Obedience and surrender have shaped my life more deeply than success ever could. As my husband, daughter, and I traveled across continents—sometimes three in one week—I discovered quickly that joy is born from surrender. Not the reluctant kind, but the kind that releases your grip on your own plans so you can take hold of God’s.
There were seasons when we were exhausted, stretched thin, unsure of what waited around the next corner. We knew more of weakness than strength and often asked God for grace simply to keep going. Yet even in that weakness, joy rose. Not because everything was easy, but because everything was surrendered.
Surrender opens the door to joy.
I learned that obedience is worship. It’s offering your life to God, trusting that He sees what you cannot. When I obeyed, even with trembling knees, joy flickered within me like a small but steady flame. When I resisted, the flame dimmed.
Surrender does not guarantee comfort—it guarantees closeness. And where God is, joy is never far behind.
If you long for joy, begin with surrender. Lay your future, fears, and desires at His feet. Joy grows best in yielded soil.
Prayer
Lord, help me surrender every part of my life to You. Meet me in my weakness and fill me with Your joy as I obey. Let my life be an offering that honors You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
[Excerpted from my 5-day devotional plan on YouVersion App.]
Bonnie Saul Wilks 