1 Kings 3:16-28 tells a story about 2 new mothers. One night, one of the babies died. That baby’s mother snuck into the bedroom of the other mother & traded the dead child for the live baby. The other mother woke, realizing the babies had been switched. The first mother denied it. They ran to King Solomon for a decision. His answer may seem a little shocking: The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. The king said, “Divide the living child in two, & give half to the one & half to the other.”

What in the world? Why would he say this?! His seemingly unfair decision was actually for a purpose – to reveal the hearts of the women. The woman who stole the baby agreed with the king’s plan while the real mother said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, & by no means kill him.” King Solomon gave the child to that woman, knowing she was the real mother because she cared more about the welfare of the baby than getting what she wanted. Sacrificial love is the epitome of a mother’s heart.

There are times in our lives when unfair things happen. In these shocking moments, what is buried deep in our hearts becomes exposed thru our response. Do we still act in love? Do we still choose life? Do we still pursue reconciliation? Do we still trust God, even when it seems He’s allowed a plan that isn’t the one we had hoped for? Or do we try to grab hold tight of what we want with no regard to anything else?

I’ve learned by experience we will always receive more thru surrender than control. Surrendering to God doesn’t mean giving up, but instead turning the situation over to Him to fight for you. It can be hard to stop fighting for yourself! Sometimes I literally have to open my hands, palms up and physically release my natural response to take control. But there is something beautiful about surrender, because God is always there to step in when you finally are able to let go. ❤️ #release #trust #letgo #preachingtomyself #thegodofaprilham