Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says. If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down. You and your family will live. But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, and they will burn it down, and you, your self, will not escape from them. Jeremiah, chapter 38, verses 17 and 18 most people think that surrender is cowardly and don't take kindly to those who give up. Throw in the towel and raise up a white flag of surrender. It is believed that the tradition of waving a white flag is a sign of surrender originated in ancient China. The roman writer Cornelius Tacitus mentioned a white flag of surrender in a book he wrote in AD 109. It is also believed that the color white was chosen as a matter of convenience because white material was readily available in ordinary things like clothing and bandages. That is why the iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein forced his troops to hand over all articles of white clothing, including underwear and socks, so they would not be as tempted to surrender to american forces, no matter how hopeless a situation may appear. Fear applaude waving a white flag of surrender most of us live by the motto live or die. Emeliano Zapata, a leading figure in the mexican revolution, also known as the Mexican Civil War of 1910 to 1920, is credited with saying, it is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. Most people in most nations agree, and the notion that surrender is the way to victory is almost universally rejected. Yet surrender is exactly what God told his people to do when they were confronted and besieged by the notorious Babylonians. We need to remember that the israelite nation was in such a dilemma because of sin. The people had rejected God's word and rebelled against his authority. The result was disaster. Any individual or nation that ignores or rejects God's authority will face dire consequences. God told his people they had a choice. They could resist the attacking Babylonians and die doing so. Or they could surrender, repent of their sins, and trust God to protect and restore them. In his time, the king and the people refused to heed the word of the Lord, and as a result, the nation was overrun. The city of Jerusalem was laid waste, and many were killed in the onslaught. Ultimately, it is not surrendered to nations or to men that God demands, but surrender to his will, his word, and his way. His way is always the better choice, and surrender to him is the only way to guarantee victory. Over sin and death.

This has been your thought for the day with Steve Burkham, pastor of Community Christian Church in Stockton, California. If you have questions or comments for Pastor Steve, please send them to [email protected]. Have a great day, and we hope you'll join us tomorrow as Pastor Steve opens God's word to bring us another thought for the day.