Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash
I am 8 months into this journey of surrender. Who knew surrendering could take sooooooo long?
It has been both exciting and scary.
For example, surrendering what I watch or see has been a struggle. I don’t mean closing my eyes every time something questionable crosses my path.
I mean surrendering the intention of my heart when I sit down to watch something.
When I sense the nudging of God, the Holy Spirit, do I respond, or ignore it?
At this point in my journey to surrender, I find myself asking the Lord to show me his way.
I recall a line in a song that goes something like this: “Show me your way, that I may walk with you.”
I also recall a line in a movie that says something like, Show me the money.
Although my surrendering isn’t about finding money (as I recall), the movie was about an athlete seeking his fame and fortune.
While I am not seeking fame and fortune, I am seeking direction on how God sees my surrender.
The song is a prayer, which is becoming my prayer.
I am seeking God’s direction for his divine plan in my life, which includes surrendering my eyes and heart to what I see and enjoy.
It is at this point that I say, Word of God speaks to me.
I don’t know if you have a life-verse, but I do (and you should as well).
It serves as an anchor in my soul when life gets crazy, and understanding is hard to come by.
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!
Proverbs 3:5-8 The Message
Trusting God and not trying to figure out everything on your own is great, but what do you do when you are listening, but not hearing anything?
Three things
- Don’t assume you know what to do
- Run to God
- Run away from evil
It’s the culture we live in. I asked, didn’t get an answer, so I’ll tend to it myself.
And, for the most part, that may be okay. However, when God asks you to surrender, it means you must be willing to wait on him.
A rabbit trail
God is interested in your eternity, which means the things he does today are intended to prepare you for tomorrow (in eternity).
There are temporal benefits for obeying God, but they are only a means to an end—eternity.
For this reason, when God asks me to surrender in this way, it is because he has something for me in my eternal tomorrow.
Running to God may seem like a no-brainer, and it is, when everything is going well.
But, running to God when you are listening for his voice and not hearing it, can be a challenge.
What do you do?
The first thing is NOT to think you know it all and strike out on your own.
The second thing is to reflect on past experiences where God showed up.
Israel’s King David did this throughout his life.
I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too – your reassuring presence, coming and going.
Psalms 139:5 The Message
David’s son, Solomon, offered this counsel.
By yourself, you’re unprotected. With a friend, you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 The Message
There are parts of your journey that must be taken alone. Jesus in the garden is one example, but he had the disciples nearby.
You need a friend to help you through the rough places.
The third thing that will help you is community.
The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews encourages Christ-followers to encourage each other.
“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out,
not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 The Message
Running away from evil is another (seemingly) no-brainer, but we live in a world that celebrates evil.
Jesus addresses this matter in the New Testament Gospel of Luke.
“So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them?
I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”
Luke 18:7-8 The Message
Jesus is talking about faith, but consider this. You must have faith to please God, and evil does everything in its power to discredit God and create doubt (the lack of faith) in those ensnared in it.
Lord, will you show me your way?
The answer is yes, of course.
But, how?
By trusting him over yourself.
By leaning into him even when it seems nothing is happening.
By being aware of your surroundings and staying away from those who will pull you down.
Then there is one more thing.
I love this story in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. I have used it before, but it fits in this lesson.
“One day I walked by the field of an old lazybones, and then passed the vineyard of a lout;
They were overgrown with weeds, thick with thistles, all the fences broken down.
I took a long look and pondered what I saw; the fields preached me a sermon and I listened:
“A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy – do you know what comes next?
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, with poverty as your permanent houseguest!”
Proverbs 24:30-34 The Message
The fields preached me a sermon, and I listened.
God will show you his way in everyday situations when we are open to seeing them.
In this case, Solomon saw a run-down vineyard. As he looked over it, God the Holy Spirit spoke to him (preached him a sermon).
One day a friend was relaxing on a hammock, when a sparrow lited on the rope holding it up. After a moment, he spoke to the sparrow, asking, What are you supposed to teach me today?
God will speak to us, and show us his way:
By his Spirit,
Through his word,
Using a friend or community,
Or everyday things in life.
The challenge is being open to hearing him no matter what avenue he chooses.
Do you recall the story of the farmer who died in a flood, and upon entering heaven, asked the Lord why he didn’t help him?
The Lord replied that he sent the police, firefighters, and even an evacuation helicopter, but they all refused.
The point being, stay open to whatever method God chooses to use to talk with you.
As for me, I am still waiting for my answer, but I think it is part of my surrendering—being patient! (ugh)
The call of the Spirit is going out across the land for light bearers and (wisdom-speaking) truth givers to bring the words of life to a lost and dying world—one person at a time.
The journey is exciting and scary, and I am thankful for everyone willing to follow along as I take it.