“And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” -Mark 14:35-36
SURRENDER.
I am going through a season of life right now in which the term “surrender” has taken a completely different meaning. A few months ago if you were to ask me my thoughts on surrendering, I probably would have had a very different answer than tonight. God brings us through each season of our lives for reasons. Some reasons we will understand immediately, and others we really won’t quite grasp and comprehend until we see Jesus face-to-face. And I believe it is really important to be okay with the unknown. Over and over again I keep reminding myself that when I can’t see God’s hands, I need to trust His heart. I know that God has the best plans for me… I know that He is for me and not against me… and I know that He is not finished with me yet. It is the tough seasons of life that I am reminded of these divine truths. It is also during the testing seasons of life that I have learned what true surrender to God is. AND I AM SO THANKFUL. If God did not put me through months like these months have been, then I would honestly have no need to rely on Him like that I have been lately.
It is a beautiful thing to surrender everything to God. It is refreshing to know that I am not going through this life alone, that I have a Guide, a Helper, One who knows my every step. My heart aches for the people who do not know God as their Savior and Father. I cannot imagine the hopelessness that they feel when they face troubles and trials that shake their entire world. Who do they turn to? Whatever it is, it does not satisfy. Alcohol, drugs, lust, anger, rage….you name it. It is only the Lord Jesus who brings an everlasting satisfaction in the very depths of our souls. Surrendering my fears, my anxiety, my worries, my troubles…my everything to God is something that I do countless times a day, and let me tell you.. it has made the largest impact in my everyday living. Sometimes I feel like most of my days involve asking God to take things out of my hands and into His. God is so faithful. He hears the cries of his children and He meets them right where they are at…. every single time. He picks up the pieces of my broken life and works in and through each one of those pieces for His glory, eventually putting them back together. He knows my heart, He knows my desires, and He knows my troubles, and He takes me under His wing and loyally guides me. All it takes is surrender… realizing that we cannot face this world and all of the pain that comes with it in our own supremacy.
The verse at the very beginning of this post is speaking of Jesus Christ’s last moments on this earth. He displayed TRUE surrender. He knew that God had Him to die on the cross… and in the final hours before it, asked that if at all possible, God take the vicious act of murder away from Him. In life, it is okay to ask God to take terrible things away from us, it is alright to ask that God remove obstacles from us…. But let’s not end it at that. Notice how Jesus ended His plea to His Father, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” He basically said, 'Lord let your will be done, even if you do choose to put me on that cross.' Can we say that of our lives? Do we simply just pray asking for God to do things on our time, asking for God to take the trials away? Or do we take it a step further and realize that God sees the bigger picture even when we cant. Our life is just a spec in the beautiful mural that God is painting over all of humanity. God knew that in order to redeem a fallen and sinful humanity, Jesus needed to be crucified on the cross, and so that is where He put Him. Jesus went willingly.
Do we go willingly when God calls us to step out of our comfort zone? Do we surrender to God and ask for His will to be done…even if that means we don’t have control of every aspect of the situation? God does not always change the circumstances. He did not change them for Jesus on the cross. BUT, God always has reasons for the circumstances that He places us in. This has been my prayer lately… and needs to continue to be my prayer. I am not in control, but He is. I am a sinful human being, but He is a perfect Savior. I know little, He is all knowing. I am not God, He is. It is in the times that we get pushed to our limits that we need to surrender to the One who sees the big picture. I promise it’s worth it. I promise you will find peace. I promise that you will not regret handing it all over to the one who set you free. But don't trust my promises.... trust His.
In Him,
Emily
Today I was studying about faith. That By faith Abraham when tested, offered his son, Isaac. The promised child. The one conceived by a miracle. Abraham's beloved. Yet He trusted the Lord so fully that he did not hesitate to give God what he asked for. I pray for a faith like that. That I'm able to surrender without asking questions or complaining. That my heart trusts so much in His, that I'm able to yield to Him.
ReplyDeleteEmily, thank you so much for sharing this. I know these seasons are hard but you must go through the valley to get to the promised land. Keep having faith.
i think that's something we completely forget when we're lamenting our own situations. God did not, as you said, change Jesus's situation. And I think we forget that we were promised trials and tribulations, and that the sign of our faith is in how we endure them. it is surrender, i think, that is one of the most important qualities of a follower of Christ.
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