Surrendered to the Lord

I believe that pride takes root in the flesh and that your act of surrender attacks this stronghold, and that is what the Spirit most desires, and with which the flesh most struggles.

So, here is a challenge from Romans 12:1, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

This “presenting” or “surrender” is essential to God filling us with His Holy Spirit.  This “surrender” is a conscious act on our part where we deliberately choose to yield everything to Him.  The only limit to being filled with the Spirit is that which you impose in the limitation of your surrender.

The first five years of our new life together were pretty typical.  It had the ups and downs found in most young marriages as we determined to unite these two lives into one unit.  We traveled a good deal attending various shows where we could sell Alice’s fine art paintings.  We made a good living, and even bought a nice place on a mountain in Southwest Virginia near the town of Galax, where we were determined to settle and build our future together.

Of course, as is usually the case, God had other plans for us. 

On our wedding day we moved to Carroll County, Virginia and began to feel God leading us to find a church home.  We first went to First Baptist Church, Hillsville, and were immediately struck by the feeling of love and friendliness of the people.  We had decided we would interview any prospective pastors to get a feel for their theology and friendliness.  We still laugh at that after all these years.   

So, after meeting Pastor William Gunter and his wife Becky; and after attending services there and being impressed with his preaching, we decided to become members.  Because of Alice’s art business and my business trips, we didn’t have much of an opportunity to get involved initially over the next four years.  But we began to work on our personal walk with the Lord, and started daily devotions as a couple.  As we later realized, God had a lot to teach us. 

Through studying God’s word, I came to understand the importance of prayer in our lives.  I learned that the Bible and prayer are the lines of communication with God.  He was slowly, yet steadily becoming a part of our everyday lives.  During this time we also made the decision that God must become the head of our marriage if it was to survive.   

Eventually, as I began to follow God’s leading in my life; I also began to take on responsibilities in the church.  I became the teacher of the College and Career Sunday school class with Alice as my co-teacher.  It amazed me that the more I became involved with those young people as they sought God’s direction in their lives, the more God used them to teach me. 

I believe it was our fourth year as members of Hillcrest Baptist when the church family voted to start a second service, which we named the Morning Glory Service.  Soon after, I joined the worship team and helped plan the music for the service each week. As we went over song after song, I believe God began to speak to my heart through the music.  One praise song in particular became especially meaningful to me as the words penetrated deep into my heart. 

It went like this:

You are Lord of creation
and Lord of my life,
Lord of the land and the sea.
You were Lord of the heavens
before there was time,
and Lord of all Lords You will be.

As I sang that song, I started to listen to those words in a way I had never listened before, and they began to stir in my heart.  And I felt God asking me, was Christ really Lord of my life?  And if He was; if I truly believed He was the sovereign God, then I had to start living my life differently. 

After that, the Morning Glory service took on a whole new meaning.  Just about every service you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit among us, and God was giving Pastor William Gunter some very powerful messages.  During one such service, I was so strongly convicted by the Holy Spirit that I started crying.  And by the end of the service, when the invitation was given, I could stand it no longer.  I went forward and told William that I wanted—NO, I must!—commit my life to God’s service; to go wherever He wanted me to go, and do whatever He wanted me to  do. 

At the time I didn’t fully understand what it meant, and to be perfectly honest, I was scared.  I said, “God, I’m not all that smart, I have no training, and I have not been a very good person.  How will I ever be able to serve you?”  It was then that God gave me Proverbs 3:5, 6 as our life verse.  It says,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Now, I had submitted my life to God, completely, but not without reservation.  Admittedly, I was afraid of what making a commitment to God really meant.   It’s one of those things that just sort of pops out of your mouth, and you don’t really think very deeply about the implication.   We fail to consider that when we give our lives over to God completely, life changes completely.  And then not our will, but His will is done, and I can tell you, it is an unbelievable adventure.

Will you search your heart and consider these questions:

1) What have you held back from the LORD and His will?

2) What reservations have you placed on God, and what He can do in your life? 

The more absolutely you yield yourself; time, talents, possessions, plans, and dreams—yes, all to Jesus Christ—the more you will know the blessed fullness of His Spirit. 

Will you allow yourself to surrender all to the LORD now? Stop where you are, kneel, and tell God He may do in you, and through you, whatever He chooses. And I believe He will “…make your paths straight.”

God is waiting for you!

 Would You Like to Have a Relationship with God, Today?