notesbynora

Scripture:

“Not my will, but Yours be done.” — Luke 22:42 (NIV)

We often think of strength as holding on — pushing through, keeping control, refusing to give up. But in God’s Kingdom, strength looks different. It’s not found in striving; it’s found in surrender.

Surrender doesn’t mean defeat. It means trust. It’s the moment when we finally open our hands and whisper, “Lord, I can’t, but You can.”

Jesus modeled this kind of strength in the Garden of Gethsemane. As He faced the cross, He fell to the ground and prayed,

“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done.”
— Luke 22:42 (NIV)

Those words — not my will, but Yours — are some of the most powerful ever spoken. They weren’t words of weakness; they were words of courage. Jesus surrendered not because He was powerless, but because He trusted His Father’s plan completely.

We, too, reach moments where surrender is the only path forward — when our plans fall apart, when doors close, when what we wanted doesn’t align with what God allows. It’s in those moments that we discover something sacred: letting go doesn’t diminish us; it frees us.

When you surrender, you make space for God to move. When you stop grasping for control, His peace begins to fill the places that fear once occupied. When you trust His timing, His will, and His heart — even when you don’t understand — you find a strength that can’t be shaken.

True strength is not in holding tighter, but in letting go with faith. Because whatever you place in God’s hands is always safest there.

Prayer:
Lord, teach me that surrender is not weakness, but trust. Help me lay down my need to control and find strength in Your will. When I don’t understand, remind me that You see the whole picture. I place my plans, my fears, and my heart in Your hands. Amen.