THE ACT OF SUBMITTING

06/19/2024

“So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6).

The ultimate act of submission is to prioritize God’s perfect will for your life, daily. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

This means that submitting to the Lord is not compulsory. It’s totally up to you to submit to the Lord or not submit. However, if you desire to emulate the Lord Jesus, particularly as He lived a perfect life, the route to this level of perfection is to shelve your personal plans and ambitions and yield to the Lord’s plans and ambitions for your life. Philippians 2:6-7  says this about Jesus, "who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men." 

Make no mistakes about it. God has a perfect plan for your life that you can only accomplish through the leadership of the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 says, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” But to be led, you must desire to be led. 

One way to show that you desire to be led is to assume the posture of a follower. You jettison your own choices and preferences and deliberately seek to do the will of the Master as a show that you cherish His way more. John the Baptist gave us a cue to follow when he said about Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

The entire essence of your life as a Christian is that you share it with the Lord Jesus such that He has the right of first say. He must have the first say in everything that concerns you after you are born again because that is what you signed up for when you declared Him your Lord. 

Many usurp His position by making choices without His approval. They choose jobs, live in houses, and associate with people without the Lord's approval and wonder why His power is absent from their experiences. Well, not you. 

Let the posture of your heart be that in everything, going forward, you defer to the Lord. Get in the habit of seeing your life as something you steward on the Lord's behalf because, indeed, this life you live, does not belong to you alone anymore. Ask Him what He thinks before making a decision. Ask Him what He will have you do in tight situations. Ask Him where the resources are instead of fretting when things seem desperate.

Understand that you are a kept person and as you yield to this truth, the greater glory that God has earmarked for you in this season will be tangible and accessible.

Have a beautiful day!

Faith-Filled Confession

I am a kept person; abundantly catered for by the Lord Jesus, my owner. His will is my command at every turn in my life's course. I know no struggles. Rather, my heart's posture is one of submission and reliance on the counsel of my Maker and King. Hallelujah!

Prayer Direction

• Pray for families experiencing trauma due to missing loved ones. Pray for their peace and comfort, and that the missing individuals will be found and restored to their families (Psalm 147:3).

• Pray for ministers contemplating suicide. Pray that the love of God will prevail against such thoughts and intentions (Jeremiah 29:11).

• Pray for the sick in your family. Declare healing for their bodies in Jesus' name (Jeremiah 30:17).

One-Year Bible Reading Plan: Nehemiah 12-13; Acts 4:23-37