Read: Proverbs 3:1-12
Trust in the LORD with all your heart. (v. 5)
Author and psychologist David Benner crafts a beautiful analogy for the love of God in his book Surrender to Love. He describes the experience of letting God into your life as akin to floating on water. If you can’t float, just imagine it: You don’t have to exert any force or energy. By simply embracing the right posture, the water cradles your body and holds you on the surface. If you worry that you’ve lost control and start flailing, you begin to sink—much like with God in our lives. In order to float, you must be still.
God doesn’t just ask for us to listen to him. His ultimate request is surrender: trusting in the Lord with all of our hearts, and leaning not on our own understanding. Surrender is not a word that our world praises. To cease striving is to climb down from the pedestal of self-worship and acknowledge who we are compared to who God Almighty is. Our everyday lives and the choices we make have even more meaning when we recognize that none of it originates from or ultimately belongs to us.
And don’t forget, this is a joyful request. As verse 8 reminds us, surrendering to God will bring “healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Surrendering to the Lord should feel like a weight has been lifted. Do you long for a life filled with holy trust, rest, joy, care, and love? It’s found in obedience to God, in trusting your life to him.
As you pray, ask God to help you see what you need to surrender to him.
Kelly Wolters leads marketing and communication efforts for the Hope College Admissions team. She lives in Zeeland, Michigan, with her husband, son, and goldendoodle pup. Kelly enjoys making good food, taking walks in God’s nature, and indulging in long conversations with her favorite people.
