Photo by Jackson Summer on Unsplash
Two weeks into this journey, I find myself saying I want to surrender, but I can’t seem to say no.
I want to surrender, but my resolve tank is empty.
I want to surrender, but part of me wants to hold on.
Reese Howells was a revivalist during the Second World War. He had a school in the U.K. and prayed through the bombings and ariel attacks of the Nazis.
One day, God approached him and asked if he was willing to change to serve him. He responded, “Lord, I am willing to be made willing.”
This is the attitude I am striving for as I follow Him in surrendering ALL of my life.
The Old Testament prophet, Zechariah had an angelic encounter. The angel showed him two olive trees on either side of a bowl. The angel asked the prophet what it meant and replied he did not know.
“Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”
I have often wondered what would happen if at that critical moment, I cried out at the top of my lungs, Jesus!?
I have been too embarrassed to do it but have thought about it.
Instead, I have been pausing and saying I surrender as I lift my hands in surrender.
When Peter was drowning after attempting to walk on the water to Jesus, he only had time to say, Lord save me. (This is where the idea of saying “Jesus” comes from)
The walk of a Christ-follower is not one of self-reliance but surrender.
We do play a part in this Christ-follower walk, but it isn’t our ability that brings success. It is our willingness to rely (surrender) on God (because of Jesus) through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Consider this
Peter was a fisherman. He knew how to swim. After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples went fishing. That morning Jesus was on the shore and called out them. When Peter recognized it was Jesus, he jumped overboard and swam to the shore.
So, why did Peter cry out the Jesus when he began to sink?
The Bible doesn’t say, but what it does say speaks volumes about our surrender to the Lord.
“At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water.
They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror.
But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.”
Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come ahead.”
But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”
Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”
The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down.
Matthew 14:25-32 The Message
1—The disciples were in a boat during a violent storm
They were in crisis mode, focusing all their energy on surviving. Survival is important; it is a basic human instinct. However, they were doing what Jesus told them to do.
Do you think the storm was a miscalculation on Jesus’ part?
Of course not.
As the Son of God, he knew the Father’s intention with the storm.
2—They saw Jesus walking on the water
While in crisis mode, they saw something out of the ordinary: what appeared to be a human figure walking on the water in the midst of the raging storm.
3—What they saw scared them
What they saw scared them, and rightly so. Humans are not made to walk ON water. They did what virtually every human would do, try to rationalize what they saw, but could not wrap their minds around it.
4—Jesus encouraged them
Knowing this, Jesus immediately spoke words of comfort. This is important for two reasons. First, they knew his voice, and its sound caused them to pause in their panic.
Second, Jesus spoke the truth—It’s me, guys, chill out (Evans paraphrase).
5—The encouragement inspired faith in Peter
Hearing his voice and his words inspired Peter. What came out of his mouth probably connected with his brain when it hit his ears. But he committed and couldn’t back out now.
6—Peter leaves the boat walking on water
Therefore, he dares to step off the boat, and (probably) to his surprise, he doesn’t sink. This empowers him to take another step and another.
Maybe a giant wave rolled by grabbing his attention. Whatever it was, it caused him to take his eyes off Jesus and on his situation.
7—Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink
Immediately he began to sink.
Peter could not walk on water in his own strength or ability, but he could when he listened to the Lord and kept his eyes on him.
Zechariah is talking about this. What Peter was doing could have been done by the Spirit of the Lord.
He was immediately in trouble when he took his eyes off Jesus.
8—Peter cried out
Peter crying out isn’t about his ability (he knew how to swim) but about his relationship with Jesus. He cried out because he allowed his inability to handle the situation to replace his focus on Jesus.
9—Jesus was immediately there
Jesus is immediately there (whatever your situation is) through the power of the Holy Spirit (who is the active agent of the Godhead in the earth).
The difference is that we will not see him (although there are those who have) with our natural eyes as Peter did. We will not feel the strength of his hand grab us as Peter did, but he is there nonetheless.
10—The two of them walked on the water to return to the boat
When you understand it is by the Spirit of God, then both of you will walk together to your destination.
The journey has begun with some fear and trepidation (which is silly because he is the Creator God who made humanity and has a divine plan for them).
I invite you to follow along because it promises to be an exciting year.
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