Arrest Me, I Surrender

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:1-2 NKJV).

Armed with letters from the high priest, a Pharisee, Saul (of Tarsus) attempted putting an end to disciples of the crucified Nazarene woodworker. With this intention, he journeyed along the Damascus road. Suddenly, a splendid blinding light appeared extensively, causing Saul to fall off his horse and the persecutor became the persecuted. Face to face with Messiah in all His glory, Saul surrendered “Who are you, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 8:5 NKJV). Saul accomplished grueling feats by arresting and imprisoning followers of ‘the Way’ but when Jesus apprehended (Paul), everything changed. Paul embraced a greater mission and true purpose for his life. Thereafter, completely devoted, he set out to win others for the Kingdom of God. Fervidly burning passion compelled Paul to know Him and make Him known “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).

We’d be hard pressed to find a more dedicated Christ-lover than Paul and impossible to sketch the worth and work he provided during early Christianity. Going on arduous, dangerous sojourns, he practically evangelized the then-known world. Imprisoned, Paul wrote letters of encouragement to new established churches and today his writings continue benefiting believers all over the globe.

God calls and commissions one entirely emptied of self. Oh merciful Father, can that be said of me? Of you—are we flat-out, face-down, all-in? Sold out? Arrest us Lord, we surrender.

“Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be thy royal throne” —Frances Ridley Havergal 1836-1879