Happy Sabbath friends! Our message today is going to be all about the act of surrendering. Now, what does the word surrender mean? According to the Merriam-Webster’s definition it can be defined as, “to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand”, or another definition would be, “to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another”. Since we now understand how the world defines surrendering, let us delve into how God defines surrendering. It can be defined as “The call to surrender, or submit, to Jesus is step one in our sanctification, in our growth in holiness. To do this is to voluntarily put myself under Jesus for his leading in my life.  It is a step of humility, to admit that I cannot save myself, or change myself, into the person Jesus wants me to be” (Mason, S). It is also mentioned in the Word of God as well…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

“Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.””
Mark 14:35-36 NIV

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 NIV

The world’s definition of surrender can be quite similar to God’s definition of surrendering in the aspect of giving up control, but the main difference between the two is that the world’s definition is missing Jesus. Surrendering can be such a blessing when we incorporate Jesus into our definition of surrendering. Without Jesus in the equation, would surrendering truly be such a blessing? I don’t think so, as Jesus ultimately encompasses everything good.

““Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”
Mark 10:18 NIV

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NIV

This world can be so cruel, and can truly break you down, but luckily we have a God who loves us unconditionally. We have a Heavenly Father who wants nothing but the best for us, and is willing to take it all if we just surrender it all over to Him. He’s done it once before by sending His one and only Son to this world to die on the cross to save us from our sins (John 3:16). Isn’t that such a beautiful depiction of the love that Jesus has to offer us?

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 NIV

Whatever burdens, sin, guilt, shame, etc., that you are still holding onto…I pray over you today that you would surrender it over to our Lord Jesus. He died on the cross to save us, so we don’t have to carry the weight and shame of this world on our shoulders. He came onto this earth to show us His immense love. When everything becomes too much to carry on your own, He takes the weight off our shoulders as nothing is too big for our God. He is ultimately bigger than any problems we may face. The only thing holding us back from surrendering ourselves over to Him, is ourselves. God loves us so much that He blessed us with the free will to choose Him, so in order to surrender all to Him, WE need to choose Him. He already chose us when He died on the cross and sacrificed His life for us to have a prosperous life with Him…if we ultimately choose to seek Him.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7 NIV

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Psalms 55:22 NIV

The biggest setback to surrendering all to our Heavenly Father is the aspect of giving up control. As human-beings in the flesh, this can be so hard for us. Especially for those who like to have their whole life planned out. In order to surrender all to our Lord Jesus, we need to not just choose Him, but give up that control we are trying to have over our own lives, and hand it all over to Him. We need to trust and truly believe in the plan God has for our lives, and we need to understand that it is good, as God is a good God who cares for you and me. When we surrender our hearts, minds, and souls over to Him, everything will ultimately fall right into place if we just keep listening and humbling ourselves to the will and purpose He has called upon our lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

I pray over all who are reading this message today that whatever we are still holding onto, we submit ourselves to You, Jesus, and surrender it all. I pray that whoever is reading this message will be filled with Your love, and will open their heart to the fact that You care for them, and have everything already figured out. Help them to trust in You, and surrender all to You. Thank You, Jesus for always looking out for us, and showing Your immense love for us in not just scripture, but in our own lives too.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Amen.

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Mason, S. (2023, January 12). Surrender. Discipleship.org. https://discipleship.org/blog/surrender/#:~:text=The%20call%20to%20surrender%2C%20or,Jesus%20wants%20me%20to%20be.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Surrender definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surrender#:~:text=%C9%99%2D)ri%C5%8B-,1,surrender