A life of submission and surrender

The Lord says:

"Whatever situation you are facing at the moment, do not be wise in your own eyes and do not put your confidence in your own strength, but let Me take over. Let Me bring you from here. Let Me carry you through from here. For I am the Lord who cares for you. Do not allow yourself to hang on to the past, but let it go to Me. For I am beginning to do a new thing in your life. I will show you the necessary directions and instructions that you need. I will make the path straight for you. Humble yourself therefore, and live a life of submission and surrender."

Psalm 146:8 (NKJV) says, 'The Lord raises those who are bowed down.' 

The words 'bowed down' here is 'kaphaph' in Hebrew. In the context of this verse, it can mean 'to stoop (lower down) humbly in emptiness (before God)'. In other words, emptying ourselves from pride, emptying ourselves from wrongful thought, and emptying ourselves from thinking that we know better. And for those who 'kaphaph', the Lord raises them! 

Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV) says, 'By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.' 

The word 'humility' here is 'anavah' in Hebrew. In the context of this verse, it can mean 'lowering oneself in meekness (before God)'. Here, lowering oneself isn't just an outward show for people to see. Instead, more importantly, it is first and foremost done inside of you or in your heart. So, it is not so much about bowing down or lowering down one's head, but rather, bowing down or lowering down one's heart before the Lord. 

James 4:6-7 (NKJV) says, 'But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore, submit to God...' 

The word 'submit' here is 'hupotasso' in Greek. In the context of our study today, it can mean 'to subordinate oneself (to God), to be obedient (to God), to be subjected (to God)'. 

Don't get God wrong. He is not like a taskmaster. He doesn't look at us like a slave being bound. But when we allow ourselves to be subordinated to Him, to be obedient to Him, or to be subjected to Him, many evil or danger can be prevented. Why? Because He sees farther than us. He knows what are our pitfalls. He knows what are the 'landmines' or 'traps' ahead of us. So, when we humble ourselves before Him, we are effectively allowing ourselves to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit. 

The devil will always want to try to influence us, whether through humans or through thoughts, or even through human ideologies or human philosophies. And that's how people get influenced and swayed away. But when you are subjected to God, you will not be subjected to any of these influences. You will not be deceived. You will not be so easily taken advantage of by the devil. You see, the devil can use humans to do that. You will not be lured by how the devil thinks or how the devil wants you to think. 

That's why the Scripture says, 'Resist the devil, and the devil will flee from you.' (James 4:7) That's why the Lord is calling us to live a life of submission to Him. It is not to enslave us. It is to make the way straight for our future. 

1 Peter 5:5-7 (NKJV) says, '"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.'

The word 'humble' here is 'tapeinoo' in Greek. It can mean 'to lower oneself', and in the context today, 'to lower oneself before God'. Again, you see 'to lower oneself before God' here, as we have explained earlier. It is a life of submission before God. It is a life of surrender before God. It is a life where you have the mindset of needing Him more than anything else or anyone else on earth. Now, that is the essence of what 'humility before God' is. It is about laying down your hearts before God, instead of being haughty and proud in your own eyes or in your own ways. 

And that's why Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) says, 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.' In other words, 'make smooth or make straight your paths'. 

You see, all the Bible verses that we've read today tie up together. And that's what the Lord wants to tell us in this message today. 

Proverbs 11:2 (NKJV) says, 'When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.'

How do we receive wisdom from God? By humbling ourselves before God. How do we see our paths smooth and straight ahead of us? By humbling ourselves before God.

In 1 Peter 5:5-7 just now, notice that Peter didn't stop at saying, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble", but he continued by saying, "Casting all your care to Him, because He cares for you". 

To take things into your own hands instead of casting all your care to the Lord is like saying, "I can do it myself. I don't need God." But one aspect of humbling ourselves before God is to 'cast all our care to the Lord'. 

In life, there will always be things that we cannot fully comprehend or understand as to why certain things happened. But beloved of God, whatever has happened in and around you, or no matter what has happened, the Lord wants to assure you today that He knows what He is doing in your life, and He sees the end from the beginning. Your part is to let it go to the Lord, and live a life of submission and surrender before Him. There will come a day you will begin to understand the many things that you cannot understand now. So, the Lord is calling you to be patient. Yet, the Lord is saying to you He is still in control. The jigsaw puzzle will eventually be solved, so to speak. But one thing for sure is the Lord always and will always have your best interests in His mind. Amen! 

