Surrender: A devotional on desperation, humility, and giving over

 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? — Romans 6:16 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, The Apostle Paul makes a clear distinction that when I offer myself as an obedient slave, I'm a slave of the one I choose to obey. Dr. Steve Schell writes that, "By sinning, I become the slave of sin. By my disobedience I hand over to sin the legal right to dominate me and, in time, for death to seize me." If I choose obedience, I am set free from sin and have become a slave to righteousness (vs. 18). Lord, thank you that I am no longer a slave to sin. I know this because my old self was crucified with you. My body once ruled by sin is gone. Romans 6:7 declares, "anyone who has died has been set free from sin." I am dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (vs. 11). Therefore, I offer m...

 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. — Romans 5:3-4 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, We glory in our sufferings. The word Paul uses here means to "glory in a thing", "to boast", "to rejoice." He's contrasting his previous thought that we boast or rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in our hope of God and  we rejoice in our sufferings. The picture forming in my mind is lifting hands, shouting with joy, as I rejoice in God and then doing the same thing in the midst of my suffering. Yeah. I don't do that. I don't rejoice when suffering comes. I do the opposite. I complain. I sulk. I moan. I am irritated. I am angry. I am resentful. But do I rejoice? No. Yet this is the very thing Paul says we are to do. And it's because of the incredible fruitfulness our suffering brings. Suffering produces perseverance....

 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. — Romans 4:20-21 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, We are quick to call the enemy a thief who steals, kills, and destroys (John 10:10), but our own unbelief is an equal thief. Paul is writing about Abraham who "against all hope... in hope believed and so became the father of many nations" (vs. 18). His body was as good as dead and Sarah's womb was also dead, yet he did not waver in unbelief. He believed God's promise. He was fully persuaded that God was the One "Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed." (Romans 4:17 AMP). Unbelief is a thief that steals the promises of God. Yet we use unbelief as a protective hedge against disappointment. We believe that we won't fa...

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. — Romans 2:5 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, What are the areas of my soul where I am most stubborn and where in my heart am I unrepentant? This verse really brings to mind the cry of the Psalmist who writes, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24). Lord, I invite you to inspect my heart. Where does stubbornness and unrepentance exist? This way of surrender and humility means regularly asking you to survey the condition of my heart and point out the areas where I am holding tightly to my own way and grasping self-righteously to my own desires.  Lord, forgive me for my stubbornness. Cleanse me of my thinking that my ways are right and I know the answers. Lord, for...

 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. — Romans 1:11-12 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Paul's longing to come to Rome to preach and disciple wasn't a one-sided transaction. He fully intended to receive something from the church in Rome. Even though an apostle, with all his experience, insight, and revelation, he anticipated being encouraged by their faith as much as he would encourage them. Lord, that is the mark of humility. May I never become so certain of what I can bring to others that I become prideful and unteachable and unable to receive from others. May I be encouraged by the faith of those I pastor. May I learn from those I am teaching. May we mutually encourage each other's faith. Gracious Lord, today I choose to stay humble, even when I could take pride in the position of experienced teacher. I choose to stay humble when someone s...

 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. Romans 1:1 NLT Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Paul used the word "doulos" to describe his relationship to you. Doulos is translated to "slave, servant, bondservant." Although an adopted son into the family of God, Paul chose to make himself a slave. Dr. Steve Schell writes, "With these few words he tells us he has abandoned his rights and given over all control of his life in order to serve Jesus. He has fully surrendered himself—his self-protection, personal comfort, daily agenda, finances and more—to do everything in his power to spread the Gospel." This description of "doulos" shines a bright light on how much Paul willingly gave up to be set apart as an apostle for the Gospel. Moreover, it illuminates all that I value above the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Can I fully surrender my self-protection? Dropping my fists ...

 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance! — Acts 28:31 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, These final words of Acts, spoken of the Apostle Paul, describe my goal. Lord, I desire to be a man who proclaims the kingdom of God. The word proclamation is derived from the Latin word meaning "shout out." Its definition is "a clear declaration of something." Proclaiming the kingdom of God really needs to take place outside the walls of the church for those who have never heard the Gospel. So Lord, open doors and lead me by your Spirit to proclaim the kingdom of God. Lord, I desire to teach about the Lord Jesus Christ. With every message I preach, I pray that I can point to you. May I ensure each sermon clearly articulates who you are and the way to you and to follow you. I'm uninterested in teaching that tickles ears or majors in the minors. I want to teach about the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord,...