In my devotional time lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in the Psalms. I feel like praying through the very prayers inspired by God helps train my heart and mind to desire what is right. Psalm 37 has been near and dear to my heart for a long time, but it has come to the forefront of my mind again lately as I have been working through some trust issues. This prompt of “surrender” took me back to Psalm 37 again. (I also found it a bit…um…interesting that I just wrote a post last week on the same theme of “letting go.”) The main verses that stand out to me with this idea of surrender are as follows:
Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
–Psalm 37:3-7
The words in these verses that carry some of the same meaning as surrender are “trust,” “commit” and “be still.” Trusting God is letting Him be in control, surrendering the reigns to him and believing He will take good care of me. If I commit my way to the Lord, I am giving up or surrendering my own way. “Be still” is also a reminder to surrender. If I am still, I am at rest. I am not struggling or fighting. I am surrendered and willing to be used by God. The problem with all these things is that they go against our (MY) natural desire to be in control of our circumstances and to do what we want to do.
The beautiful thing about the picture of surrender in Psalm 37 is that it also shows the good things God promises when we give Him control:
He will give us safety. (vs. 3)
He will give us the desires of our heart. (vs. 4)
He will make our righteousness and justice shine. (vs. 6)
We will enjoy great peace. (vs. 11)
He will uphold us. (vs. 17)
I could go on, but my time is already up! The point is this: Surrender is not easy, but surrendering to the One who holds our future in His hands is always, always, the best thing to do.
This post is part of the Five Minute Fridays link-up hosted by Kate Motaung. Join the FMF community and get your free-write on! Find my other Five Minute Fridays posts here.
Hi Kiel. I’m your neighbor over at five minute Friday. From one control freak to another, your words were very familiar to me. Surrendering is not easy but in Him we can trust. Blessings.
Thanks for stopping by, Lezlie!
I love this Psalm, and I like how you highlight the blessings that come from surrender. It’s not easy but it helps to remember that it’s ultimately for our good. Visiting from FMF #22.
Hi there – I’m next-door to you at #46 in the FMF linkup this week. I find your post very encouraging. Surrender can’t happen without trust, and when we understand these truths about God that appear in this Psalm, we know we can trust Him and rest in Him.