“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” Psalm 37:5 (ESV)

I was 14 when a doctor diagnosed me with fibromyalgia, a debilitating chronic illness that usually affects women in their later years.

Up until this moment, life had been relatively easy. Smooth sailing. Not too many bumps in the road or deviations from the plans that I had for my life — until that harrowing diagnosis.

Suddenly, life took a completely different path than I ever expected. Through that diagnosis, God showed me how I was holding on to my plans and my story, however well-intended, with a white-knuckled death grip instead of trusting Him to direct my paths.

You see, the world preaches a seductive message of manifestation, girl-bossing and the power of positive thinking. It’s flashy and enticing at first glance. I mean, it doesn’t sound half bad — the idea of focusing on the positive and going after what we want in life.

But here’s the catch, my friend: Planning, dreaming and living responsibly in light of what God has given us is one thing. But holding on to our plans so tightly that we are not willing to surrender to God’s sovereign hand and plan? That’s another thing.

King David instructs us in Psalm 37:5 to give our plans to the Lord: “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” This commitment is a trust in Yahweh — not ourselves — to produce the outcome. We provide a surrendered heart, and God provides the outcome of our stories.

When Jesus spoke to His disciples in Luke 9:23-27, He laid out what it means to follow Him. The first step was to deny themselves, or relinquish personal control over their lives. This message is for us too. The idea of “letting go and letting God” is difficult and countercultural. I, too, have struggled with surrendering my life to God for fear of not getting what I want out of life. But the good news is that surrender brings more freedom, purpose and fulfillment than striving and controlling ever could.

Because God created us and loves us, we can trust that He has a better outcome for our lives than we could ever imagine. Because God knows all and sees all, we can trust that even if our stories don’t turn out the way we originally thought, He is a redeemer who works all for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

When we offer our lives as living sacrifices in surrender to God, we can rest assured that God will act in accordance with the goodness of His heart and the promises in His Word. We are safe in surrender. We are free not to have it all under control because we serve a God who does.

Lord, help me to release my death grip on control and instead surrender to Your will and Your way. Your Word promises that when I commit my life to You, You will act on my behalf. Thank You for loving me enough to write a beautiful story for my life. Help me to trust You, even in the unknown. Help me to walk in faith, even when I can’t see. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Luke 9:23-24, “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it’” (ESV).

What is one thing in your life right now that you are having a hard time surrendering to God? What daily steps can you take to trust Him more?

© 2023 by Tara Sun Synder. All rights reserved.

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