What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?
For I am ready not only to be bound,
but even to die at Jerusalem
for the name of the Lord Jesus.

-Paul

To a soldier in the middle of war, surrender is always an available option.  Dictionaries define the word as a laying down voluntarily of arms or offense.  Armies train and practice drills so the learned behavior of their soldiers would be one to fight and engage the enemy instead of surrendering to the enemy.  Surrender is always an easy thing to justify when one is faced with overwhelming forces.  However a willful voluntary surrender to a less powerful force is something that would make sense to no military tactician.  It would not be something read in any military strategy book or manual.

And yet in the Kingdom of God, surrender is exactly the protocol a mature child of God is expected to operate in.  Noah, when it made no sense, surrendered to obey and build something never seen before for something that had never happened before.  Gideon had to send the majority of his soldiers away before going to war.  Johan, knowing the heart of God, had to go deliver a prophetic message of destruction to a city he knew would repent.  He knew the result would be the reputation he built his whole life would be ruined and he would be labeled a false prophet.  Esther had to choose to either be killed in the court of the King by entering the court even though she was not summoned or stay in the comfort of her safety.  Paul was given a prophecy that he would die if he continued on his journey to Rome, his response was nevertheless I will go. 

Jesus, knowing who he was and what was at his disposal, still surrendered to the leading of the Holy Spirit and went into the wilderness.  Even in the midst of the end of the fast, he chose to surrender to the call and NOT call upon legions of Angels to his aid.  Even in the agony of the garden, he did not want to die and be separated from God.  He asked if there was any other way, but there He surrendered to the obedience of His assignment and call.  He surrendered to die, He prayed NOT my will but YOUR will be done.  So his obedience was to surrender to be captured and killed, even though at any time he chose to, he could call upon legions of Angels to come and “win” against the injustice of being crucified though he was innocent.

Steven, faced the same decision.  While being stoned to death, he could easily have asked for his covenant partner to come and take vengeance on the people throwing stones.  Yet he chose to surrender to his call and chose to intercede for the people stoning him and asked his covenant partner, God, NOT to count this against them.

Many want “the more” of God.  The reality is that many are not willing to surrender what they have, to obtain “the more.”  The comfort of being able to do “the good”  keeps people in a job, region, location, and  “ministry.”  Surrendering the safety of the known to the obedience of the unknown is not an easy thing to do.  And it is not supposed to be.  It is a voluntary thing for God is not looking for forced laborers, but surrendered lovers to be an expression of His love to a world that so desperately needs it.

Jesus declared the level of surrender,  “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”  Jesus was not declaring something He himself was not walking out.  He had access to everything and anything needed yet He chose to surrender the comfort of being with the father in heaven and enter into the realm of temporal and limited existence of humanity.  He chose to lose His life in heaven and surrender to the call on His life.  And when He was on earth He chose to remain surrendered to the call over “tapping” out when things got rough.

Elijah thought about it and cried out, “I'm the only one left!”  God plainly tells him, nah, there are seven thousand more.  Ester thought about it, and her uncle prophesied the truth to her, “if not you, God will raise up another.”  Many think that God has a “necessity,” a single plan relying on the obedience of a single person, and if that person says “no” the whole plan is destroyed for humanity.  But this belief is simply not the truth of the Kingdom.  Afterall God made even an ass stop the prophet and talk to the stubborn prophet.  God’s patience and discipline towards His servants is beyond what we are capable of understanding.  If not Saul, there is David.  If not a sightful Samson, there is a “blind” Samson.  If not a willing Esther, God will raise up another.  God, who declares the end from the beginning, is neither bothered, shaken, or disturbed by how things currently are.  He is the one that sits on the throne and laughs.  He knows that His word will NOT return void.

At the core of surrender is the acceptance of belief.  A belief to them that hear the voice of the Master, to either accept if He is a Good father or an evil tyrant.  They must come to their own surrender that He is a good father, and would not give stone for bread to his children.  If he is asking to surrender something, it is not for our harm and His enjoyment of our “suffering.”  To surrender means to be able to obey without understanding the “why’s”.  To surrender means to prepare for the possibility to be beheaded but also to prepare oneself and purify oneself as Esther did.  To surrender means accepting that whatever is being asked of oneself, like Ruth to go to Boaz, or Rahab to hide the spies, Paul to go to Jerusalem, or Jesus accepting that He would be separated from God, is because God’s perspective is far greater than what we can see with our limited understanding.  

It is written that Jesus endured (voluntarily stayed on the cross even though he could have called a legion of angels) the cross for the Joy set before him.  Ruth entered into the blessings and joy of Boaz’s household.  Rahab's legacy became, grandmother of Jesus.  Noah and his family were spared from destruction.

Many want to say the comfort of their current “ministry call”.  Paul had a very prosperous and respected one.  But once faced with the truth he had to voluntarily make a choice.  And once he did, people in their own limited understanding even interpreted prophetic vision and words to dissuade Paul from fulfilling what he had voluntarily surrendered to.

Imagine how paul’s conversation could had gone:

“Paul, I was interceding for you.  Then a vision came from the Lord to me.  The vision showed me that if you continue on your path to Jerusalem, it will start a series of events that will lead to your death.  Please Paul, stop your journey to Jerusalem,  this is definitely a warning dream, to keep you safe and away from adversity.”

“I hear you.  And your vision is true.  Why are you crying and why are you trying to keep me from fulfilling what The Lord has called me into?   Did He not speak to me already that I must go to Jerusalem, so I can then go to Rome and present the Truth to Caesar himself?  Is Caesar not worthy to hear the truth of Jesus or is it just for us?  Was I called into a life of safety and comfort and to preserve my current lifestyle?

NO my fellow brother and sisters, the vision is true but your interpretation of it is not from the right perspective.  This is a confirmation for me that what is coming from my voluntary decision is indeed part of my calling.

I thank you for your intercession, and warning.

Nevertheless, I go.”

Surrender is a protocol of the Kingdom, not because it is asked of us.  But because it is a voluntary decision of the one hearing.  It is not only an indication of trust that God is a good Father and whatever He is saying is not to harm but to bless us but it is also an acceptance of the Love He has for us.  In this voluntary action of the heart, mind and soul, surrendering to the voice of the good shepherd, demonstrates to the world the authority and the obedience of those that claim to know His voice.

May the world hear, 

“Nevertheless, I go.”