"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable is his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?

For from him and through him and for him are all things.

To him be the glory forever!

Amen.”

(Romans 11:33-36)

Paul breaks out into this beautiful doxology as he is writing to the Romans of how in God's great plan and purpose, the Gentiles have been grafted in (not by works but by faith in Christ). God's ultimate plan for Jews and Gentiles is that “he may have mercy on them all.” (Romans 12:32)

Commentary notes about this passage, “God knows what He is doing even if you do not understand it fully.... We cannot explain all the purposes and plans of God, but we can worship and praise Him for who He is (vv. 33–36). The end result of all Bible study is worship, and the end result of all worship is service to the God we love.

'Fate says the thing is and must be, so it is decreed. But the true doctrine is—God has appointed this and that, not because it must be, but because it is best that it should be. Fate is blind, but the destiny of Scripture is full of eyes. Fate is stern and adamantine, and has no tears for human sorrow. But the arrangements of providence are kind and good.'”

Charles Spurgeon” [1]

Another commentary notes, “We know not what he designs. When the wheels are set in motion, and Providence has begun to work, yet we know not what he has in view; it is past finding out.” [2]

Our circumstances are in the hands of God and He has purposed and designed them for our good and to bring about His glory. Paul says in Romans 8:28-29, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

I say this and know this, but I often forget this as I am actually living out my life. I act more as my circumstances are something outside of what God has planned, purposed, or could possibly be for my good. When I cannot see God's kind hand in my circumstances, like Peter sometimes I try to manipulate, control or manage my circumstances to achieve an outcome I approve of.

When Jesus predicts his death, Peter speaks up and is resistant. And again when Jesus washes the feet of the disciples, Peter initially refuses to allow him to wash his feet. Then prior to denying Jesus, Peter proclaims that he will lay down his life for him. And at the garden as Jesus is arrested, Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant.

Again Jesus reminds Peter that it was not Peter's plan, but God's plan that matters. He tells him, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) It was not until Peter denied Jesus 3 times and was broken over it, that he truly saw his continuous need for dependance upon Jesus and grew in his ability to embrace his circumstances as a gift from God.

Jeanne Guyon writes, “When you see your total spiritual poverty and inability to do anything by your own strength, it brings you to renounce your self nature. Without this renouncing of self you cannot be a disciple of the Lord Jesus... There is no greater revelation than realizing that you can do nothing by yourself.” [3]

“The cry of my heart is to bring you praise by the inside out... my heart and my soul, I give you control, consume me from the inside out” sings in the background.

Jesus tells him, speaking of his ongoing maturity and growth in his ability to depend upon Jesus and embrace his circumstances as both good and provided by God, “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger [neos, new... in your faith] you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old [ginŏmai, come into... maturity] you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

In maturity, Peter grew in his ability to, rather than fight his circumstances, surrender to them and fully enter into them. He began to trust deeper that God would sustain him and work them for the good which needed to be done. His relationship with God became much bigger than his circumstances and his trust deepens.

Jesus demonstrated this kind of full surrender as He went to the cross. He did not fight His circumstances when they became painful and difficult or try to get out of them, rather He stayed on course and kept His eyes and heart focused on God, His Father. He knew some of the pain that was before Him and He embraced circumstances as a means by which to glorify His Father by His surrender fully to them.

Jean-Pierre De Caussade writes that when we assume we are in control of our own lives, it prevents us from being in a state of surrender. [4] We know we are giving our circumstance first place and not surrendered when we are willing to manipulate or wield them in any way to avoid pain or to gain.

“In my life, be lifted high, in my world, be lifted high, in my love, be lifted high” sings.

He speaks of a condition of surrender as, “A state in which one discovers how to belong wholly to God through the complete and total assignment of all rights over oneself- over one's speech, actions, thoughts and bearing; the employment of one's time and everything relating to it. There remains one single duty. It is to keep one's gaze fixed on the mast one has chosen and to be constantly listening so as to understand and hear and immediately obey his will.” [5]

Jean-Pierre notes that when we are in this state of following the Spirit and being fully surrendered, we are free and detached from everything, but at the same time, full of peace and contentedness as we fulfill our duty to the present moment according to the wishes of God. [6]

Paul says in Romans 8:6, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

After this beautiful doxology, Paul goes on to write in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.”

We are to embrace everything that comes into life as coming from God, look for Him to help us walk through it (good or bad), and use it to bring Him glory, praise and honor. It is in this place of full surrender and dependance that we truly are connected to the source of all wisdom, that we are transformed and come more to life in the gifts that we are given as we put them in action to love those around us.

Paul goes on to proclaim, “Love must be sincere.” This is not something we have the capacity to do in our own strength. Our love will be filled with hooks as we look to get our needs met through it. Sincere love flows through an overflowing heart that is fully surrendered.

Lord, we long to live life more dependent upon You and fully surrendered to You in You and for You. Give us eyes to see You in every circumstance, and help us to live it fully, in the moment to bring you glory with our whole hearts.

“Show me Your heart, show me Your way, show me Your glory” sings.

1. Wiersbe, Warren W.: With the Word Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1991, S. Ro 11:1

2. Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Ro 11:33
3. Guyon, Jeanne. Intimacy With Christ. Compiled by Gene Edwards. The SeedSowers. Jacksonville, Fl.
   4-6. Jean-Pierre De Caussade. The Sacrament of the Present Moment. HarperCollins. New York, NY. 1981.