Complete Submission

Last night, Chris and I had 2 of our dearest friends over for dinner. Every time we meet up it we talk for hours and the time just flies by. When they left after almost 5 hrs of being with us (and to be honest it felt more like 2!) we commented that we hadn't had such uplifting conversation in a long time. We spoke about almost everything from the impact of watching certain shows and movies can have on a Christian to 'backsliders' to the role of the church today. Every conversation was drenched in Scripture.

One of the things that stuck with me about the conversations we had was the discussion of submission to God. And both of my bible readings (because I missed one yesterday) was about obedience - placing all our trust and reliance in God. The first study was taken from 2 Chronicles 14 , where King Asa begins his reign after his father King Abijah dies. One of the first things mentioned about King Asa was that under his reign 'there was peace in the land for ten years, for Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God' (2 Chr 14:2). Then Asa came under threat from Zerah whose army far outnumbered Asa's. But Asa cries out to God 'O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless agains the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!' (2 Chr 4:11). Jill Briscoe (whose study I am working through) comments that 'God interefered with his grace and gave Asa victory over his enemies'.

Unfortunately, Asa's obedience to God began to wane and 'he relied more on people than on God'. Even towards the end of his life he relied more on his physicians than on God (See 2 Chr 16).

The second study, which is the one that prompted this post, speaks of the 'Long Road of Obedience' and is taken from Jeremiah 2. Israel has once against turned against God and God sends Jeremiah to give Israel this message. The message compares how they once were, they loved God and was willing to please Him 'as a young bride' (Jer 2:2) but now they would rather exchange 'their glorious God for worthless idols!'

This made me question my own level of submission to God. Have I completely submitted to Him? Complete submission is what Adam & Eve struggled with in the Garden of Eden and to be honest, it's what I struggle with too. To hand my live over to God completely. Everything that I have and everything that I am. The things is, everything that I have and everything that I am comes from God. So, why do I find it so hard to give it back to Him? How can I call Jesus Lord of my life, if I find it hard to submit to His rules?

Chris phrased it well, by calling it 'a gravitational pull' towards sin. We feel ourselves being pulled towards our sinful nature, when what we want to do is to be free to go towards God. My prayer to God is to make me free to do this, through the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to live for God. I don't want to be controlled by my sinful nature! I want to be under the authority of a God who loves me perfectly!

Is submission borne out of obedience? Or obedience borne out of submission?

So I pray this prayer:

I ask God to heal my wayward heart (Jer 3:22)
and I confess to Him that disobedience is a sin not just a shortcoming (Jer 3:25)
Help me along the long road of obedience.
I know you'll be with me every step of the way.

Amen