Paul found a statue on Mars Hill to the Unknown God. He
gave a life-changing message that day. After listening to His eloquent
exposition of the prophetic words of the Old Testament, many came to know and
trust Christ as their Savior. Trusting in an unseen God with our whole heart
and relinquishing our power is ludicrous to most people. That is why so few
people ever come to the place of total surrender to God. We learn from
childhood that life will dominate us if we do not rise up and subdue it.
We use our own efforts to make the wisest choices we can
and to recover from our mistakes (Isaiah 64:6). The
older we get, however, the more we realize that no matter how many management
courses we take, life has a tendency to squeeze out of the mold we create for
it. God is the only being capable of controlling life. Surrendering to His love
and wisdom brings serenity to our life. God provides balance to our chaos, by
leading us on His perfect path.
Relinquishing control of our will is the most monumental
struggle any human being has to face. We start with repenting of our sin of
unbelief and asking Jesus to save us (Romans 10:13; John 3:18). Then we
pray without ceasing as we live out each day (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). God
often requires that we walk to the edge of all the light we have and then take
one giant step into the darkness. This requires a great deal of faith in God’s
faithfulness. Only as we obey God’s direction we will see the reasons for His
commands.
As we learn the Bible and follow the truths within each
page, we will no longer stumble around in the dark. God’s Word provides a light
for our path and a lamp for our feet (Psalm 119:105). God
leads us in a level path because of our enemies (Psalm 27:11). God
tries us and knows our ways (Psalm 139:23). The Word also searches our
heart and reveals the hidden things we try to keep secret (Proverbs
20:27). As we relinquish each of our fears and sins to God, then
His Spirit rises up within us and fills us with His fruit (Galatians
5:22-23).
God teaches us to live with confidence in Him as He leads
us by His Spirit. We walk in perfect peace and fulfillment (Isaiah
30:15). We no longer need to worry about what we will eat or
drink, where we will live or how we will pay our bills (Matthew
6:25-33). We take His yoke upon us and learn from Him (Matthew
11:28-30). His yoke helps us to carry our burdens and prevents us
from wandering off in the wrong direction. We silence the foolishness of
unbelievers by living a righteous life (1 Peter 2:15).
Prayer:
Father God, the secret of having faith is living in Your
will. Faith is not some explosive power that we wield in order to lavish our
self with worldly goods. Instead, it is the ability to obey Your desire for our
life. Faith does not move Your hand, but it moves us to obey You. We live in
gratitude as you reveal Your will to us moment by moment throughout the day (1
Thessalonians 5:18). Renew our thoughts. Remind us to trust in You with
our whole heart, and to seek You before we even get out of bed in the morning (Romans
12:2: Proverbs 3:5-6). Faith indeed moves mountains; however, we must
first make sure that You want it moved (Philippians 2:13).
Thought for the Day:
Regardless of where we work, where we live or
how much income we make, we can all follow God’s Spirit moment by moment
throughout the day.
