Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I enjoyed the morning on the front porch before the heat rises for another scorcher day and I gave thanks for it all even though I don’t like the heat. I’m not sure what purpose there is for those scorching temperatures or why God turns up the heat, but I love Him, so I Surrender to all that He is and all that He does without question… especially to those things I don’t particularly like OR understand. The Living God has every “right” to Demand that I Surrender to Him, but it doesn’t work that way. Instead, He Loves me and gives me free will. He wants me to Surrender to Him on my own and not because He says so, but because I love Him. Pleasing Him is my biggest Priority in Life. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

It’s amazing to see how people react when it comes to being willing to surrender to almost anything in life because they see it as a sign of weakness instead of a place of Strength. We don’t like to surrender to authority when we push the speed limit up to where we think it should be instead of where authority says it is -but God says to obey the laws of the land. We don’t like to surrender to political leaders – but God ordains them all and He tells us to pray for each one. We don’t think it’s necessary to surrender in any relationship whatsoever because having “equality” is more important from where we sit- but God says to love one another more than ourselves and to put their needs above our own. Kids sometimes don’t want to surrender to their parents – but God says to honor them. Employees don’t want to surrender to the boss – but God says to respect and obey them. Then there’s surrendering our PRIDE to extend Forgiveness to people WE don’t believe deserve it. Why would we do that? Because He commands us to. If we want Forgiveness from Him, we’ll surrender our pride to forgive others too. There’s no end to the things we thumb our noses at because we refuse to surrender…including the Living God. But Surrender to God is a Beautiful thing and it’s only rooted in Love. It’s when we humbly Surrender to a Mighty God because we LOVE Him, that we “unleash” His Power in our lives! No, there’s nothing “wussie” about Surrender…it’s where the Strength is found!

It took a lot of trials and tributlation to Tenderize my Heart and it took years for me to Surrender my own will to His Will instead. I recognize a rebellious spirit when I see it…the one that refuses to surrender to anything in life at all…from the law to love, and we’re seeing that a lot these days. Some people cheer those rebels on because they admire their determination to have their own way, but not me…I pray for them instead. God gives me Free Will to “do it my way” but I’ve tried that, and I KNOW that His way is the ONLY way. I KNOW the Peace and the Power that comes through Surrender and I wish they could have what I have. I’m bold…I’m a Warrior…I’m a threat to my enemy…I’m unstoppable…I’m unshakable…I’m Victorious…ALL BECAUSE I Surrendered to the Will of an Amazing God…by my OWN free will…out of Love…and never out of weakness.

How about you?