April 17, 2026 Devotion

Day 5: Surrender, Not Control

Reading: Psalm 103:1-5; Matthew 16:24-25

Devotional: Control freaks, here's the hard truth: wholeness comes through surrender, not control. We try to manage our sin, keeping it in a corner, thinking we've got it under control. Then it kicks our tail. The solution isn't gripping the reins tighter; it's laying them down. Jesus said, "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." Daily surrender means daily dying to self. You may need to lay down the same struggle tomorrow that you laid down today, but keep laying it down until it dies. The more you die to yourself, the more Christ lives through you. You don't make yourself whole—God does. Jesus died not just to forgive your sin but to restore what's broken. Stop fighting in your own strength. Surrender to Him, and watch Him win the battles you keep losing.