I really wanted to hold onto what I was claiming rights to. If so, He would let me keep it and that wold be the end of the trial. No more bartering, no more whining, He would still love me and I could keep it.
About the time I drew a deep breath and started to relax, He mentioned that if I would surrender and trust Him, the peace coming out of the surrender would be so much more wonderful. Of course when He put it like that, there really wasn't a decision. I wanted His peace more than anything.
I'm sorry I cannot go into detail, but I can tell you this - the freedom that came out of surrender has been amazing. In surrendering something I thought was so important to me, I found deliverance in an area I had prayed about for years. The two were not connected in any way, except in obedience and surrender. God's economy continues to mystify me. He alone is God.
So, my friends, surrender can be a wonderful thing. In many ways, the word has been given a bad rep. There is freedom and peace in surrender ... when the Lord brings it about.
Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Mat 4:4
