Matthew 26: 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: never-the-less not as I will, but as thou wilt.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Living in surrender mode has to do with adopting the mode of thought and action that is willing to be led by God in all things, whether we may have our own ideas or not. Having our own ideas isn’t a bad thing, for it is incidental to the gift of intelligence given to us by God.
However, human intelligence exercised without God or when used without His direction will lead persons to do and say things that are contradictory to God. It is because of that humanistic tendency, to exercise our intelligence outside of the context of God’s will, why the worldly-wise make so many blunders.
The person who is truly humble and wise will allow his or her intelligence to be guided by God, and His word, for in so doing, the likelihood of doing satan’s bidding inadvertently, will drop exponentially.
In our first passage, the gold standard is set before us in the Person of Christ who had His own personal preference as it pertains to Calvary. But it becomes clear that His decisions would be guided by The Father’s revealed will, and not His own.
In other words, when Jesus utters those words: “Not My will, but Thy will” He is there showing us in real time that there will be instances in our experiences where we will prefer to take another route. But, if it will conflict with God’s revealed will, the Christian is to defer to God’s wisdom in the matter.
We often see this question posted on cars: “What would Jesus do”. The answer is that Jesus would do this, He would defer His preferences, and decisions in any matter to the Father, so that God’s will would always take precedence in any given situation.
As Christians, we also would have to learn the very difficult lesson of giving God the last word, in every situation, so that His will, and not ours will have the preeminence.
This is not something that is so easily accomplished, because in most cases, it will take lots of pulling and tugging, a lot of back and forth, before folks finally decide to let go and let God. But if we are to survive prime time, this condition must be reached, not my will but thy will.
Obeying God is not always a bed of roses, for there are times when He may instruct us to do things that may not jive with our desires or preferences. To put it plainly, it is hard to imagine, that Abraham would be jumping for joy at the prospect of having to be circumcised at 99 years of age. Let’s read:
Genesis 17: 9 And God said unto Abraham, you shall keep my covenant therefore, you, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10 This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every male child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Back in those days you didn’t have laser surgery and some of the other gizmos we have today that would make the procedure easier to bear. Yet, Abraham is going to put aside his feelings on the matter, and let that maxim: “Not my will but thy will” bear sway.
Zipporah? Not so much, because she could not see why the procedure was necessary, as coming from God, and as she reasoned for or against it she finally decided that her own will would be done. But in the process, she almost lost both her son and Moses. Let’s read:
Exodus 4: 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
Here it is again as we study the patterns of pulling and tugging, our will versus God’s will, and which one we will decide to go with in the end. Here is the scenario with Peter and his fellows who have fished all night and have caught nothing.
And now, he has called it quits, and they are packing up their nets until some other time but Jesus comes along and instructs Peter to let down his net, for a draught, at a time when experienced and intelligent fishermen will not usually be fishing. Let’s read:
Understanding the Dawn and Dusk Advantage
This refers to the twilight hours around sunrise and sunset. The reduced light intensity at these times will offer a unique advantage to both predator and prey.
During these times, many fish will feel safer to leave their daytime hiding spots, and actively hunt for food. It is also easier for predators to see their prey in the fading light.
Temperature Transitions
Water temperature plays a significant role in fish activity. During the day, the sun heats the water, which may cause fish to seek cooler, deeper areas or shaded spots.
As the sun sets, the water temperature begins to cool, making fish more comfortable, and likely to feed. Conversely, in the early morning, the rising temperatures can stimulate feeding as fish become more active after a cooler night.
Therefore, the pulling and tugging begins in Peter’s mind, as his experience, and intelligence are pitted against The Lord’s word. As we observe the logical line of reasoning, going through Peter’s mind, we should be reminded that logic and rational thought are sometimes found to be on opposite sides of the spectrum to faith and obedience. Let’s read:
Luke 5: 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Back in the days of yore, as it has always been the case throughout human history, the issue of defense stood front and center of the individual and national need to exist. In harmony with the need to protect borders, personal property and life itself, there were heavy investments in security apparatus.
