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Scripture Reading – Philippians 3:13–14 (KJV)
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Devotional
The sermon ended with the story of Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner who refused to race on Sunday, choosing obedience to God over the world’s honor. Later, as a missionary in a prison camp, he kept serving Christ with joy. His last recorded words were, “It’s all about total surrender to a holy God.”

That is what it means to seek God’s will: not just to consult Him occasionally, but to surrender to Him continually. Paul lived that way. He admitted he hadn’t “arrived,” but he was pressing on, forgetting what was behind and reaching for what lay ahead in Christ.

Total surrender doesn’t mean you’ll never struggle. It means that when God’s will and your will collide, God wins. It means there is no area off-limits—your time, your career, your relationships, your reputation, your comfort. Like Eric Liddell, you may sometimes lose something in the eyes of the world, but you gain the smile and power of God.

Surrender is not a one-time emotional moment. It’s a daily decision: “Lord, I press toward You. My life is Yours today.” Over time, a surrendered life becomes a powerful testimony that points others to Christ.

Reflection

  • Is there a specific area where you know God’s will, but you have been resisting or delaying obedience?
  • What would “total surrender” look like in that one area—practically, this week?

Prayer
“Holy God, You are worthy of my total surrender. I confess there are areas where I’ve clung to my own will. Today I choose to lay them at Your feet. Help me, by Your Spirit, to press toward the mark of Your high calling in Christ Jesus. Give me courage to obey even when it costs me something in this world. May my life say, in public and in private, ‘God above all.’ In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Action
Identify one concrete act of obedience that reflects surrender in a specific area (for example: apologizing to someone, changing a habit, giving something up that is pulling you away from God, committing to a ministry, adjusting how you spend Sunday, etc.). Before the day is over, take that step. Afterwards, thank God for the grace to obey and ask Him for the next step.