{Be Encouraged} Surrender

by Kristina Hurd

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-10

These verses struck me recently when I was thinking about the word surrender and what it really means to let go of my plans and trust the Lord. The thing that stuck out to me the most is that surrendering and resting in the Lord isn’t a passive thing, in fact, it is very active! Look at these words – CAST your anxieties, be WATCHFUL, RESIST, be FIRM. None of those are words that I would have associated with the idea of surrender or resting in a trust of the Lord…and yet that is what He has called us to do. We are to trust that He is in control while we vigilantly and ardently hold onto our faith in Him. What a beautiful promise He gives us at the end of these verses that if we are faithful he HIMSELF will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us. Those are words we can hold onto when He calls us to surrender ourself to him and trust his plan.

Stay firm in your faith and trust his plan!