Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” [1]
This often-quoted scripture contains the essence of what the Lord requires of one who would be a useful servant, and the benefit of being the “One Surrendered Soul” He is looking for. Truly, to be effective in these darkest days we have seen, morally, since before the judgment of the worldwide flood of Noah’s day, we must be completely ‘Sold Out’ for Jesus; being lukewarm simply will not do. No, the lost must see proof that we are wholly devoted to Christ, a peculiar people who are not conformed to the world but transformed by renewing our minds with the Word of God (Rom 12:2).
The word acknowledge can be translated as surrender. Therefore, we can read verse six of this passage this way, “Surrender all of thy ways to Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Looking at this passage this way helps one understand exactly what God is really calling for here. He is looking for those who surrender their whole heart to Him and seek His direction. Think about this for a second: God can direct the paths of this type of person because they are looking for Him to do so instead of leading themselves. Throughout Scripture, we see examples of those used mightily by God because they fully surrendered to His will. Here, we will examine some of these examples to see just how much impact “One Surrendered Soul” can have today.
An excerpt from the article “While We Wait” [2] does a good job of describing the significance of several examples from different periods of biblical history:
“Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; Genesis chapter six explains why. The world had become so wicked that God had decided to destroy mankind along with the beasts, creeping things, and the fowls of the air. It was at this time that God found one just man, a man referred to as perfect in his generation. The same faithfulness which caused Noah to receive grace caused him to heed God’s word and build the ark. In fact, Genesis 22 states that “Noah did everything that God commanded him to do.” This is the beginning of a pattern of success we are to follow while we wait.
Moses, targeted for destruction by Pharaoh because of fear the Israelites were becoming too strong, was miraculously saved. Ironically, he was saved by the very people who sought his demise, the Egyptians. As incredible as his birth was, this is not what makes him so important to the topic at hand. The story of Moses stretches from the fateful moment in the bulrushes all the way to the Mount of Transfiguration. Many instances could be expounded upon with equal effectiveness; however, one particular moment stands out.
Moses had led the people out of Egypt and, on more than one occasion, had to place himself between God and the rebellious children of Israel. One such instance, the rebellion of Korah, provides the key to understanding why Moses was so greatly beloved by the Lord. In the midst of the rebellion, Moses does not reflect on his leadership. Instead, he tells the people they will know the Lord had sent him to do all the works he did by the judgment which would come upon Korah and those with him. Then he provided the secret to his success in his next statement, “for I have not done them of mine own mind (Num 16:28b).” Indeed, Moses did whatsoever the Lord commanded him to do.
By the way, things did not go well for Korah and those faithful to him; they ended up swallowed whole by the earth (Num 16). Obviously, these were not doing all things as unto the Lord.
David, the shepherd boy who became king, lived a life full of ups and downs. As a youth, he was anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel. Next, he, as a ruddy boy, killed Goliath for blaspheming the God of Israel with a sling and stone, no less. He became great while serving Saul, who attempted to kill him repeatedly. He then fled for his life and lived as a throneless king for a time. After his exaltation to the throne, he fell into sin with Bathsheba and lost a son in the process. King David’s story goes on; however, this last point will suffice. In the midst of his sin, David received forgiveness, not because he was king, but because he was quick to repent (2 Sam 12:13). Yes, David failed to live a perfect life; however, any time he came short of God’s desire, he quickly repented.
The prophets, named in the Bible, were no different than the patriarchs already discussed. Each one followed the will of the Lord closely, even if it meant maltreatment by their own people. Micaiah comes to mind. He was the only prophet in the entire kingdom who would speak the unpopular truth to King Ahab, who desired to war against Syria. After being encouraged by a messenger from the king to speak good things like the four hundred prophets that had already declared victory, Micaiah said, “As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak” (2 Chr 18:13).
Of course, the story goes that the king has Micaiah imprisoned and fed only bread and water until the king should return safely. Ironically, even though the king disguises himself, he is felled by a stray arrow, and his passing fulfills the words of the prophet Micaiah with perfect precision. Incredibly, the death of King Ahab also fulfilled a prophecy by another prophet, Elijah (1 Kings 21:19). Micaiah’s desire to speak only what the Lord tells him to speak validates the presented proposal that the best way to wait on the rapture is to be busy doing all things as though doing them to the Lord, even if it brings difficulty.
Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. Therefore, He is the best example possible. In fact, His entire existence on earth was in direct fulfillment of God’s will. The apostle John, the beloved, recorded these words from Jesus, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me (John 6:38).” Jesus demonstrated the truth of this statement with every action and word. Perhaps the most poignant example of this is when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Without a doubt, He knew of the impending turbulent ending of His earthly life when uttering the words, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matt 26:39).”
Jesus, in the most difficult season of His life, relied solely on the Father’s will as demonstrated by the remainder of His time on earth. Like Jesus, our reasonable service, even in the midst of great difficulty, is to do all that we do to and for the Lord.
The Apostles, the first to live as Christians without Christ on earth, validated the principle before us. They lived and died gracefully, knowing that Jesus was genuine. They had seen and touched Him. They walked with Him for over three years as He taught in word and deed.” – end of excerpt
Now we will expound a little further on Jesus and King David.
Complete surrender is what the Lord desires most, for it is from the position of humility that one is most useful to God. [3] As already mentioned, Jesus is the only one to ever achieve lifelong complete surrender to the Father’s will, and we see the results of His submission; He was more used by the Father than any being to ever exist was or will be. You might be saying to yourself, “But that is Jesus, God on earth… sure He was able to follow the Lord’s will perfectly.” This is true; however, reflection on His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane depicts one who had the ability to make autonomous choices. Think about that for a second, Jesus could have refused the cup. Thank God, He did not:
Matthew 26:36-44
“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
“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. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.” emphasis mine
Jesus, some have estimated, fulfilled as many as 365 prophecies during His lifetime.[4] The odds of this are so incredibly high that it is beyond comprehension. Incredibly, He did all of this in order to fulfill ALL of the Father’s will, a task He accomplished, as evidenced by His remark on the Cross – “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus, without a doubt, deserves the title “One Surrendered Soul.”
Psalm 34:15
“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”
King David penned Psalm 34, amongst many others. Like most of us, he was very much a flawed man; however, he had one particular positive characteristic that we should all adopt. David was a man who absolutely ‘Sold Out’ to the idea that God was God and he was not. In fact, he was so mindful of God’s preeminence that God Himself had this to say about David:
Acts 13:22
“And when he had removed him [King Saul], he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” [author’s comment]
From this characteristic sprang another, which we should also emulate. Because David knew God was greater than he was, repentance for wrongdoing was always quick. Having this mindset allowed King David to spend more time in right standing with God than most, a very desirable trait indeed. King David also deserves the title “One Surrendered Soul.”
As we have now seen, the Bible is full of examples of those who desire to do God’s will more than their own. Throughout the history of the earth, many others having this same mindset, too many to name, have also earned the title “One Surrendered Soul.”
The question we must ask ourselves today is: am I willing to lay down my life, take up my cross, and follow Him, no matter the cost? Even if it means forfeiting some of the things we thought were important. With this in mind, we would profit from examining one person who decided not to become a surrendered soul:
Matthew 19:16-22
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”
Obviously, the rich young man considered Jesus less important than his great possessions. This example depicts the same decision posed to every soul when they encounter the truth of Scripture and the call to follow Jesus. Every one of us must decide what is most important. If we decide to sell out for Jesus, like the faithful ones who have gone before us, we too can earn the title “One Surrendered Soul.”
Conclusion
God is looking for the ”Sold Out” ones that will do His will, no matter what. As we have been discussing in recent weeks, living this type of lifestyle is extremely difficult because we live during the greatest falling away since the time before Noah entered the ark. [5] Everywhere we turn, even in the church, we encounter the call to rule our own lives apart from seeking God’s will. We must resist the urge to follow our own inclinations, at all cost, because leaning to our own understanding removes our greatest benefit, God’s perfect guidance. He, according to His Word, stands ready to enable us to navigate these dark days with grace and love for the lost as we endure hardships as good “Soldiers of the Way” [6] while sharing the gospel with all who will listen.
Now we come to the most important question you will ever hear… Will you answer the call and become the “One Surrendered Soul” the Father is looking for?
2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”
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Website: In His Commission
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[1]”Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”
[2] For greater understanding, see the article, “While We Wait.”
[3] For greater understanding, see the article, “He Was a Humble Man.”
[4] For greater understanding, see the webpage, “Eschatology Articles.”
[5] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Fall So Great – That Only Eight – Entered the Ark.”
[6] For greater understanding, see the article “Soldiers of the Way.”