PUT UP YOUR HANDS, YOU'RE SURROUNDED!

I loved to watch cops and robbers programs on television when I was a kid, and out of these shows came a command that actually has a meaningful spiritual application. When the cops finally caught up with the bad guys, they would often loudly shout, “Put up your hands, you’re surrounded!”

“Hands in the air” is the universal sign of surrender. To all those rugged individualists out there (I’m talking about you, not me), surrender is not always an easy subject to embrace. I am not suggesting that we surrender to any of the coarser aspects of our humanity, or any kind of surrender to the enemy of our soul, to the flesh, or to the ways of the world. I am talking about our surrender to Him whereby we establish that He is our Lord. In true surrender we give Him control and we take our hands off the steering wheel of our life. When we truly surrender to His Lordship, we can openly say to Him, “My hands are up, I’ve surrendered to you. My life is under your control.”

Surrender is a very important part of the life of a believer. Jesus addressed its importance when He said to the disciples, “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I say?” (Luke 6:46 NIV). He makes it a question but He is pointedly saying, “You call me your Lord but you are not letting Me have control.”

So what are you waiting for? “Put your hands up!”

The second part of the statement is, “You’re surrounded!”

“For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor” (Psalm 5:12 NIV).

The word “shield” used here is also used in Psalm 91:4 where it says, “His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” Shield and buckler are two types of military shields with subtle but important differences.

Buckler seems to have been added here to bring additional meaning to this truth; it comes from a root word that means “to go around.” The indication is that God’s favor (grace) is a wall of defense that surrounds us, totally encircles us.

There are three things that I trust you can take away from this verse: “You surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

1. The favor of God is a shield, a hedge of God’s protection around you.

Another way for us to view this is that God has us hemmed in with His goodness and mercy. When we move, it (God’s favor) moves with us, and when we turn it turns. The legalist immediately begins to moan about the need to stay in the perfect will of God. Honestly, what you need to do is put down that kind of thinking, put your hands up and say, “Jesus, I surrender all parts of my life to You. Here’s the steering wheel of my life; I’m giving it to you because I am the world’s worst driver. Left to myself I’ll continue to make a mess of things.”

2. The shield covers all. “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and [buckler]” (Psalm 91:4 NIV).

This is not just regular protection for the feet, a bulletproof vest for the torso, and a helmet on the head, leaving the rest of the body open game for the enemy to attack. This shield is the premium package that covers all of you, no exceptions, no fine print, and no deductable.

3. The word shield also means cooling or refreshment. “Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his master” (Proverbs 25:13 NIV).

The word “coolness” here is the same Hebrew word used for shield in Psalm 5:12 and 91:4. The idea in Proverbs 25:13 is not that we can expect a snowstorm while we are doing our life’s work for the Lord. When a crop is being harvested, a snowstorm would be a disaster—the crops would be ruined. The picture is that of snow being brought down from the mountains (think Winter Olympics in Vancouver) to those laboring in the harvest. Snow would be a tremendous refresher for the hot, tired and dusty workers.

The shield of God’s favor brings with it a “refreshing” for the tired and weary warrior.

No wonder the Psalmist was so positive about God’s blessing and protection. He knew that God would not only hedge him in with protection, but would completely cover him and refresh him.

So, what do you say? Are you ready to make a declaration? Go ahead and say it! “Jesus, I raise my hands to You in surrender. You are the Lord of my life! My hands are off the steering wheel and raised to You in surrender and worship!”