Growing Deeper

There is a question that quietly underlies much of our spiritual lives, one that we may not always voice but that shapes how we respond to God's leading: Am I truly surrendered, or am I simply going through the motions?
The answer to that question matters more than most of us realize. Because here is a truth that is both sobering and deeply freeing: God's will is going to be accomplished. The only variable is whether we will be part of it.
The Difference Between Lip Service and Heart Service
When Jesus called His twelve disciples, He called each one individually and personally. Each man said yes. Each one followed. But as we know, one of those twelve — Judas Iscariot — said yes with his mouth while his heart was never truly in it. He walked with Jesus, witnessed miracles, and was entrusted with ministry; still, in the end, his commitment was hollow.
This is a sobering reminder. It is entirely possible to be present in a church, to sing the songs, to serve in a ministry, and yet never have made a genuine heart connection with Jesus. Faith is not a performance. It is not a set of behaviors we maintain for public view. It is a surrender of the heart. Judas teaches us that the outward posture means very little if the inward reality is absent.
The question worth sitting with is not simply, "Am I doing Christian things?" but rather, "Is my heart truly connected to the One I claim to follow?"
Israel's Story Is Our Warning
To understand the urgency of genuine surrender, it helps to look at God's relationship with the nation of Israel. From the beginning, Israel was God's chosen nation. His original design was for Israel as a whole to receive Jesus as the Messiah and then carry the gospel to the rest of the world. It was a breathtaking plan, full of purpose and promise.
But Israel, as a whole, rejected it. They did not reject it with dramatic rebellion so much as with indifference. In Matthew chapter 22, Jesus describes this rejection with a parable about a king who prepares a great wedding feast. The invited guests simply went their own way—one to his farm, another to his business. They made light of the invitation. They did not take it seriously.
And because of that, the plan did not stop. The king sent his servants out to invite others. The feast would still happen. The will of the king would still be accomplished. Just not through the ones who were originally called.
This is the pattern we must not miss. God's will is not contingent on our cooperation. When we refuse, when we make light of what He is calling us to do, He does not abandon His purposes. He finds another way. He finds other people. He finds another church.
Being Grafted In — and the Warning That Comes With It
In Romans chapter 11, the apostle Paul uses the image of an olive tree to explain what happened when Israel stepped back from God's plan. The natural branches, representing Israel, were cut off from the place of fruitfulness. And wild branches — the Gentiles, those of us who were never part of the original covenant — were grafted in. Paul describes this as something extraordinary, almost contrary to nature. Yet God did it.
But Paul does not let the Gentiles celebrate without a warning. He urges his readers to consider both God's goodness and His severity. The same God who grafted us in can cut us off if we do not continue in His goodness. And the same God who cut Israel off is more than willing to graft them back in if they turn to Him.
The point is not to produce fear. The point is to produce humility and intentionality. We are not automatically fruitful simply because we have been brought near. We must remain surrendered. We must remain yielded.
What Surrender Actually Looks Like
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gives what is known as the Great Commission. He instructs His followers to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. This commission was not issued only to the original eleven disciples standing on that hillside. It echoes forward through every generation of believers. It lands on us.
The question is how we respond.
Too often, our first response to God's leading is to calculate. We ask whether it is convenient, whether it fits our preferences, whether we feel ready for it. But genuine surrender does not begin with those questions. It begins with a simple, open-handed yes — even before we understand all the details, even when it is uncomfortable, even when it stretches us beyond what feels manageable.
Peter is a powerful example. By Acts chapter 10, Peter was a seasoned follower of Jesus. He had walked with Him, preached boldly, and seen the miraculous. He could have settled into what he already knew. Instead, through a series of visions and encounters, God opened Peter's eyes to something new — that the gospel was not for one people group but for every nation, every background, every person who fears God and turns to Him. Peter was teachable. And because he was teachable, God could use him in a new and profound way.
The Invitation That Remains Open
Perhaps the most tender part of this story reveals what God's character is like. Even after Israel's repeated rejection, Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and expressed grief, not contempt. In Matthew 23:37, He describes His longing to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks. The door was not slammed shut. The love did not evaporate.
And that same grace extends to us. Whether you have been following Jesus for decades or you are just beginning to consider what faith might mean for your life, the invitation remains open. God has not given up on you. He is not waiting for you to have everything figured out. He is simply looking for a willing heart.
The will of God will be accomplished. The only question is whether you will have the joy of being part of it.
Say yes.

