Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6 (ESV)
As I set about writing a devotion about surrender, I discovered an interesting fact: the word surrender only appears in the Bible seven times in the Old Testament, in the context of warfare (1 Samuel 23:12 and 23:20; Jeremiah 21:9 and Jeremiah 38: 17, 18, and 21; Jeremiah 50: 15; Deuteronomy 20:11). It never occurs in the New Testament.
So why do we speak about surrender if it’s not in the Bible? Though the term ‘surrender’ might not explicitly be used, it is woven throughout the fabric of biblical doctrine. When we submit to God with humility and trust, we are surrendering to His mighty hand and choosing to embrace His leadership in our lives.
I have long wrestled with the concept of surrender. Perhaps it’s the negative associations attached to the word – to give up control or cede to the enemy. Yet Biblical surrender is anything but loss or defeat. On the contrary, when I submit to God’s will and calling over my life, I receive a thousand gifts in return.
So how do we transcend this negative spin to surrender? We ask God to change our understanding and perspective. The simplest definition of surrender is adjusting my will to align with God’s. Surrender acknowledges that He is the source of all that I am and have and He can do a far better job with it all than I ever could (James 1:17). I am simply enjoying His gifts for a time.
The key to biblical surrender is a daily relinquishing of my agenda and my will in favor of His. True surrender says, “Your will be done” in all areas of my life, knowing and trusting that my heavenly Father has my best interests in mind. Under His mighty hand is the best and safest place to be.
Prayer: Lord, to you I surrender my life. Align my heart and will to yours, today and every day until I see you face to face. Amen.
Thought: “If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!” Elisabeth Elliot