A PRESCRIPTION FOR SUBMISSION
“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.”
Exodus 23:20-22 (NIV)
A few months ago, I was prescribed an antibiotic and given clear instructions: take the medicine consistently, don’t skip doses, and finish the entire bottle, even if I started to feel better before the medicine ran out. Why? Because my sickness required the full treatment. A full round of antibiotics would treat the infection and keep it from spreading. I trusted the medicine to do its job, so I took it exactly as it was prescribed. When it comes to our faith in God, do we live with that same confidence?
Partial obedience won’t bring full healing. If we trust that the Lord is who He says He is, we must decide to obey Him. We need the full treatment. This requires our acknowledgement that Christ died for us and rose to give us eternal life. But it doesn’t stop there. We must also surrender our lives to Him, allowing Him to transform us and mold us into His image. We can’t hold back parts of our lives and hope for the fullness of what God has promised. We are living for eternity with Him now. If we believe Jesus is coming back, we can trust Him with our lives. Scripture says in Proverbs 3:5-7, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Complete trust requires full submission. A life that truly matters, one that prepares us for eternity, is not built on selective obedience.
APPLICATION: Is there an area of your life that you’re struggling to give to the Lord? Maybe you’re afraid to give up control because you haven’t fully trusted in Him yet. What would it look like to fully trust God in that area?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, plant in my heart a desire to fully submit to You. I trust that You are in control and Your ways are better than mine. Help me to anticipate eternity by giving myself completely to You. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don't let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?