5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide

Day 1: Called and Commissioned
Reading: Matthew 28:19-20
Devotional: Jesus did not suggest the Great Commission -- He commanded it. Just as He called each of the twelve apostles by name and sent them out with purpose and power, He calls you personally. The call is not reserved for pastors or missionaries. It is for every believer. But notice that the call always comes with a promise: His presence. You are never sent out alone. Before you ask whether you are qualified, ask whether you are willing. God equips those He calls. Your part is surrender. His part is provision. Say yes before you have all the answers.
Personal Reflection: Has God been calling you toward something that you have been hesitant to step into? What is holding you back from saying yes?
Practical Application: Write down one area of your life or church where you sense God may be calling you to serve. Share it with a trusted believer this week.
Day 2: Lip Service vs. Heart Surrender
Reading: Matthew 10:1-4; James 2:14-17
Devotional: Judas Iscariot said yes with his lips but never surrendered his heart. He walked with Jesus, witnessed miracles, and was even sent out to minister -- yet his heart was never truly connected. This is a sobering reminder that church attendance, religious activity, and even service can exist without genuine devotion. God is not impressed by performance. He looks at the heart. A life of faith is not measured by what we do in public but by what we surrender in private. Authentic Christianity is not a role we play. It is a life we live from the inside out.
Personal Reflection: Are there areas of your faith that have become routine or mechanical rather than genuine and heartfelt?
Practical Application: Spend ten minutes in honest prayer today, asking God to reveal any area where you may be going through the motions rather than truly walking with Him.
Day 3: God's Will -- With or Without You
Reading: Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:22-24
Devotional: The nation of Israel serves as one of Scripture's most powerful object lessons. God desired to use them as His instrument to reach the world, but their rejection of Jesus as Messiah meant God worked through another means -- the Gentiles. This does not mean God stopped loving Israel. It means God's will moved forward regardless. The same principle applies to us individually and as a church. God's purposes will not be frustrated. The question is never whether His will shall be done. The question is whether we will be part of it. Do not let fear, comfort, or indifference cause you to miss what God is doing around you.
Personal Reflection: Is there a moment in your past where you know you said no to God? How did that shape your walk with Him?
Practical Application: Identify one thing God has placed on your heart that you have delayed or avoided. Take one small, concrete step toward obedience this week.
Day 4: Grafted In by Grace
Reading: Ephesians 2:12-14; Romans 11:17-18
Devotional: Paul reminds the Gentile believers in Ephesus of something staggering: before Christ, they were strangers to God's covenant, without hope, and far off. But through the blood of Jesus, the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile was broken down. Salvation is not determined by heritage, nationality, or skin color. It is determined entirely by the grace of God received through faith. You were grafted in -- not because you earned it, but because God, in His mercy, made a way. That same grace that reached you is available to everyone around you. Live like you believe that, and watch how it changes the way you see people.
Personal Reflection: Do you ever find yourself thinking that certain people are too far gone for God to reach? How does this passage challenge that thinking?
Practical Application: Pray specifically today for one person in your life who does not yet know Jesus. Ask God to open a door for you to share His love with them this week.
Day 5: Never Giving Up
Reading: Matthew 23:37; Lamentations 3:22-23
Devotional: The image of Jesus looking out over Jerusalem with longing in His heart is one of the most tender moments in all of Scripture. He describes His desire to gather the people as a hen gathers her chicks -- protective, warm, and deeply personal. And yet they refused. Even so, Jesus did not stop loving them. God's faithfulness is not contingent on our response. His mercies are new every morning, not because we deserve them, but because that is who He is. If you have wandered, if you have said no when you should have said yes, know this: God has not given up on you. He is still calling. Come home.
Personal Reflection: In what season of your life have you most clearly felt the pursuing love of God, even when you were not pursuing Him?
Practical Application: Write a brief prayer of recommitment today. Thank God for His relentless love and express your desire to walk in greater surrender and obedience. Keep it somewhere visible throughout the week as a daily reminder.