Day 2

25 Jan Day 2

Scripture: James 4:7-8 NLT- “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

Observation: By surrendering to God, we can become less of ourselves and more like him. We can flee from worldly temptations and find redemption through building a relationship with God on a daily basis.

Application: Surrender is such a vital part of following Jesus. Surrender is ultimately an act of trusting God so much with your life that you acknowledge that your life is not your own, but it is his! For the next three days, we will discuss the topics of surrender, confession, and forgiveness. These three topics are important in building a relationship with the Father because it requires transparency, trustworthiness, and love to get to know him on a deeper level. I pray that through this devotional you’re able to come to terms with what surrendering to the Lord means for you.

As a kid, I was lucky to have parents who loved me and kept me safe no matter what. When I was afraid during any circumstance, I’d run to them and they’d keep me safe. In their arms, I felt like I could lay my burdens down and rest. This is exactly how God wants us to run to him! If you were fortunate in terms of having good parents, trusting them was easy. However, that’s not the story for everyone. For those of you who didn’t have that trusting parent relationship growing up, know that God is trustworthy despite the fact that the people in your life may not be. Now think of God in this way; he knows you more than anyone on this earth ever will. God knows your heart, your every thought, and your desires. He always remains close to us and yearns for his children to draw close to him. How comforting it is to know that our lives can rest in the one who knows everything about us – even the number of hairs on our head! Surely, we can give our trust to him, who wants good for his people and glory for his precious name.

In order to surrender to him fully, you have to get to know him through building a relationship with him. Through a relationship with God, we can meet him where he has always been; right by our side! This week and in the coming weeks, choose to commit to spending time with God through the Bible, prayer, or even worship. Let’s pray together over this newfound decision to surrender to the Father.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for laying your life down for us even though we are undeserving of your grace. I pray over the decision to draw closer to you so that I can surrender my life to you. The weight of this world is not mine to carry, and I know surrendering to you will bring peace to my life beyond my own understanding. Help me to flee from the enemy and resist worldly desires. For when I am less of myself, I can be more like Christ. Give me the strength to choose a relationship with you every day, and the courage to rest in your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Going Deeper: 

• Think about what surrendering to Christ means for you. 
• In what areas of your life are you trying to control instead of letting God have his way? 
• How can you meet God where he is daily so that you can rest in his promises?

Kylie Wierzbicki, Journey Worship Leader

Kylie has been gathering at The Journey since January 2018. After seeing that there’s more to this life, Kylie went all in with Christ and got baptized in March 2019. Since then, God has led her to being part of the worship team, where she is now growing as a leader.