January 3rd, as I was conducting a funeral, I heard God say:
“This is the year of the SUPERNATURAL! This is the year I want to do so much more! This is the year literal cities will be built out of nothing, rivers will flood deserts and gardens will spring out of barrenness. That is wonderful BUT there is a key. Nobody will ever have more of Me unless they are willing to surrender more of themselves. Sadly, if people were honest, they would admit very few truly surrender more. Very few taste what surrendering more brings, because they walk in the natural and it’s not natural to surrender. The problem they have is that THE ROAD TO MORE of Me travels through surrender.
They hear the word surrender, and they think about what they must give up or what they will lose, but I say: Consider all that you will gain! See how you will benefit! Understand how much more you will have in the exchange! Do you not realize that I am a downpour you cannot hold, a flood you cannot limit, and My benefits are a waterfall you cannot manage?
I call on you to surrender ALL now and let Me pour My goodness into your life! Open your gates now and let Me, the King of Glory, flood your life! Give Me your unreserved YES today and you will see more of My presence turn your troubles into miracles! If you want to walk in greater wonders and more blessings the only way is surrendering without borders, limits, and margins. Give Me your total surrender and see what I will do through you and with you this year. This will be a year marked by the SUPERNATURAL!”
Not sure why God decided to speak to me during a funeral, but I think the word is a very important invitation that I personally do not want to miss out on. It’s not automatic, it’s a choice.
Surrender is different from just giving up. True surrender is not natural, because the natural man wants to receive without giving. Biblical surrender is dying to self and living in God. Jesus explains that if we are willing to lose our old lives, then in exchange we can gain a new and amazing life with God.
Surrender is our choice to believe God long BEFORE we ever run out of other options.
Remember the old hymn, ‘I Surrender All’? What most people struggle with is ALL! God wants ALL of us to be available to Him. When you struggle to give ANYTHING, then ALL is a lot! And when ALL includes money people really get upset. I think Jesus put money on the table in so many of His messages and teachings because He knew that would be the trigger test for many on what their hearts are really doing. Truth it is never really about money, it’s always about ALL. We no longer sacrifice animals, fruit, or grain like they did in the Old Testament but as believers, we are now called to offer ALL of ourselves as a living sacrifice. [Romans 12:1] and ALL is a lot!
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. [1 Peter 5:6-7] Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. [James 4:7-8] Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. [Romans 6:19] Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [Matthew 10:39]
The truth about living with God is that He will never force Himself on anyone. Some might have done better with their Christian life if God was more forceful, hard, unforgiving, less graceful, and unkind, but that is not who He is.
- He won’t fill what is not open to Him.
- He won’t force His presence, His power, His miracles, His blessings, or His love on people.
- He waits for our invitation.
- He holds back until we surrender.
- He stays quiet until we come to Him.
- He watches until we SEEK FIRST!
He gently says: “When you DRAW NEAR… I will DRAW NEAR!” [James 4:8]
Jesus taught a lot on this subject, and we see it lived out in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit filled the people. They surrendered EVERYTHING they had to God. There was nothing off the table or excluded. It was ALL!
There is no shortcut, quick method, or new way to see the blessings of the Lord come to life. The reality is, that nothing of any eternal value or earthly blessing will come but by full surrender in worship. It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. [Proverbs 25:2] You should be a king who searches the things of God until you are overcome with all that you find!
Every day, hour, minute, and even second of our life is flooded with opportunities to have more of God. You, and nobody else, gets to decide if you want more or less of God in your life.
The Bible shows us that the depth, richness, and frequency of our encounters with God are directly related to the depth, richness, and frequency of our surrender. In surrender, God may or may not give you what you think you want but He will always give you what is best!
Which way are you traveling today? Towards or away from God? Forward or backward?
Do you want to live in the SUPERNATURAL year of wonders the Lord promised?
Do you want to surrender more?
It’s totally up to you. God said YES! What do you say?
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on NicoSmit
Featured Image by Pexels from Pixabay
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