You are surrounded. Surrender.

In Heb 12:2 Jesus is described as the "founder and perfecter of our faith". Sounds a bit like "beginning and the end", "alpha and omega", "start and finish", "first and the last". It reminds me of the description of God in Ps. 139 where the songwriter says "Where can I run from your presence? If I ascend to heaven you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol (place of the dead), you are there! If I take the wings of the morning (travel at light speed?) and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me."

In our church we sometimes sing a Matt Redman song that goes
"Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me"

Matt Redman - You Never Let GO Lyrics | MetroLyrics "

If Jesus is the founder and perfecter of my faith, then what do I need to do? He said "It is finished" so what is left for me to do? How do I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) knowing that God is working in me both to will and do his good pleasure (Philippines 2:13)?

Lord, I am surrounded. You hem me in. I try to run this way and you block my path. I dodge another direction and suddenly you appear like a phantom in front of me. I can't get away. You are determined that I should experience your love and grace, that love and grace that you have prepared and perfected. What is left for me to do? Surrender. Walk with you. Relax and enjoy your presence. Focus on Jesus.  Learn from Jesus.

Lord, Some of the people I know have been deeply hurt by others. They have a hard time trusting anyone. They have a hard time trusting you. Afterall, you're in charge of the Universe, right? They don't understand how you allowed them to be abused, lose their parent, their job, their health, their child. The suffering they have experienced has hardened and softened them. They are tender inside with unhealed hurts, and they have hard shells on the outside to avoid re-injuring an old wound. Would you help them? Please continue to pursue them, hedge them in, help them to finally experience the love of the one who, for their sake, endured the cross, even though he hated the shame of it, because he was focused on the joy of having them as part of his family. Lord, when we've been injured we resist even the touch of the doctor who knows how to heal us. Overcome our resistance and help us experience your healing touch.
Amen.


HEB12.2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Bible.com/app