Power: I Surrender

Lord, I give myself to you; my God, I trust you. 
Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies laugh at me.
No one who trusts you will be disgraced, but those who sin without excuse will be disgraced.

Lord, tell me your ways. Show me how to live.
Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior.
I trust you all day long.
Lord, remember your mercy and love that you have shown since long ago.
Do not remember the sins and wrong things I did when I was young.
But remember to love me always because you are good, Lord.          Psalm 25:1-7 (NCV)

I had a planned flight a few months after 9/11 and I remember my children saying with some rolling eyes that “if Mom is on a highjacked plane, you can bet she’s going to do whatever it takes to take out the terrorists!” I have been known to kick out a few figurative walls in my life.

I am now not only hearing Jesus’ teaching but I am seeing the truth of His teaching that when I surrender, His power comes. Surrender is not a point of weakness but of strength. Throughout the Bible I read that when a person finally stops trying to do things their way or chooses to surrender their will to God’s, that God steps in with power and perfection of His way to bring about victory and great blessings on His children.

Joseph. Given dreams by God and Joseph attempts to assert his leadership over his older brothers in his time and his way. That did not work out well for him. It took being sold into slavery, elevated to leadership and then imprisoned again before Joseph got the message to let God proclaim the time and way for him to assume his leadership. I can picture myself in the prison with Joseph wondering if this was all his life was going to be. Had he messed up before God so much that he couldn’t be forgiven?

The disciples. While Jesus was with them, I read a few times when the disciples were jockeying for position on who was the greatest and offering Jesus advice on how to establish His Kingdom. The unbelievable horror and events of Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension put the disciples into hiding in a locked room in Jerusalem. Jesus told them to wait on His Spirit but I suspect that none of them had any idea of what that meant. They just knew they were frightened and too weak to take on the Roman government and the Jewish leadership. And then came the power of God that has not decreased in over 2000 years!

Paul. Oh, my brother Paul! He is one of many in the Bible that gives me so much hope for my own relationship with God! In 2 Corinthians 11 – 12, Paul gives me his “credentials” that can explain how in man’s eyes he could be seen as great. And then he pulls the plug on the ego trip when he says that God afflicted him so that he would be weak, because only in his weakness could God show the full extent of His power! And so Paul tells me where to live when suffering and trials come into my life – live on my knees!

Even Jesus. Yes, even Jesus wanted to be sure that I saw through His example that my weakness is not a sign of defeat but, in fact, the place where Satan had better run. Luke 22 graphically relates the humanness of Jesus as He cries out to God about what is to come. As the bloody sweat pours from His body, Jesus surrenders to God’s will. Jesus shows me that surrender may not come easily; it may not come initially with contentment but God is faithful to give me the courage and peace I need.

“Teach me and guide me, LORD. I trust You.” Sometimes “I trust You” is all that I can say. Sometimes what I am going through makes no sense and I cannot see how it will end, if ever. All I know, based on our years in our relationship, is that I can trust Him. He has brought me through before and He will do it again.

“Please forget my sins. And remember, LORD, to always love me. Not because I deserve it but because You are my Father and You are good.”

Breathe on Me written and sung by Darlene Zschech (2000)