Surrender

 

³³ Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees;
      then I will keep them to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
      and obey it with all my heart.
³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands,
      for there I find delight.
³⁶ Turn my heart toward your statutes
      and not toward selfish gain.

—The words from Psalm 119:33-36

 

Throughout human history, man has always rebelled against God. The sin stain of Adam, as it has passed down generation to generation, has created a willful spirit within us. That willful spirit has tried to take over our free will and point us toward a pathway that seems right to us. Sadly, this pathway of false freedom actually leads to eternal death.

In God’s great mercy and grace, He has given us His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as a substitute to die in our place and, by the shedding of His blood, redeem us and reconcile us with God. This, of course, remains a great mystery. That’s why so many people simply do not understand what Christ has done and reject this great gift of salvation.

Once we acknowledge what God has done in our behalf, He opens up the way for us to follow the pathway He lays out for us. But, once again, our sin nature constantly tries to assert control over our free will and lead us into disobedience.

But God has given us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Through the mighty power of the Spirit, we can bend our free will to God’s perfect will. In so doing, we set ourselves in a state that allows God to lead us along the pathway He wants us to follow.

Judson W. Van de Venter (1855 - 1939) wrote words to what has become a favorite hymn of the church. With music by Winfield Scott Weeden (1847 - 1908), this song has served to encourage tens of thousands of faithful believers in Jesus to obediently follow God’s will for their lives. The song offers a statement of purpose, but it also embodies a prayer that seeks the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Please read through these words carefully:

I Surrender All

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

Those words certainly speak to the heart. God longs for us to surrender our wills to Him. He wants to energize our free will by our bending that free will to His perfect will. If we will do this—and we have to do so over and over again, many times each day—God will enable us to receive the power of His Holy Spirit to shape every aspect of our lives.

For my friends who work in Christian radio and in the recording industry, please watch a behind-the-scenes video of Max Mace and The Heritage Singers recording their version of this timeless hymn.

And, here’s what the final recording sounds like:

 

 

Phil Johnson and Bob Benson wrote lyrics and music that captured the very same theme of this wonderful old hymn but in a 1970s pop style. You will note the similarity of the theme when you read the words they wrote:

Give Them All To Jesus

Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows?
Are you tired of spinning round and round?
Wrap up all those shattered dreams of your life
And at the feet of Jesus, lay them down.

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys.
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrows into joy.

He never said you would only see sunshine,
He never said there would be no rain.
He only promised a heart full of singing
About the very things that once brought pain.

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys.
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrows into joy.

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys.
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy
And He will turn your sorrow into joy.

Please watch a video that captures the essence of this song:

Will you pray with me?

Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

Precious Father, we bow before you in humility and acknowledge that whenever we try to go it alone, we fail miserably. Please help us, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to surrender our wills to Your perfect will. Empower us to follow Your will and Your Word.

We thank You, Precious Father, for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

_{Copyright © 2012 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}