For instance, kings would invest heavily in horses, as they were tried and proven in battle to be superior to an armed man standing alone. The speed of the horses back then averaged between 30 and 40 mph, so that when compared with an armed soldier it is the equivalent of an Abrams tank, going up against a man with an AK 47.
Thus, it was a no brainer that kings would be having horses as a major part of their battalions, because of their sheer strength and speed, which would then make their armies very superior and formidable. Let’s read:
Exodus 14: 5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him.
7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.
Similarly, Solomon would follow that conventional wisdom on battalions, for horses would comprise an integral part of his army. In fact, any army without a cavalry of horses would be considered inadequate to say the least, and would logically be setting itself up for defeat even before the war began. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 1: 16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
17 And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.
2nd Chronicles 9: 28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.
1st Kings 22: 4 And he (Ahab)said unto Jehoshaphat, Will thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
That’s all well and good according to conventional wisdom, but like with Peter, God’s wisdom does not always jive with man’s wisdom and because the two are often at loggerheads. Thus, the pulling and the tugging is about to begin as the wisdom of man goes contrary to the wisdom of God.
Whereas it is settled knowledge and understanding that horses back then were essential to giving your army the advantage, The Lord comes along and says what He thinks of a horse, and He proceeds to give instructions concerning them, which are entirely out of line with the conventional wisdom on battle. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 17: 14 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me like as all the nations that are about me;
15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Psalms 33:17 A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord: He is our help and our shield.
It’s funny, because when Ahab went out to battle he saddled his horse and chariot, in harmony with the wisdom at that time, but he died in his chariot, for as The Lord says, a horse does not deliver anybody.
In fact, both Ahab and Pharaoh died when they put their trust in horses, because the ways and means we often adopt to protect ourselves, can turn out to be the very means of our demise. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22: 34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
Exodus 14: 23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
25 And took off their chariot wheels that they drove them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.
26 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 287] The mysterious cloud changed to a pillar of fire before their astonished eyes. The thunders pealed and the lightnings flashed. “The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound.
Thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of Thy thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightning lighted the world: the earth trembled and shook.”
The Egyptians were seized with confusion and dismay. They endeavored to retrace their steps and flee to the shore. But Moses stretched out his rod, and the piled-up waters, hissing, roaring, and eager for their prey, rushed together and swallowed the Egyptian army in their black depths.
In our day the Christian will have to live in surrender mode meaning that in any and every given situation we must ask ourselves that same question referred to at the beginning of the study, namely: “What will thou have me to do”
Living in surrender mode means that in cases where wrongs are done to the Christian, The Lord would have us follow His instructions on dealing with such issues in a conciliatory manner so as to deescalate, instead of igniting animosity.
The Christian should be the first to extend an olive branch in such situations where tempers may flare, and where there may be disputes and arguments about your personal rights. It’s not our rights we’re fighting for; it’s God’s right to our service.
And, as such, instead of tracking a belligerent course using tit for tat ways and means, the Christian must do as Jesus would do and defer his/her actions and decisions to God by saying: “Not my will but thy will be done. Let’s read:
Matthew 5: 20 For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Speaking of “The Officer” this past week, I was on the Palmetto Expressway, turning onto 67th Ave and when the traffic light turned green, I observed that the driver of an SUV was driving aggressively, and he almost hit another driver in a Lexus.
The other driver didn’t take kindly to the bad drive and he immediately tried to force his way into the SUV, as he pulled suddenly in front of the first driver and slammed on his brakes.
I’m there in my truck thinking that they are probably living in survival mode, for neither seemed willing to give an inch. As I kept observing the escalation, the driver in the SUV turned on his red and blue lights and demanded that the driver in the Lexus stop.
The rest is history, for the driver in the SUV was a cop. In surrender mode, the Christian facing similar situations would defer to God’s methods of dealing with aggravations and would extend an olive branch by not retaliating in the same currency. Let’s read:
Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
This does not mean that you must spread your body as a carpet for persons to walk over. What it means is that living in surrender mode will move us to do as Jesus would do, so that instead of escalating the conflict, we will track a different course by seeking to soothe frayed nerves.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, as the mob was now approaching Jesus to arrest Him, a familiar ploy of devils unfolded, in that the mob was being moved upon by devils and those like Peter who were trying to protect Jesus were being moved upon by devils.
