Alphabet Soup: Yield to God’s will

Bryan Tay

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. — Romans 12:1 (NIV)

The best decision that we can make in life is to yield or surrender our lives completely to God. He created us to have fellowship with Him. Then He redeemed us when we were steeped in sin and darkness. We are doubly His. We are made in His image. Therefore, He knows exactly how to shape our lives for us to live purposefully and abundantly, supported by His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. God is the Potter and we are the clay. He knows the way ahead of us. He alone knows how to prepare us to live a life of holiness and abundance in Him. Let us not become like the Israelites when they left Egypt to go to the Promised Land. It could have taken them just about two weeks to get there. Instead, they spent forty years in the wilderness until the entire unbelieving generation perished.

What does God say about this?

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

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.

Proverbs 3:5,6 (NIV)

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)

What does this mean for practical living?

Recall the first chapter, “Accept God & His Word as the Final Authority” in our lives. Once we do that, it will be much easier to yield to God and His will for our lives. In every life situation, He knows the end from the beginning as well as all the meanders, loops and tangents along the way. When we commit our plans to Him, He will guide us to take the straight and narrow path, without turning to left or to the right as we follow Him.

Yielding to him means laying all our plans, goals, ambitions and desires before him. We will not clutch or cling on to all these tightly but rather hold them with an open palm before Him and say: “Lord, these are the things I’d like to do. If they are aligned with your will for my life, help me to achieve them with your wisdom and strength. Otherwise, show me what I ought to do.” In your quiet moments, bow down before Him and make a full surrender to Him.

Reflect and respond to God’s Word.

• What are you afraid of losing if you were to surrender fully to God? Why?
• What assurance or bargain are you looking for from God in exchange for yielding fully to Him?
• Identify one area of your life that you will surrender fully to God and determine to follow His leading regardless of where He leads you.