Paul’s moment of surrender to God occurred on the Damascus Road (Acts 9: 3 – 4). Sometimes God gets our attention through harsh measures. Paul was knocked off his “high horse” by a blinding light and lost his sight for a season.
What will it take for God to get your attention? Does it have to be drastic or just a straightforward call to you. Seriously, what will it take? An arm and a leg? A Near Death Experience? Illness? Unemployment? “A Series of Unfortunate Events?” What will it really take to fully surrender to God?
As a child I heard about a man who was so evil and wicked that God had to get his attention one way or the other. You don’t want to hear how God did that:
This man went to use the outside toilet (out house) and he fell into it. He remained in that toilet soaking into “you know what” for almost a whole day. All of that time no one went to use the toilet. Apparently, God deliberately kept people away from the toilet just to deal with this man. He had to evaluate his life by force. Suddenly, he remembered God and frankly speaking, only the almighty God will be able to deliver anyone out of that kind of “mess”. He called on God and begged God for forgiveness. God heard him and sent someone to use the toilet and that’s how he was rescued. Since that day he was never the same again. He gave his life to Christ. Wow! What a way to get someone’s attention?
Let us not be like our aforementioned friend, whose calling was the maximum of extremity. Let us not be like Paul on his high horse either; solely and arrogantly indulging in our own affairs, that we fail to realize that there is an authority which is much more superior to ours; that there is a God and we must give account to him.
“On the road to Damascus” in our lives signifies, for instance, a pursuit of a career, a promotion, a desire to acquire wealth, a husband, a wife and so forth. “Your High Horse” signifies arrogance, self-reliance and self-centeredness.
Regardless of what our goals or endeavors are; how self-sufficient or how successful we are; we owe a surrendered life to God. We must acknowledge that there is only one true authority; one power and that is God. We must surrender to him and admit that with out him we can do nothing.
Don’t get knocked off your “high horse” (like Saul) before completely surrendering to God. You could save yourself a great deal of pain and misery if you surrendered on your own.
In your own best interest, slow down! Stop and think! Think about God the almighty who made you and furnished you with everything that you claim is yours.
Will you surrender on your own? Or do you want to get knocked off your high horse first? It is quite painful and fatal to fall off a high horse while it is running at high speed you know. As a matter of fact, it is painful to suddenly get knocked off of anything.
Will you surrender now or are you waiting to become injured and totally helpless or terminally ill? If you really love yourself, avoid unnecessary self-inflicted wounds. Save yourself needless pain and misery and surrender on your own! Surrender now!
Stop and surrender to the ultimate authority and power, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Forget all about yourself and your idols. In simple words, show God some respect while you are on the “road to Damascus” and are still seated on your “high horse”.
Moreover, may I recommend that prior to climbing on your “high horse”, and heading for the “Damascus Road”, you surrender to God, and “humble yourself before him”, so that he will lift you up, guide you and help you maintain your balance on your “high horse”.
It is through his grace and mercy that you even have a “high horse” in the first place.
Arway Sayeh-Swepson – 2005
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