“As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.
(1 kings 20)
These words by themselves sound like an act of worship to a worthy God and King but in context it is one King’s tame and submissive response – an act of surrender to the demands of another. Ahab was the king of Damascus and in this scene, Ben-Hadad ruler of Syria had laid siege to his city. Having the upper hand, Ben-Hadad sent a messenger demanding that King Ahab hand over all his silver, gold and even his best wives and children! Ben-Hadad had amassed great power and he along with his allies were a menace to the people of Israel. From Ahab’s response, you can tell he lacked the testicular fortitude to stand up and oppose this menacing king, so he acquiesced to his demands.
I have been thinking a lot about surrender recently, we sing about it, we encourage non-believers to act it out, we profess it with our lips but have we truly? Have I completely given myself over to the power of the Holy Spirit? Have I yielded all that I am and have to the will of the father? Or do I cling to my desires as if they were the only ground beneath me? Do I in my wisdom allocate my income however I want, spend it however I choose? Do I decide how to spend my time with little or no regard for the will of the one from whose hands I’ve received it? Do I consult the Lord often concerning His plans for me? And what of those plans he has laid out plainly in His word? Is my response always; “As you say my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.”?
It is not easy to walk out every command of God, do good to those who use you, end that relationship, forgive the one who hurt you, esteem others more highly than yourself…
Surrendering is not always joyful but it is required and often on the other side has more than we could ever ask or imagine.
O for grace to completely yield to you my God and King!
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