In the midst of battle, we might think of surrender in terms of a white flag, quitting . . . defeat. Yet, when facing a major trial, there is no greater step we can take than surrender. Not surrender to the trial or disease, but yielding to our Creator and His direction. Think for a second, how could we possibly navigate our battles better than Him? He is the ultimate general and a powerful commander and His soldiers tend to fail when they strike out on their own. While staring down his Goliath, David knew winning the match was greater than his abilities, but not God’s:
“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).
It is the Lord who orchestrates our fight. He leads us and shows us our role step by step. Surrender is not passive, it is not even active – it is proactive. Our highest priority is to stay in close contact with Him, listening and responding. And don’t worry about making the connection, He always finds a way to lead us and gives us peace and strength along the way. Relax in Him and lean on Him. He is fighting for you and with you.
During the early days of my encounter with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I resisted surrendering to the Lord. I didn’t want to have cancer and stubbornly tried to cling to my old routines. I was not a good patient and the strategy backfired – my health declined faster. My surrender to the Lord took the form of listening better to the doctors and yes, to my wife. Once I surrendered, I was much more peaceful, and so were those who were desperately trying to help me!
Get tough in your battles and surrender to the Lord. It’s the best strategy.
