i surrender

My devotional at Faith Lifts today...

“Mommy, will you wrestle with me?” questioned my young son.

You see, Zach, has given me the privilege of being his preferred wrestling partner since his older sister shows no mercy. With her fighting, competitive nature, he does not stand a chance against her. Of course, being his mother, I am much gentler and as all good moms, am always eager to see him win.

This particular moment, Zach was careful to explain that sister had told him I am intentionally easy on him and he requested that I give him my all. Unfortunately for him, it was the end of the day and I had exhausted my energy to be able to wrestle. I referred him to dear old Dad. Little boys need to wrestle with their dads anyway, right?

Later, while tending to business in the kitchen I heard the undeniable sound of trouble.

“Mommy, Mommy, help!” Zach cried.

“You can’t ask Mommy for help,” Daddy jokingly explained.

Aha! The wrestling match was on! Poor Zach, I thought. You see, Dad is a strapping 6’4” firefighter. I smiled and went about my business, hoping the laughter would not turn to tears. The match continued.

“I surrender! I surrender!” confessed my little man. Daddy apparently had the upper hand. This bout was clearly unequal.

In life, we all have giants with which we must wrestle—financial burdens, health problems, unhealthy addictions, a troubled mind. We try to pin them down and strain against them in an effort to overcome, but it seems impossible to gain authority over them and attain victory. Those kinds of giants are much less merciful than the loving dad with which Zach was wrestling.

Have you come to the point where you cry out, “I surrender! I surrender!” Isaiah tells us, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29). The world regards weakness, as well, weak, but in God’s economy, He “has chosen the weak things of this world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (I Cor 1:27).

When facing life’s giants, let us surrender to the faithful and powerful God of the universe. The battle belongs to the Lord. Only He is able. By faith, we can overcome in the trials that seem unmatched and unfair. Even as “the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promise, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, and became valiant in battle” (Hebrews 11:33-34). Even if by the providence of God, we do suffer loss in the battle, we will not lose our integrity. We will have a clear conscience as we hold fast to His truth. The victory may not always be seen on earth, but surely we will see victory in the age to come.

Let us boast in our weaknesses as even my little Zach did so. Allow God to show himself strong where you are deficient. Taste and see that the Lord is good. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. May He alone receive glory and honor for defeating the giants in our lives. Hallelujah!