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What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Surrender your life might be the answer!
It happened to me when I was preparing for my second trip to Israel, in 2014. It was a process in which the Lord spoke to me and confirmed to me His will for this trip. However, something happened.
Someone in our congregation came to me one day and told me that he needed to speak to me. And, long story short, he said to me that the Lord told him to tell me that I should not go to Israel! As a result, I was confused. I did not know if I should go to Israel or not. On the other hand, I knew that the Lord never contradicts Himself. It was either me who was wrong or the person who gave me the prophecy.
Therefore, I began praying and seeking God’s face to know what path should I follow. And I took my prayer journal and read all the words God gave me in my quiet times with Him and the verses He impressed on my heart. I knew something was not right here. What would you have done in my place?
I went to speak with some mature believers and asked for counsel. However, everybody told me their opinions, and consequently, I became even more confused. Finally, I went to my father. And he asked me a straightforward question: Oni, do you have peace about it? And I knew I did not have peace at all at that moment. Moreover, my father told me that if I do not have peace I better not go to Israel. It was the best advice!
I had to surrender my desire to God
I knew that one of the Names or titles of Jesus is found in Judges 6:24 (also 2 Tes. 3:16)
Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites. (ESV)
Therefore, according to these verses wherever Jesus is Lord, there is peace. If one does not have peace about a specific thing or in a particular area of his life, it means Jesus is not Lord over that place. Because He is Adonai-Shalom!
I knew I had no peace over my trip to Israel because Jesus was not Lord over it. And I also knew that there is only one way to make Him Lord in this area. And friends, whenever we face confusion and fear and do not know what to do, the answer is always the same: surrender!
Consequently, I went to Church to spend time alone with God and surrender my life again to the Lord and hear His voice. I prayed in tongues, praising God and thanking Him. Moreover, I asked the help of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Jesus to surrender my life to Him once again. And I spent time repenting of all the things the Lord brought into my mind, and then I brought all of who I was and all I had before the Lord and asked His Lordship over them. It took me some time.
The Lord spoke after I surrendered
After I finished praying all I knew, I sensed the Presence of God heavily over me. At that moment I experienced the peace that surpasses any understanding, and I was ready to hear His voice again. He confirmed it to me that I was to go on this trip and that He would be with me. And I did go, and He was indeed with me! All glory to Jesus!
Let us see what can we learn about surrender from Romans 12:1 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
1. We need God’s grace to surrender our life
First, to yield our life is a choice. That is why Apostle Paul says I appeal to you. And Paul begs people to live the way God wants them to live. A life for His glory! Furthermore, he reminds us all that we can do that only by the mercies of God. The Lord showed us His mercy, and we can offer ourself to Him because He works His mercy in us.
Many pagans offer sacrifices to their gods to receive mercy. However, in the Christian walk, we offer ourself to God because of His mercy! And we need to see the difference. Therefore, we need God’s grace to obey this commandment, as for any other one. Nevertheless, remember that we receive His grace by faith as we ask for it.
2. We need to surrender every area
Second, we need to bring every part of our lives as a sacrifice to the Lord. Of course, one cannot bring his body as a living sacrifice without bringing his soul and spirit— his whole being. Therefore, that means God wants you and not just your work! You may do all kinds of work for God, but never give Him your self.
This verse is an image from the Old Testament. A person would bring his sacrifice to the altar, and the priest would cut the animal into pieces and would put every part on the altar one after the other. Read Leviticus 7:1-7 to see one example.
Similarly, when we surrender to God, we need to think about what we are doing. And we need to realize that just because we sing I surrender all to Jesus, it doesn’t mean we do surrender all to Him. If we ever want to obey Romans 12:1 we need to bring our life under the Lordship of Jesus, piece by piece. Every dream, ambition, relationship, thought, desire, plan, gift, ability or infirmity, sin or good things— EVERYTHING!
3. It takes time to surrender
Thirdly, to bring a sacrifice in this way takes time. One cannot do it in three seconds and then walk away with no real inner change.
A living sacrifice is living because it is brought alive to the altar and because it stays alive there. It is an ongoing sacrifice! Therefore, the Bible talks here about a lifestyle, not just a one-time decision!
As the apostle Paul is telling us, our sacrifice needs to be holy. And as David Guzik said the holiness we bring to the altar is a decision for holiness, and yielding to the work of holiness in our life. As we present our bodies a living sacrifice, God makes our life holy by burning away impurities.
Now what?
Often it is not easy to discern His voice and will. Maybe right now you are in a similar situation where I was several years ago, and you need an answer from the Lord. And perhaps like in my case after you spoke with many people and searched for counsel you are now even more confused. But God does not want you to be confused, because when Jesus shows up in a situation, He brings light, peace, and truth and never confusion and fear or anxiety!
If you are fighting sin right now, it is probably because your sin is not surrendered to Jesus. A surrendered person does not fight. Or fight from a different position. If you fight any fear, worry, anxiety or lack of peace, you need to put it on the altar once again.
Always when we surrender our life circumstances and want God’s will more than anything else, He will come and speak. He did that for me so many times. He came into my reality and changed it in His grace. And remember that Jesus is the Only One who does not disappoint.
Ask for grace to surrender
Moreover, do not forget to ask for His help and grace as you surrender and bring on the altar everything He is revealing to you. And make sure you are not doing it in a hurry but think seriously at every word you say. Often, surrendering is a process. Remember
this is our spiritual worship
Do you agree?
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I am a blogger, writer, pastor, Director of Zion Romania Bible School, husband to Olguta, a father and, most importantly, a child of God. I also completed my studies at the King’s University where I earned a B.A. in Theology with a concentration in Messianic Jewish Studies. I love Israel and I love the ‘Jewishness’ of the Bible.
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