What it Means to Surrender Everything

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it… - Psalm 24:1

A family who had just been called to the mission field sold almost all of their belongings and packed up everything else in their station wagon. They were on their way to meet the ship that would take them and their car to Okinawa, Japan, and stopped to rest and enjoy one last meal in America.

While they were inside the restaurant, however, a thief broke into their car and took everything that was in it. The only thing that was left was the car itself. The family’s collective heart sank.

Then the father told the others, “We were holding tight to the things that were in that car, and God has turned our hands over, slapped them, and everything has fallen out. Now we’re ready to go.”

Everything we have belongs to God. It’s not usually very hard to admit that. But what is hard is when things are taken away and that truth becomes our reality. When we lose things that mean so much to us, however, we can continue to focus on what we’ve lost or we can give it over to God.

The truth is that nothing takes God by surprise. When we lose things, and even when we lose people, God is still in control. And everything (along with everyone) is His anyway. Hold your possessions openhandedly, remembering you’re only a steward over what truly belongs to God!

Prayer Challenge:

Pray that God would lead you to live an openhanded life, acknowledging everything you have is His.

Questions for Thought:

Think of a time when you lost something that was very precious to you. How did you feel?

How does thinking of your most prized possessions as belonging to God help you when such things become lost or broken?

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