Episode Transcript
You are listening to daily insights on the Three ABN radio network. And here is your host, Kaysie Butler. Hello, glad you could join me today on the program.
We are going to explore the topic of surrender today. What does it mean to surrender? Well, the Oxford Dictionary definition says it means to stop resisting to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority. Okay, what about in a biblical sense though? Well, interestingly, the word surrender doesn't even appear in the Bible.
Probably the closest similar word is submit, and that does appear a few times in the Bible. Andrew Murray in his book Absolute Surrender has a fascinating perspective on this topic. He shares the story of when Ben Hadad, the king of Syria, besieged Samaria and made a claim on all of King Ahab's riches and people.
King. Ahab was the King of Israel. King Ahab's response to Ben Hadad was one of surrender.
He said, My Lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine in all that I have, and that's found in one kings 20 verse four. Andrew Murray then goes on to point out that these very words should be the words of absolute surrender that every child of God expresses towards God. They should say I am thine and all that I have.
He states that the condition of God's blessing is absolute surrender of all into his hands. Andrew Murray then points out that as our Creator, God expects our surrender, but he also accomplishes our surrender through drawing us to Him. He then accepts our surrender, maintains our surrender, and blesses us for our surrender.
In short, he suggests that absolute surrender means a perpetual surrender of all that we have and are to God. This idea is expressed in another way in the following song called A Living Sacrifice and it is sung by the wilds Jesus Christ daily, daily bless you be a living sacrifice holy, acceptable and offering to God. Let us see to worship Him and spread his name spread his name all right.
Before his feet we born. Only by the word of God can rebel heart be changed only through the black man taught itself his mind walking daily heart read than mine before his feet before living sacrifice to God he gave our own to we. A living sacrifice before.
You see before as a living sacrifice. To God we give our own. To God we give our own.
We ellen White, in the book Steps to Christ, asks the question but what do we give up when we give all a sin polluted heart for Jesus to purify to cleanse by his own blood and to save by his matchless love? And yet she exclaims men think it hard to give up all. I am ashamed to hear it spoken of, ashamed to write it. God does not require us to give up anything, that it is for our best interest to retain in all that he does.
He has the well being of his children in view. So when we are surrendering all in absolute surrender, we are really surrendering all to the cause of Christ. We are surrendering ourselves and our hearts for Jesus to work in us his transforming grace and power, so that ultimately all that he has done and all that he is able to do can have the honor and praise.
And this is what the West Coast Baptist Choir sings about in the next song called The Cause of Christmas. The only thing I want in life is to be known for loving Christ, to build his church, to love his bride and make his name known far and wide. For this cause I live for this cause I die.
I surrender all for the cause of Christ. All I want I will leave behind for my joy is all the cause of rise. All my soul will rise regardless of the joy or child when I be questioned.
Right? In Jesus all I hope alive for this cause I for this cause I die I surrender all for the all I want help me I will leave me high for my joy all the rise my Jesus for your glory for your name Jesus my I will only see your breath. For this I live for this cause I die I surrender all for the all I want I will leave behind for my joy all the ris for my joy that I desire nor stature in my brother's eyes. I pray it said about my life that I live more to build your name than mine for the cause of Christ.
Surrender to Christ means that we surrender to his leading in our daily lives. We let Christ guide our choices, actions and priorities so that they reflect his principles of life. The Nebula family sing about this in the following song called father, lead me day by day ever in Thy no sweet way teach me to be pure and true show me what I ought to do when in danger make me brave make me know that thou can say keep me safe by thy dear sight let me thy love all when all I stand shield me with thy mighty hand may I do the good? I know child belongs go home to the ever more thy child to follow me day by day in the only way it be true and true just show me what I want to do I believe and I know we to be your and true show me what I ought to do, Father lead me, bless and keep me ever in your way you in surrendering to God's ways day by day we can often actually experience a struggle.
Many times we may think we know the best way forward on something. But God often says, no, do it this way. It is then that we must surrender our own way and what we want to do and follow God's way trusting that he knows what is best.
Our next song follows this train of thought and is called Better Than I and is sung by Ben Everson. I thought I did what's right. I thought I had the answer.
I thought I chose the surest road. But that road brought me here. So I put up a fight and told you how to help me.
Now, just when I could give it up the truth is coming clean you know better than I you know the way I let go the need to know why for you know better than I if this has been a test I cannot see the reason. But maybe knowing I don't know is part of getting through. I try to do what's best.
Now, faith has made it easy to see the best thing I can do is put my trust in you. You know better than I you know the way I let go the need. To know why? For you know better than I.
Saw one cloud and thought it was the sky. I saw birth and thought that I could follow. But it was you who taught that bird to fly.
If I let you reach me, will you teach me? For you know better than I you know better than I oven I this song high it's the importance of trust in Surrendering we can safely surrender all to Christ because we can trust Him to care for all better than we ever could. The more we fully trust Him, the easier it will be to surrender all to Him. Solomon knew the importance of trust as foundational to full surrender when he said, trust in the Lord with all your heart.
So that's one aspect of surrender all your heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding in all your ways. Acknowledge him again that's surrender, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs three, five and six.
The importance of trust in surrender is especially evident when there are occasions when God asks us to do or surrender something that doesn't make sense to our human vision. I am reminded of the story of Abraham when God asked him to give up Isaac, his son, as a sacrifice. That would have been the most illogical thing he could think of to do, since Isaac was the heir of promise.
If he was killed, what would become of all of the covenant promises that God had given to Abraham? How would he ever be the father of many nations? Yet Abraham surrendered to perform this terrible command of God, trusting that somehow he would provide for Abraham in ways that he could not yet see. Thus, in the biggest moment of surrender in Abraham's life, the moment when he would lay down all the hopes, dreams, love and affection that were bound up with his son, it was trust in God that enabled him to do it. Malita Fong shares lessons from the experience of Abraham offering up his son as she sings the song.
Isaac, you I have a prayer as pure as gold that where you lead me. I will go and I miss the passion when your sweet spirit fall to me and in that and in that time when I must lose my will in time oh, my God will be found it me a faith close beyond all doubt whose faith of hope cannot burn out let me fall and break up bow it most blessed pray to me all my days where in my place God was found the day he laid Jesus down each idol is now late bed will shake I came up with lay on the holy ground I lay on rise notice what Marlita brought out in the song that Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac was symbolic of when God would sacrifice his son Jesus for us. This is amazing because the table here is turned.
We have been talking all about us surrendering to God. But here God is surrendering His Son to be a sacrifice for us in our place. Jesus also, in submitting to be our sacrifice, surrendered everything.
Thus, on this whole topic of surrender, god has actually made the first move. He has absolutely surrendered all he is and has for our sakes. Romans 832 says he that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all.
How shall he not, with Him also freely give us all things? So God has surrendered all for us. And the question remains will we surrender all for Him? May this be your meditation and commitment today. Thank you for joining me on Daily Insights.
I am your host, Kaysie Butler. And until next time, God be with you. Actually, you've been listening to a production of three ABN Australia radio.
