Daniel Fast - Awakening to His Realityਨਮੂਨਾ

The Test of Full Surrender

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’” — Genesis 22:2 (NIV)

Abraham’s story in Genesis 22 is one of the most intense and gripping pictures of surrender in Scripture. God asks Abraham to offer Isaac—his one and only son—as a sacrifice. This request was no small matter. Isaac was the long-awaited promise, the living proof of God’s faithfulness, the joy of Abraham’s old age, and the carrier of his legacy. Sacrificing him would be the ultimate test of surrender.

Here is the reality: Abraham truly loved God. He had obeyed the Lord faithfully up to this point. But now the question was no longer “Do you love Me?” but “How much do you love Me?”
This shift reveals something profound about surrender. It is not merely giving something up—it is offering everything to God.

Abraham prepared the wood, gathered his son and servants, and made the journey to the place God had designated. He obeyed without delay, without excuses, and without bargaining. He chose God’s will over his own desires and trusted God above his own understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6). At the moment he lifted the knife, God intervened and provided a ram. Abraham’s actions demonstrated full surrender; God’s response demonstrated extraordinary provision for the fully surrendered heart.

In Matthew 19:21–22, the Rich Young Ruler offers a striking contrast. He followed the commandments, lived morally, and did everything right—but lacked the willingness to give up what he loved most. One man surrendered and experienced God’s abundance; the other resisted and walked away sorrowful, missing what Jesus desired to give him.

Here is God’s reality:
True surrender is costly. It costs our will, our dreams, and even the things closest to our hearts. But we can be confident of this: there is nothing we surrender that God cannot restore, multiply, or redeem—either in this life or in the one to come.

Prayer

Jehovah,
You are the God that I love.
You search the heart of every person.
Search my heart and reveal any areas I may be afraid to surrender to You.
Align my affections with Your will and Your reality so that I may obey fully.
Help me trust You completely with all that You ask of me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. As God calls you to deeper intimacy and greater surrender, are you willing to step onto the altar— or will you turn away from His invitation with sorrow?
2. What are the things you find hardest to surrender fully to God?
3. Make a list of these areas and ask God to prepare your heart to surrender them completely, trusting that He will care for you.