Keeping the theme from the last post of being completely devoted, I want to speak to how we respond to God calling us to various circumstances. Whether in questioning or full certainty, in good or bad, our response should be yes to whatever God requires. We have many examples of this in the Bible, but I picked out two, Abraham and Paul, and then a source where they got that surrender. 

In the Unknown

God said, “Take now your son, your only son [of promise], whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and then he got up and went to the place of which God had told him.” Genesis 22:2-3

This story of Abraham demonstrates an amazing level of faith. As human nature has it, we want to know every detail of every plan, often, God does not usually appease that desire. I would say most of the time God calls us to do something with most of the steps in the dark. The reason Abrahams faith is proven is because the unknown ending of God sending a replacement for Isaac. I can imagine that Abraham would not have chosen to do this and there is no proof that Abraham knew God would send a lamb, and yet Abraham was obedient. We must strive to have that same faith. If you know every single detail and knew exactly how it turn out, that would not be faith. Faith is trusting God even when there is a mountain in your way. Trust that God will reveal His plan, but only as it is needed, whether that be ten steps ahead or as you are taking the step. In any case, whether you have the step by step guide to not, keep your answer the same, “yes”. 

In the Hard

“For I am under compulsion [by God]; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” Acts 26:19b

Another show of great faith is found in the life of Paul. His christian walk was riddled with various sufferings from being whipped, being stoned, and frequent imprisonments among many more. Never once did Paul’s faith and surrender waver. Through it all Paul repeatedly declared that he was a vessel to be used by God. Paul’s life can be a lesson in many ways, but one way is to have the same answer to God for the easier things as the hard sufferings God calls us to, yes. It is much easier to be obedient when God calls us to something that doesn’t inconvenience us, but if we are to be fully obedient and all in for God, we must be just as obedient when God calls us to the hard and trying times. Like gold, we must go through the fire for our faith to be proven. As you go into that fire, trust the God is the same one that was with Paul in all his sufferings and has been proven to walk through fire for His people before. 

In God

“You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].” Isaiah 26:3

Paul’s faith and surrender did not come from nothing. Paul quotes the book of Isaiah many times and although he never quotes this verse, it is likely he knew this verse well and remembered it in his various times of suffering. He knew that if his mind was steadfast on God, God would keep him in perfect peace. The promise still holds true for us. We are to keep our minds on God, trust Him with it all, and take refuge in Him and He promises to give the same peace He gave Paul. When we give God our whole life and respond with yes, we hand over the heavy weight of the control which we never truly had. To often people think they must hold their life together, that is never the case. God is the sole reason everything does not unravel, when you realize that and the fact that it is not up to you, it frees you to live for Him in more ways. Trust God with your life and your future.