The Daily Surrender
The commitment that we get to make to God, is like reciting our vows to Him, the exchange from what was to what will be with new mercies each morning. The free will to choose God over ourselves, to die to our flesh daily, says something about the decision we made to submit to God. This declaration is an active choice and a daily practice at least for me that helps me stay true to my promise as a servant. With continuing to choose God daily I acknowledge what He desires for me matters to me more than a dream I'm chasing or an ideology of wondering who I’m meant to be. Sometimes this can be an internal battle “Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and all he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) What I love is the selflessness of it and the reaffirming for myself and solidifying the establishment in my relationship. When we submit to God, we are trusting Him with our full self and bringing our minds, spirits, and will into subjection with Christ.
Surrender means to cease resistance, give oneself up, to concede. What I love about surrendering is the consciousness of it.
Let me apply this in real time, I just recently ended my Daniel fast along with many other believers and I decided this fast for me had to be different than any other I have participated in past. I had to make the effort even the more to make sure I dedicated myself to this fast because I wanted results not a participation score. To the surrender daily, it’s very much “God, Thank you! I am yours and today is yours so I’m putting it back in your hands. Guide me, whatever you would have to say or do I surrender myself over to your will.” I have to recite this morning after morning to let God know I’m serious. I cannot do it without Him, and I want what he has for me way more than what I think I want for myself. I was specific when I laid the foundation of this fast it required me to lay ALL my things at the feet of God, to make room for what I was wanting to receive from Him. I much prefer to receive the things of God, the spiritual things, over the tangible things. What I told God was that “I want to do an even exchange!” I knew what I was asking for and I knew that I had to stand on business with my request. Surrendering all my things over to God has never been a piece of cake, I have a difficult time letting go sometimes. Anyway, during my fast I began to give things over to God one by one, and it became a little easier but through the process more things were brought to light (my attention) that I needed to hand over to Him that I had been unknowingly still holding on to. Ya’ll, we have to give it all over to Him if we want relief and if we say we trust Him.
Since ending my Daniel fast, I have found myself in a position that completely requires me to hand it over. I’ll hand over one area and then another one lights up and I’m like “oop!” it’s enlightening, and it’s also revealing. The challenge is usually in whether you are really about that life or not, trusting God and putting that ego and pride aside. You really have to commit to this thing because attempting to play tug-a-war with God is as crazy as it sounds. When you release your things there’s that sigh of relief and you can feel the weigh toff your shoulders. Wanting to walk out who God has called you to has to be reminds me of the scripture Philippians 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” He is trying to prepare us for something greater and we can’t have more of Him if we remain full of junk. We can thrive and dive deeper into God when we are willing to let Him overtake our minds, spirits and even how me approach the things of life.
Surrender, you won’t regret it!
Scriptures to meditate on
James 12:12 ~ Proverbs 23:26 ~ 1 Peter 5:6-10