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

Vision from the Lord: A wall of fire!

As I was seeking the Lord for the second half of this year 2025, the Lord gave Isaiah 41:17-20 that says: 

'The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together, that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.' 

Notice these underlined statements: "I will open rivers", "I will plant in the wilderness", and "The hand of the Lord has done this". These are God's assurances of His help for you in the second half of this year. Receive by faith!

What does "I will open rivers" mean? 

Here you see God sent His miraculous supply of water to those who are thirsty or those who need it. Now, this is an assurance that the Lord your God has never and will never run out of supply or resources for you! 

What are the supplies that you need from God at this point of your life? Is it divine health? Is it divine wisdom? Is it divine revelation? Is it divine guidance (as to what He wants you to do ahead of you)? You name it! 

You see, He opens rivers where there is no river! In other words, He opens doors where there seems to be no door for you! So, take heart, beloved, and keep looking to the Lord! The Lord your God will see to it that you will not run dry! 

Not just that. He also plants trees in the wilderness! What does this mean? It means He makes any barren places or barren aspects of your life to be fruitful again! You see, He can turn the most barren of places and turn it into a fertile ground! Full of trees that bear fruits! The same it is for your life! He can do that for you! And you shall see that the hand of the Lord is doing this for you in the second half of this year! 

So beloved of God, whatever you have gone through in the first half of the year 2025, be it disappointment, or pain, or victory, or success, let God take it from here. Believe and receive that the second half of the year will be better (or much better) than the first half of the year. 

What's your part? Your part now is to re-dedicate yourself and every aspect of your life afresh and anew to the Lord!

In Isaiah 41:10-11, the Lord says, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing..." 

And then, in Isaiah 41:13, the Lord says, "For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you'." 

The word 'help' here is 'azar' in Hebrew. It can mean  'to surround, to protect, to aid'. So, whatever you are going through at the moment or have gone through in the past months, fear not, because the Lord is here to 'azar' you. In other words, the Lord is here to surround you, to protect you, and to come to your aid! 

When you know that the Lord is the One who surrounds you, there's nothing, absolutely nothing, that the devil can do against you! You are assured of the Lord's roundabout protection and help!

This confirms a vision I saw the other day of 'a wall of fire' surrounding those whom I pray for. And that's when I also heard these words: "Roundabout protection". 

What does 'roundabout protection' mean? In our context, it simply means 'divine protection' over you in every aspect of your life, like 'a wall of fire' surrounding you, where no harm can touch you! 

In cross-reference to this 'roundabout protection', we shall see Psalm 34:7 (NKJV) that says, 'The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them'. It means 'delivers them from all the works of darkness, or danger, or trouble'. Notice the words 'encamps all around' here. 

Let's look at New Living Translation now. Psalm 34:7 (NLT) puts it this way, 'The angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear Him'. You see the word 'surrounds' here? 

The word 'surround' here is interesting. It is 'chanah' in Hebrew. It can mean any of these: 'to incline to (you), to abide and dwell (with you), to give you rest (from all the troubles), to pitch a tent (over you), to camp (with you)'. 

You can see it this way. Imagine you are now in an army camp or a military camp, and no outsider or intruder can get near you. Why? There are guards to guard the camp. What do these guards do? They are responsible for the security of the camp that you are in. They also prevent unauthorized access or intruders into the camp. These guards act as a first line defense to protect you who are inside the camp. And that's what 'chanah' means! 

Another cross-reference to this 'roundabout protection', which is like 'a wall of fire' over you, can be found in Zechariah 2:5. Here, the Lord says: "For I will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst." 

Even though this verse specifically refers to Jerusalem, this can also apply to you in your context as God's beloved. 

So, as you enter the second half of the year 2025, watch these key words: "I will open rivers for you", "I will plant trees in the wilderness for you", "My hand is with you", and "My roundabout protection is with you". Receive all this by faith. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Click here to watch the video in TiC YouTube Channel 

God can turn your mistakes and failures around!

The Lord says: 

"As you keep doing what I've called you to do and keep building what I've called you to build, do not lose heart and do not allow anyone or anything to discourage you. For I am in the midst of giving you new strategies and new wisdom to accomplish all these. Receive all these from Me in this time and season. I am even going to turn your mistakes and failures around, however big or small, and turn them into something good for you. So, take heart. Look beyond all those mistakes and failures. Look to Me. All things are eventually going to work together for good for you." 

