Surrender. When we surrender, we are surrendering to something or someone. When we surrender to God …we surrender to Someone Who is able to do the impossible, able to lift our souls from unrest, and renew us from within. May each one of these paintings remind you of Who God is. Who it is we are surrendering to when we choose not to hold something so tightly. When we choose to place control into His hands. This is not a surrender to what is unknown. This is not a surrender to emptiness or hope-it-works-out. This is a surrender to an Almighty, All-Sufficient, Sovereign and Loving God.
He Gives Power
Oil Painting | Print Size: 9×11 | 2021
Have you ever found yourself in a place of unrest, discouragement and fear over some area of life? Perhaps the future looks frightening, the way ahead unknown and your own heart is filled with misgivings on whether you’ll make it past such and such a date.
Surrendering it to His hands and His way will bring us hope, peace and rest rather than true fear. In God we will find power and increased strength. He is the One who can refresh, restore and renew us. If you’d like to read a story connected to this painting, visit the blog here.
“I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” Isaiah 41:18
“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” Psalm 84:5-7
He Gives Light
Oil Painting | Print size: 8×10 | 2021
When we surrender to Him, we are surrendering ourselves to One who is ABLE.
Able to help us see, lead us in paths we never knew, make darkness into light, and make crooked things straight.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
“For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” Psalm 18:28
He Gives a Reason to Sing
Oil Painting | Print Size: 8×10 | 2021
When we surrender to Him, we are surrendering ourselves to One who gives us a reason to sing!
He is the One Who made us, He is the One who has created the world and is worthy of all our praise! The heavens are already declaring His praise–should we not do the same?
“The heavens declare the glory of God;” Psalm 19:1a
“Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.” Isaiah 42:11-12
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:11-12
He Gives Hope
Oil Painting | Print size: 6×11 | 2021
When we surrender to Him, we are surrendering ourselves to One who give able to divide the sea!
That mountain you’re overwhelmed by? That vast unknown sea ahead? It is as nothing before Him.
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37
“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” Exodus 14:21-22
He Gives Wings
Oil Painting | Print Size: 11×7 | 2021
When we surrender to Him, we surrender to One who is able to renew our strength. One who is able to make us soar on wings as eagles.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
“It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.” Psalm 18:32-33
“For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.” Psalm 18:39
“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;” 1 Chronicles 16:11-12
“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
He Gives Beauty
Oil Painting | Print size: 6×11 | 2021
When we surrender to Him, we are surrendering to One who is able to make all things beautiful in His time.
If one were to look at this painting very close up, you’d find a lot of brushstrokes. Our lives can look very much like a “mess” of brushstrokes. However, if we will just trust the One holding the brush–the One Who is watching over us, the One Who is able to bring good out of our mistakes …one day we will see the beautiful masterpiece He has woven in the midst of the unknowns, the trials, the challenges and the hard-to-understand.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
He Gives Rest
Oil Painting | Print size: 5×7 | 2021
For some reason it can be very easy to think that surrendering to the Lord will mean some kind of awful experience afterwards.
But the TRUTH is the opposite.
Surrender gives rest. And when we rest in Him, we are able to flourish. Blooming as gentle flowers of joy for His glory.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16a
“For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:8-11
Continue the Journey …
Weary? Overwhelmed? Looking for something beautiful or encouraging? Take a moment to wander through the website. You’ll find art galleries, an art blog, a growing shop with art prints and printables and more. Let’s be friends!
Hope. There is a kind that never truly disappoints. That never fails or fades into a confusing mess of “but I thought …”. This hope never grows old …
But there is One Redeemer. A Redeemer who replaces sorrow with joy. Who lifts from the ashes and clothes with a garment of praise.
Giving stars of comfort and redemption in that night sky, which can one day point the way for others.
