Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV — Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Those of you who know me may remember that in the summer of 2019 my family and I were in the process of preparing our house of 18 years to sell. At the time I did not know how long the process would take nor did I know where we would end up living. However through the process God showed me that I must surrender control. He gave me peace and I learned to rest in the knowledge that He would guide and direct our path. My ability to surrender does not come easily. However I have learned  when I surrender to His control, I can relax.

I encouraged you earlier in the week to ask God to reveal an area that you needed to surrender control. Did He? Have your eyes been opened? Perhaps it is related to your health or the health of a loved one, your future, or your finances. The list could go on and on. Whatever the area for you I pray that you are able to surrender and trust God so that as a result you may be able to relax. Maybe you can even take a nap!

Let’s pray. Dear God, help me to let go and surrender. May I allow You to be in control so I may relax in your loving arms. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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While studying about the word “surrender” I ran across Psalm 9:9-10 NIV —
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Now look at the same scripture from The Message — God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.

WOW! Trust=Relax! What an aha moment for me! When you and I are able to surrender and trust God we are able to relax. So what takes us so long to get to the point of surrender? One definition of surrender is “to abandon oneself entirely to; give in to.” Therein lies our issue. We do not like to abandon ourselves, our ideas, and our control. Yet if we would surrender, we would be able to relax. Letting go of control and allowing God to lead is a form of water walking. Are you willing to surrender, relax, and walk on water with God as your guide?

Let’s pray. Dear God, help me to let go of control and surrender to you. Show me how to relax in the shelter of Your safe-house. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Matthew 16:24 NIV — Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

In the summer of 2019, my family went on an adventurous trip to Washington, DC. Traveling in such busy traffic was eye opening to me. First of all, I realized how thankful I am to live where I live. Secondly, I was thankful that I was not driving.

Perhaps my most important discovery is that I realized that when we are traveling in such bad traffic it is best for me to not look where we are going. I say this because the traffic causes me to be a nervous wreck and to constantly tell Clark how he should be driving, which he doesn’t appreciate for some reason. So instead of looking where we are going I read a book and occasionally dozed off to sleep. One time as I closed my eyes I realized that by doing so I was surrendering my will to control. I was completely trusting that Clark knew where to go and that he would get us there safely, along with the help of the GPS of course. I was able to rest peacefully. This reminded me that this is how we should be when it comes to our lives. Every day we are going full steam ahead, rolling down the interstates of life. Every day we run into traffic that slows us up or causes us stress. Being the humans that we are we try to decide which way we should go and how we should get there. However what we should do is surrender the steering wheel and allow God to drive.

What area of your life are you hanging on to control? What do you need to surrender to God so you can relax?

Let’s pray. Dear God, forgive me for times I insist on being in control. May I surrender and allow You to be the driver of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Matthew 16:24 NIV — Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Psalm 9:9-10 NIV — The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:9-10 MSG — God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV — Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Matthew 6:33 NIV — But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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Spend some time worshiping by listening to the following songs about surrendering.

Run To the Father by Cody Carnes

I Surrender by Hillsong featuring Lauren Daigle

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Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

‭‭Remember to F.R.O.G.

Fully

Rely

On

God

Join us for See You Saturday as we wrap our week at the river.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭73‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

We all have a purpose here on Earth. Over the years that purpose will change and evolve. As we navigate through life, we often learn to be dependent on God through our failures. Let’s face it, we’re human. The Psalmist tells us that even though our flesh and heart may fail, we can still be dependent on God. This is an eternal promise, no matter our shortcomings. Through it all, God is greater. Jon Gordon wrote, “your  trust is greater than your doubt. Your faith is greater than your fear and your purpose is greater than your challenges.”

It is OK to be dependent on God. We were created to be in a relationship with Him. God also created palm trees. They are stronger than most trees because they are flexible. They can withstand hurricane-force winds as they often bend but do not break. They symbolize strength, hope, faith, resilience, victory, peace, and tranquility. The next time your faith is tested or fear is knocking at your door, remember that God created both the palm trees and His children. 

What purpose is God calling you toward today? We read in ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬ — Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

You don’t have to watch this life go by. You can move forward in faith, knowing that God can conquer all fears, through His dependable strength. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for creating me to be in a relationship with You. Help me to keep You and my purpose in focus and not my failures and fears. I will choose to be victorious today with Your strength. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.