“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10a NIV
“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 NIV
With everything that’s been going on in and around the world today, I’ve been looking for ways to find more relaxation and serenity in the comfort of my own home. This led me to purchase a hammock. I envisioned it would be nice to lay outside, swinging in the breeze, while enjoying the simplicity of nature. Once we finally located and purchased one, it took a little preparation to get it ready. We had to identify the right trees by making sure they were sturdy enough and had the appropriate amount of distance in between them to anchor the two sides of the hammock. After a little work, it was all set-up and ready to enjoy.
The first couple of times, I was unsure as I eased into the hammock; I wanted to ensure it was secure so I didn’t flip out onto the ground! Eventually I came to know and trust that it was safe and now I barely give climbing in a second thought. I simply stand in front of it and fall back, knowing that it’s there anchored solidly to catch me.
On many days, I’ve thought about how our relationship with God is intended to be just like my experience with this hammock. Our loving Heavenly Father yearns for us to just “fall” into His arms by trusting in Him in all things. So many times we find ourselves worrying about the details of "how?"...much like I was unsure if we’d picked the right trees or if the anchors were tight enough. God calls us to surrender and to fall back into Him, the anchor upon which all else is resting.
Just as I prepared for hanging the hammock by searching for the right trees etc., we are to spend time preparing and nurturing our relationship with Christ. We can then focus on our first call to surrendering in knowing, trusting, and declaring whole heartedly that He is our savior and a good and loving Father. A reflection of surrendering to the Lord can be seen in the daily choices we make, in our treatment of others, and in reviewing how our lives compare to how the Bible calls us to live as His children.
Surrendering is further cultivated in spending intentional time day by day in His Word, and many times moment by moment with God. I have found that what also fosters a confidence that God will catch you in moments of surrender, is recalling all the ways in which He has shown up in your life previously. Just as after a few times of swinging successfully in the hammock, I knew I no longer had to worry about falling, we can rest assured that He will show up time and time again as He has in the past. This does not mean that our lives will be void of challenges, disappointments or heartache but it does mean that by surrendering to God, we can walk through our challenges with a greater sense of peace. Once I surrendered and trusted that it was indeed secure, I began to experience the full peace of swinging in the hammock! God wants this very same experience for all of His children and our lives.
Reflection
Below I share some of the ways that lead me to surrender. Read them over. Once you’re finished, identify ways that can help you surrender to God.
I read the Bible to serve as the anchor for my life similarly to the way the trees anchor the hammock. I know when I'm grounded in God, I can experience peace in any situation.
I think back on all of the ways and situations in which He’s shown His love, grace and mercy, and this gives me the faith and confidence in Him to move forward.
I recognize and accept that surrendering doesn’t necessarily mean the outcome will be the way I thought or prayed for BUT in trusting that His way is always best.
What can help you surrender to God? What do you need to do in order to implement them?
Prayer
God, thank You for being such a wonderful, loving and gracious Father. God help me to fully trust in You and to surrender all of my hopes, dreams, plans, worries, fears and pain to You. I pray that You will search my heart and quiet my mind to help me focus on following Your will for my life. God, when things get especially hard I pray for the grace to remember to fall back into Your waiting arms. Lord, I pray for Your peace to withstand all that today’s world requires and that You will receive the glory for my obedience. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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