Why Fully Surrender and Trust in the Lord?

Why Fully Surrender and Trust in the Lord?

God has a really good track record. He has not broken a promise yet. So no matter what, if God makes a promise, we can be confident that He is going to keep it. Even though there will be times that we struggle and experience some doubt about God’s role in our circumstances, we can gather by the many testimonies of those followers of Jesus who have come before us, that He is trustworthy, and will never abandon nor forsake us. In fact, God will walk with us and counsel us through His Word and through the Holy Spirit, to help us put things in the right perspective and to help deal with the difficult circumstances we are facing. Many of the Hero’s of the faith wrestled with God at some point in their lives due to their limited understanding of God's greater purpose in the circumstances that came their way. Some even would take control of their difficult situations out of fear, thereby pushing God aside for the moment, while they would try to handle things in their own way. But because of their true faith and devotion to God they persevered and returned to trusting Him again. God stretched their limited understanding, reaffirming His unfailing love, amazing grace and  greater purpose for their lives, all the while continuing to grow their faith and develop their character. Can you identify with how God reshapes our understanding through allowing difficult circumstances to test our faith?

Faith is this: (Belief in things not seen, Trusting in God, based on His promises)

Hebrews 11:1 NIV

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV 
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Perseverance is this: (Determined to continue on even when life gets really tough)

James 1:2-5 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Our Will or God’s Will

We must be careful that we don’t get in the habit of putting our desires above God’s will.

That is why it is important to process everything through a God filter in order to understand

if and when we are usurping His authority. Granted, God is sovereign, so we really can’t mess up His plans, but we need to be aware that there are consequences for sinning against God.  He will discipline us for our own good. God disciplines the ones He loves.

Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV

 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke,

because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Hebrews 12:5-7 NIV

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

The Positive aspect of Discipline - Correction from God leads to Blessing:

Job 5:17 NIV 
"Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

Psalm 94:12 NIV 
Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law;

What I have come to understand through my experience as a believer in Jesus is that God will allow me to experience difficulties that ultimately bring me to my knees. God allows these difficulties because He knows that only on my knees will I get to the point of real surrender, and hand Him over the keys to direct my life. God has also shown me that the testing of my faith is part of the transformation process that will strengthen my character as a follower and disciple of Jesus. God desires for my identity to be in Christ as opposed to the self imposed identity I have at times chosen to define myself as. The truth is, even though I may know God intimately, I may not trust Him fully with every area of my life. The way we can fully trust God is to die to self. Surrender in God's kingdom is real victory cause God has the better plan for abundant life.

When it comes to surrendering our will, Jesus said it best:

Luke 22:42 NIV 
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Jesus submitted His life to God’s will knowing that the path He was headed on was going to be filled with great suffering. Yet, because of His love for us and obedience and trust in the Fathers plan of salvation, Jesus was a willing participant. 

Remember this:

We can trust Jesus because Jesus kept His promise; that out of His love for us, He died for the forgiveness of our sins and proved it by His resurrection.

Romans 5:8 NIV  (God's demonstration of love)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 NIV    (God's demonstration of love)

"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.

Mark 8:31 NIV  (The Resurrection teaching)
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

John 21:14 NIV  (The fulfillment of the promise of the Resurrection)
This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 NIV    (The proof of the Resurrection)

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

The Resurrection is the greatest evidence we have that we can trust God with our Salvation. We also have the seal of the Holy Spirit in us that confirms that our faith is real and that Jesus truly died for our sins and rose from the dead. Jesus had to go away in order for the Holy Spirit to come indwell in those who became His followers.

John 16:7 NIV
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Ephesians 1:13-14 New International Version

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

John 15:26 New International Version 

The Work of the Holy Spirit
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

John 16:13 New International Version 

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

 

Also Read Acts 2 where just as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the Resurrection 

The Holy Spirit in us gives us the ability to know God and to deepen our faith and trust 

in the Lord.

David is a great example of a man who put his trust in the Lord. Reading the psalms 

gives us a picture of a man after God's own heart.

Psalm 13:5 NIV  
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Psalm 19:7 NIV 
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

Psalm 20:7 NIV 
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 28:7 NIV 
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

Psalm 31:14 NIV 
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."

Psalm 40:4 NIV 
Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.  

Psalm 56:3 NIV 
When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

 

What I know about God personally is that He has never ripped me off. In fact, I could never give back to God in any way, shape or form, any measure of what he has already provided for me.  Because God has given so much love, grace, compassion and mercy, I am humbled and willing to serve Him out of gratitude not obligation. I live in awe knowing that He would do so much for me even though I spent many years of my life living with unrepentant sin and while mocking Him in front of so many people. Yet, God decided to soften my hardened heart and reveal Himself to me through His Word and through Jesus who ultimately became my Lord and Savior. God has proven over and over again that He is love in the truest sense of the word, worthy of my faith, my trust, and my praise.

Trusting God however, is not blind faith. God has revealed Himself to us clearly in the Books of the Bible. In essence the Bible is His-Story (History). God's Word speaks to us and shows us that perspective matters when it comes to being able to live a life set apart to Him. With a Biblical Worldview all the pieces fall together in ones understanding of who God is, why we are here, who we are, and whose we are. We can live with great joy in the knowledge that there is  a real purpose for life, and that the life we are living now is only a precursor for greater things to come. God through His Word has revealed to us the eternal perspective.

 

When I apply the God Filter: (being able to understand life through the mind of God) I can live each day in the context of this eternal perspective.

The Bible tells us how to gain this eternal perspective:

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform any longer 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.

What this verse tells us is that if we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our thinking in conjunction with the principles and application of God’s Word to our lives, our minds will be renewed with a Godly perspective.  We learn that believers are to be in a constant state of renewal and transformation through God's process of sanctification. (Set apart by God for a specific divine purpose as well as becoming more Christ-like in character) In other words, we are striving to conform to God's way of thinking instead of the foolishness of the world. This will help us in determining God's will and purpose for our lives. God has made it clear in His Word how He wants us to live. When it comes down to it we need to live in the center of the Gospel. That way, whether we are rejoicing in our salvation, or sharing our joy with others, God is always the center of attention and the one getting the Glory. This is in essence, living the God centered life through the outpouring of the Christ centered heart.

So, we can live life with a Godly eternal perspective if we are willing to trust God with the transformation of our minds and with our hearts.

As believers we can trust that:

God has provided through Jesus a way for our salvation.

God will always be with us.  

God will never leave us nor forsake us.

God has given us a mission and purpose.

God will transform us.

Our response:

Share the Good News

Live a life worthy of our calling

Use our gifts and resources to bless others and edify the Church

Continue to grow in our relationship with God.

Love God and others

Become more like Jesus in heart and in character.

If we are willing to trust God with our eternity, we can certainly trust that He will help us live a life worthy of His calling right now. 

Let's apply these verses below and trust that God will use the principles behind them 

to shape who we are in Christ.

Ephesians 5:2 NIV 
and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Colossians 1:10 NIV 
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

 

So why should we fully surrender and trust in the Lord? 

Because God loves us and has the better plan for living abundantly right now. He has provided the only way to eternal life.  

Just Sayin……………..Dave