We all make mistakes in life. We all have experienced some kind of failures before in life. Given a choice, no one would want to make mistakes or see failures in whatever he or she does. 

So, if you think you blew it, and you are now suffering the consequences of it, the Lord is saying to you, "Take heart. Do not be discouraged. There is hope for you." 

Of course, you can learn from all those mistakes or failures of yours. But don't linger or dwell in there. You know why? Because the Lord has something new for you! 

Romans 8:28 says that 'God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and who are the called according to His purpose for them.' 

Yes, according to His purpose for you, beloved! 

So, in spite of your past mistakes or failures, or even humiliation or shame, the Lord is saying He will work things together for your good! He can even use those mistakes and turn them around to be something good! What's your part? Your part is to look to the Lord and keep putting all your trust in the Lord! 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.' 

One example in the Scripture about God turning things around can be found in 2 Kings chapter 6. 

2 Kings 6:1-3. And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell." So Elisha answered, "Go." Then one said, "Please consent to go with your servants." And Elisha answered, "I will go." 

2 Kings 6:4-5. So Elisha went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the river, and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed." 

Have you been in a situation when you are like saying "Alas!"? This may be an old expression. But this is an expression for disappointment, regret, or sadness; especially when there seems to have no more hope that the situation can be changed. 

Let's see the symbolic meaning of 2 Kings chapter 6 here. To begin with, what is the purpose of the ax? Ax is used to cut trees. It is for the purpose of building something. For example, furniture, house, etc. In other words, ax is meant 'to build something'. 

In the context of what God is saying to us today, this speaks of 'building what God has called you or spoken for you to build in your life'. It can be in the ministry, in your vocation, or in your profession. But in this passage, the ax head fell into the river! You know what? Once fallen, it's not easy to retrieve it! Why? Because it's heavy. It's made of iron. So, that's why the man cried out "Alas!" Not only that. The ax was a borrowed ax. It wasn't his. It means if he loses it, he's going to need to pay it back to the owner. But God! God always has a way to turn things around for His beloved. And it is the same with you too! 

See what's next. 

2 Kings 6:6-7. So the man of God (Elisha) said, "Where did it fall?" And that man showed him the place. So Elisha cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. Therefore Elisha said, "Pick it up for yourself." So that man reached out his hand and took it. 

Now, that was some kind of a miracle! That really defies logic. I say it defies logic because the iron ax is supposed to be heavy! I mean, how can the ax head float just by throwing a much lighter stick into the river? Again, but God! You see, nothing is impossible to God! He will know how to make a way for you, where there seems to be no way. He will know how to turn your mistakes around. Yes, He can turn even your oversight around. What is 'oversight'? Any unintentional mistake or failure to do something. 

By the way, the name 'Elisha' in Hebrew is 'El' meaning 'God', and 'Shuwa' meaning 'supplies, help, hope'. Even though Elisha himself was just a human, this name 'Elisha' is symbolic. It is symbolic of who your God is. And here, you can see that He is a God who knows how to supply you. He is a God of help and hope, even when you feel helpless or hopeless in your situation or in your life at the moment.  

So, take heart. Just as Elisha was there to give a solution to that man who dropped the iron ax head, God is also here to give you a solution to whatever you are going through in your life right now. Yes, even for the mistakes, failures, or oversights in your life!

How about the stick that Elisha used to cause the heavy iron ax head to float? In this passage here, it really does look like it's just another stick that Elisha cut from a tree nearby. But, what is the symbolic meaning of this stick here? It speaks of what Jesus has done for you on the cross! Yes, on the wooden cross! In other words, on the tree! 

Just as the stick caused the iron ax head to float (and that's a miracle indeed), what Jesus has done on the cross for you can reverse things around for your good! Just don't limit how God is going to do it!

Prayer: 

"O Lord God, we thank You for Your words of encouragement for us today. There's nothing that You cannot turn around in our lives, no matter what mistake we've made in life, however big or small. No mistake, no failure, no oversight, and in fact, no work of the enemy can hold You back from turning things around in our lives. Because You are a great God. You are great, and greatly to be praised. You are strong and mighty in all Your ways. You are all-wise, all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful. You are unlimited in who You are and what You can do. And nothing on earth can stop You from accomplishing Your plans and purposes for each of our lives. In the name of Jesus. Amen."

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel