Trust and Submission

The text highlights the importance of trust in the Lord and connects it with submission. Here's a detailed breakdown:

Trust is essential for submission to God.
Submission means placing oneself under authority.
Analogy: Just as a submarine (with the root word "sub") goes under water, submission requires us to put ourselves under the authority of the Word of the Lord.
It's impossible to submit without trusting Him.
Sometimes God leaves us in the dark; we might resist submitting because we think we have a better idea or want a full explanation.
Trusting means submitting even without knowing everything.
Agreement is not a prerequisite for submission.
God may ask us to submit even when we don't agree.

Matthew 26:38-39: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus, filled with sorrow before his crucifixion, prayed three times to the Father to let the cup (suffering) pass from him.
Interpretation: Jesus, at that moment, didn't want to go through with it.
Contrast with earlier confident statements: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again," and "No one can take my life…I lay it down of my own accord" (earlier chapters).
The concern was not just the physical punishment but the separation from the Father.
Despite his feelings, Jesus submitted: "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as your will be done."
True submission happens when we don't agree but still trust God.
Many struggle to submit because of disagreement.
The solution is to trust, even when we don't see the way or know how things will work out.
David's example: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4).

It's often easier to submit to our flesh and sinful nature than to God's will.
Our flesh requires us to submit to things we don't understand.
We willingly submit to our flesh because it feels good or appealing, even without understanding the full consequences.
Pleasure overrides reason.
God's requests don't always feel good or bring immediate pleasure.
We must override the desire for pleasure with trust in God.
Submitting to God means giving up temporary pleasure for long-term benefit.

Eve's temptation: Genesis 3:6.
She was persuaded not to submit to God's word because she lacked full understanding.
She saw the fruit as desirable and envisioned the pleasure, so she ate it.
She traded eternal life for temporary pleasure.
We are always making submissions, either to God's will or to our fleshly desires.
The decision rests on whom we trust more: God or our flesh.

Submitting puts you in alignment with God.
"Submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:6).
Submitting your ways to God means exchanging them for His ways.
God has a specific path for us to receive full benefits.
You can't live out of alignment and expect overflow from God.
There's a path to peace, deliverance, financial increase, and restoration.
Jesus is the way: John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
Jesus is our path and example of how to align with the Father.
Becoming like Jesus means crucifying our flesh daily, which isn't always pleasant but is beneficial in the long term.

John 14:6: "No one comes to the Father except through me."
Some things are unattainable without aligning with God's way.
Referencing Isaiah 55:9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord."
God's thoughts/ways are higher than ours (as previously discussed).
God sometimes leaves us in the dark because His thoughts are beyond our comprehension.
God's way is superior because it's higher.
Settling for our ways means settling for less than God desires.
God wants to elevate us.
If we understood how much God wants to elevate us, we wouldn't resist submitting to long-term blessings over temporary pleasures.