June 29, 2012

The definition of surrender is:  to yield (something) to the possession or power of another;deliver up possession of on demand or under duress.  


Have you ever been asked to surrender something dear to you?  It might have been a possession, a person or a body part.  When we are asked to give something up that we deem precious, do we give it up easy or do we hold on so tight?  Or worse does it becomes our idol?


I know of people that believe that their possessions make them.  I also have known people that could lose every possession but their idol is far more personal.  It could be their uterus, having a baby or maybe their hair.  These are personal items, part of us, that we have an incredibly hard time giving up.  Why?  Because when you want to have a baby, you want one now and when a doctor walks in and says, "We have to take your uterus."  Your mind screams no way, not that.  Or how about the patient that finds out they have breast cancer and both breasts have to be removed?  None of these situations would be easy to surrender.  And yet, women do all the time.  How do they do it?  What allows one woman to openly surrender and another to hold so tight their fists hurt?


I believe that it's the ability to surrender unto Jesus Christ everything on this earth.  The women that come through great trials have held something tight and then released it to our God.  They may have held it for awhile, cried, become depressed but in the end they surrender.  Why?  Because at some point we will come to the end of ourselves, our flesh will die and Christ will arise and when He does, we surrender all.  Surrendering is an act of obedience.  It's a belief that Jesus is enough and that He does have a plan for every moment of our lives.  We might not like where we are today but there is a reason. I realize that's not very comforting when you are in a situation that makes you want to tighten those fists and cry, "Why me?"  I've been there, believe me.  But holding tight won't get us what we want, as a matter of fact, we will lose it.  If we hold anything too tight, it becomes an idol.  And what does God say about idols?  You know.  There can be no other God than Him.  He is a jealous God and rightfully so.  We can't place our husbands, children, parents or any possession before Him.  He must be the center of our hearts and we must believe that any plan He has set us on, is the right course.


Personally, I'm tired of worrying about tomorrow.  Aren't you?  He has a perfect plan and in it we are going to have victory.  I have a friend that has lost her hair for over a year.  She is one of the most Godly women I know.  She has Scripture verses all over her mirror.  Every time she looks in that mirror more hair falls out.  She has been in crisis and she is weary.  Do you know why she is so weary?  She's weary because she wants her hair to be restored to its full glory.  She doesn't want it just to stop falling out, she wants the whole thing.  And guess what, she is depressed and lost.  She has been on an emotional roller coaster ever since we started this journey together and yesterday, she met God again.  She is at the end of herself and she is turning the corner.  I do believe that all her hair will be restored but before He can, she has to surrender it to Him.  He has to be more important than her hair.  She has to surrender every strand, cast it to the sea and say to Him, "You're enough!"


You might be thinking, oh, its just hair.  Well don't ever say that.  It's not just hair, it's a Spiritual battle of mighty proportions. I have watched this woman, who happens to be so incredibly light, humorous and bright pour herself out until she is desolate, sad and weary.  She has nothing left to give to herself, her husband or their six children.  She is a domino that got hit hard and has been down, fighting to see God in every step of this journey.  For her, her hair was her idol and she didn't even know it.  She doesn't even know how beautiful she really is.  All she knows is that her hair was beautiful and she wants it restored to its full glory.


So if you're facing a similar situation, where you are at the end of yourself and you need Jesus to restore you, surrender all to Him.  It won't be easy.  I, personally, have had to surrender things I didn't want to. I have held onto things mightily and then had to give them to Him.  It's never easy to give up the things we most desire.  They become a part of us and we want them.  We are like the two year old, that says, "Mine."  But nothing is mine.  Everything is His.  And if you're weary it's because you won't surrender and wait upon Him.  Stand up with me today ladies and surrender all!  Promise to love your sisters in Christ.  Listen to them when they are weary and lift them in prayer.  Pour out His love by being His hands and feet.  Don't be of the world, be of Him.  It's hard to surrender things we love dearly.  But we must cast our idols out, so that we can do His work.  There is no other God than Him.  He is jealous and He wants us to give up everything so that He will be enough. 


I'm not saying that He won't restore some of the things you most desire.  I don't know that.   Unfortunately, I'm not a prophet.  However, I do know that when called, He asked His disciples to surrender all and follow Him.  For women that means, possessions, security, children and worry.  We hold all of it too close.  We must open our hands to Him, wide-open, and say, "take this cup from me, and pour it out for Your glory."  I know it won't be easy but I will be doing it too.  And I will be lifting women all over the world up to surrender all!  I love you all and I pray that the Lord of our lives will restore us to be the women He desires.  May the Lord light Your path today and may He bless you for surrendering everything to Him!


Isaiah 40:31 NKJV:

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Deuteronomy 5:9 NKJV:


     you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.  For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.


James 4: 15 NKJV:


     Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."


Romans 8:36 NKJV:


     As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."


Matthew 26:42 NKJV:


     Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O my Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."


My prayer today:


Often, I have come to a cross roads, waiting for you to take my burdens to the sea.  And more often, I have had to wait for Your will to be fulfilled.  I am impatient in a world that needs more patience.  I walk around like the Israelites demanding deliverance and then putting false idols in my way.  I am not alone, many women follow me and we wander waiting and crying out to You.  Why Lord?  How long? And when will there be relief?   The journey is moment by moment and I have come to realize that I must surrender all.  Everything under the sun must be surrendered to You, even when I want to hold it close.  Nothing on this earth is mine, its all Yours.  So, today, I surrender all Lord.  Make me aware of the things I idol and in their place, please reign.  I love You with all my heart and I want to die to my flesh to become Your woman.  Its not easy being me and I'm sure it's not easy for the women reading this blog.  See our hearts, O, Lord and carry us from ourselves to You.  We desire to have more faith, to be more brave, and to love You more deeply.  Give us patience to wait on You and provide us a glimpse into the journey ahead.  We need You daily, so today, we come before You, broken sheep, needing a shepherd.  Be our shepherd today!  In Jesus name, AMEN


Until tomorrow...