I don’t know about you, but the one thing that consistently holds me back from all-out surrender to God is fear. Fear that He won’t give me what I desire most. Nancy Leigh DeMoss says it well in chapter five of her book Surrender:
Our natural tendency is to hold on tightly, to try to protect and preserve whatever we think we can’t live without. We are afraid that if we surrender everything to God—our health, our material possessions, our family, our reputation, our career plans, all our rights, our future—He might take us up on it!”
Do you relate? Most of our fears fall under four main categories:
1. Provision—Will I have what I need?
2. Pleasure—Will I be happy?
3. Protection—Will I (and those I love) be safe?
4. Personal relationships—Will my relational needs be met?
My fears fall under category four. Which fear do you relate to most?
Ironically, God wants to provide us richly with all four of these things—provision (Matthew 7:7; Philippians 4:6), pleasure (Psalms 16:11;36:7-8), protection (Psalm 91:2, 4-6), and personal relationships (1 John 1:3, Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 73:25). But, He wants us to seek them “in the only place they can be found—in Him.”
A warning:
“If we do not trust God’s promises and, therefore, do not step out in faith and surrender, we will ultimately find ourselves in bondage to the very things we refuse to surrender.”
Will you join me today? Take that giant “risk” and surrender all to Him without any guarantees that He’ll answer your prayer the way you want Him to. “Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12). He is good and trustworthy. He is for you. He is your Savior, Friend, and expectant Bridegroom.
Is fear causing you to hold back from surrendering some area of your life to God? What is one promise in God’s Word that addresses your fear?