Both were doing satan’s will even though they might seem to have been operating on opposite ends of the spectrum. It is worthy of note, that after Peter was truly converted, he was never recorded in the Bible as ever carrying a sword again.
After the day of Pentecost he was beaten with many stripes, he was jailed on more than one occasion, he came face to face with conflicts, and oppositions by which his rights were trampled upon, but through it all, he never carried or used his sword anymore, in self-defense.
The fact is that if we decide to take the matter of self-defense into our own hands, we will not need the protecting power of God, for there will be no need for the angel of the Lord to encamp about them, who are armed to the tooth in self-defense.
Therefore, if the Christian decides to go the survival route, and satan should pick a fight with you for any reason, you will have to try shooting him, if you can. In times past God may have winked at the ways and means adopted by His people as per security issues.
But now, as God is preparing to send in His special reinforcements of angels who excel in strength, to protect His people, there will be no need for Him to put resources where they are not needed.
If we decide like Peter, to handle matters of defense for ourselves, using conventional ways, and means that are not in harmony with the Bible, then we will be on our own, sooner or later, for The Lord will not force His form of protection upon anyone who may beg to differ. Let’s read:
[Maranatha pp 201] I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads. Their only safety was in keeping their eyes directed upward.
Angels of God had charge over His people, and as the poisonous atmosphere of evil angels was pressed around these anxious ones, the heavenly angels were continually wafting their wings over them to scatter the thick darkness.
The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power.
I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, “It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.”
Bit by bit, The Lord brings the Christian to different point of surrender, until the you and me in the here and now can sing with the understanding that hymn we all love to sing: “I Surrender All”
With some, He bids us surrender on matters of diets and foods, with others He bids us surrender on the fleshly lusts which war against the soul, with others, God bids us surrender on the matter of security and self-defense, so that we could avoid embarrassing the cause of Christ, when poked suddenly by devils.
Could you imagine what the headlines would have reported on Peter, as an elder of the church, after the confrontation with the mob? If Jesus had not healed and restored the man’s severed ear, there would have been Channel 7 News helicopters flying over, whilst ambulances, blaring their sirens would be rushing the man to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
And satan, who is always ready to make the most of the Christian’s blunders would be sure to emblazon the newspapers in all caps, with the gory details of the one who retaliated in an un-Christlike manner. Let’s read:
[Last Day Events pp 138] Those who compose our churches have traits of character that will lead them, if they are not very careful, to feel indignant, because on account of misrepresentation their liberty in regard to working on Sunday is taken away.
Do not fly into a passion over this matter but take everything in prayer to God. He alone can restrain the power of rulers. Walk not rashly. Let none boast unwisely of their liberty, using it for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God, “Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” [1 Peter 2:17]
This advice is to be of real value to all who are to be brought into strait places. Nothing that shows defiance or that could be interpreted as maliciousness must be shown.
In closing, let the remnant people of God in our day determine by the grace of God, to follow closely in the footsteps of Jesus, even as we would encounter more and more situations, that will try our patience to the core.
Yes, persons will try to tick you off and yes there will be times when you might have to forgive and forget that Hialeah driver, who deliberately cut you off, and almost caused an accident.
Worst yet, when your freedoms are trampled upon, when your rights are violated and when persons will be wrongfully accused, fined and jailed for doing the right thing there will be strong temptations to resort to survival mode, and put these fools in their place.
But the question is: “What would Jesus Do” in the same situation? How would He respond, and what does the Bible say the Christian should do in such circumstances? The answers are grim indeed, and as such will call for deep soul searching and surrender of no ordinary sort.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that would greatly help us in navigating the various mine fields now being set for the feet of the unwary. We must take these issues to God in prayer, and ask Him to thoroughly convert us before all hell breaks loose in the most literal sense. Let’s read:
Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. 18 if it be possible, as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay saith The Lord.
20 Therefore, if thine enemy hungers, feed him, if he thirsts, give him drink.
God Bless!