SURRENDER IS THE KEY!

 

Monday, December 20, 2021

 

SURRENDER IS THE KEY!

 

Luke 1:30-38

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

 

Mary had plans, big plans! She was engaged to be married and a baby was the farthest thing from her mind. We like to think of ourselves as autonomous beings with the power to do what we want. We have listened to the serpent in the garden when he promised us that “we shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” We want to demand that all our wishes be satisfied and that we should never be disappointed.

 

We view surrender to the will of another, even to the will of God, as a challenge to self-rule. It is an invasion of our kingdom by another king, so surrender is not easy for us. Yet Mary spoke those now famous words of surrender: “be it unto me according to thy word!”

 

1. ARE YOU FEARFUL OF THE FUTURE?

 

Are you fearful that the bottom may drop out from under you, that some calamity will ruin your plans, the only thing that will quell these fears is surrender to the loving heavenly Father.

 

Jer 17:7-8

7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

 

2. ARE YOU HAVING RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS AT HOME OR AT WORK?

 

Are you puzzled and hurt by the actions and attitudes of another? Do you feel misunderstood or mistreated? The key to inner peace is to surrender.

 

Col 3:12-13

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

 

3. ARE YOU FEARFUL REGARDING YOUR FINANCES?

 

Are you afraid that you might lose control? Are you fearful that your job may disappear or that your investments may drain away? The answer once again is surrender.

 

Prov 27:24

24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

 

Ps 37:23-25

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

 

4. ARE YOU FEARFUL REGARDING YOUR HEALTH?

 

Are you afraid of getting sick or growing old? Are you afraid that a family member might die prematurely leaving you alone? While we are in these bodies there is no guarantee of a pain-free life without sorrow. The answer once again is surrender.

 

Ps 56:3

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

 

Ps 103:1-3

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

 

Ps 23:5-6

…thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 

If God is God and he most certainly is, then I must surrender to Him. If He is wiser at His worst than I am at my best, then I must surrender to Him. If He is rich beyond imagination, then He is able to care for me. If He loves me with an everlasting love, then His thoughts toward me are benevolent. I can rest in His authority for His banner over me is love.

 

Lord most high, rule over me with strength. Manage my affairs from heaven and reign over me with love. AMEN