When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Luke 19:37-38
Our smallest acts of surrender can open the door to someone else's salvation story. The unnamed owner who released their colt for Jesus' use had no idea they were enabling a pivotal moment in salvation history. Their simple "yes" to the disciples' request became the backdrop for Jesus' public declaration as Messiah. Without their surrender, how would Jesus have entered Jerusalem in fulfillment of prophecy? Their willingness to release what God requested created the very setting where crowds encountered Jesus as King. I've seen this same principle work in modern lives – when we release what God asks for, it often becomes the vehicle through which others meet Jesus.
What God requests from us is rarely random – it's usually strategic to His redemptive plan. That colt wasn't randomly selected. Jesus knew exactly what He needed for this moment. He sent the disciples to a specific village for a specific animal that would serve a specific purpose. God works with the same precision today. When He prompts you to share your testimony with a coworker, call an old friend, give to a specific ministry, or open your home – these aren't random impulses. They're strategic moves in God's salvation plan for someone else. The resource He asks you to release might be precisely what's needed for another person's encounter with Christ.
Sometimes, the thing we most resist releasing becomes the very thing God uses to reveal Himself to others. I wonder if the colt's owner hesitated even briefly. This was valuable property – a young animal that had never been ridden. Yet their surrender created the setting for Jesus' triumphant entry where many recognized Him as Messiah. I've watched this play out in friends' lives – one who reluctantly opened her home for a Bible study that led to her neighbor's conversion, another who sacrificed a vacation fund for a mission trip where dozens came to Christ. What we surrender often becomes sacred ground where others meet God.
The Palm Sunday story reminds us that our release creates space for God's revelation. When the owner released the colt, they created space for a greater purpose – carrying Jesus where people could see and respond to Him. Our surrenders work similarly. When we release our time, resources, and comfort, we create space for Jesus to be lifted up where others can see Him.
Just as the colt carried Jesus physically, our surrendered lives can carry Him visibly to others. Think about that donkey for a moment. It became the vehicle that transported Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem, where people could see Him clearly. Romans 12:1-2 calls us to be "living sacrifices" – surrendered lives that carry Christ's presence into our world. When we release what God asks, whether it's a skill, a possession, or our plans, we become the vessels that transport His presence to places and people that need Him. Our surrender enables others to see Jesus in ways they couldn't otherwise.
When we release what's valuable to us, it often gains eternal value in God's salvation story. To the owner, that colt represented economic worth – transportation, agricultural help, a valuable possession. But when surrendered for Jesus' use, it gained eternal significance – becoming part of redemption's story, forever mentioned in Scripture. The same happens with our surrendered resources. The money you release for ministry, the time you give to mentor others, and the comfort you sacrifice to serve gain eternal value when they become part of someone else's journey to salvation. What seems like loss to us becomes eternal gain in God's economy.
Behind every salvation story are usually multiple people who surrendered something that made it possible. We celebrate the crowds who proclaimed Jesus as King on Palm Sunday, but their worship was made possible by someone who quietly released what Jesus requested. This pattern continues today. When someone comes to Christ, we often see only the final moment of decision. But behind that moment are countless surrenders that created the path – the parent who sacrificed sleep to pray, the friend who risked rejection to share their faith, the donors who funded the ministry that reached them. Salvation moments are built on surrender moments.
When our human surrender connects with divine salvation, there's a holy partnership. Something powerful happens when our willing release meets God's redemptive purpose. The owner's surrender + Jesus' purpose = a salvation opportunity for Jerusalem. This equation still works today. And isn't it an honor to be part of God's work?
Faith means releasing what we can see for what we cannot yet see God doing. The colt's owner released a visible, valuable animal without seeing the full salvation impact their surrender would have. That's still how faith operates. We release tangible things—our money, time, comfort, plans—for intangible kingdom purposes we can't fully see yet. We don't see the bigger picture, but God sure does!
Godseekers, salvation opportunities often wait on the other side of your surrender. Right now, God may be pointing to something in your life – a comfort, a possession, a relationship, a dream – and saying, "The Lord needs it." Your willingness to release what He requests might be the very thing that creates space for someone else to encounter Jesus as Savior and King. The salvation of others may be connected to your surrender in ways you cannot yet see. Like the unnamed owner who released their colt, your simple "yes" might become the unsung hero in someone else's Palm Sunday moment with Jesus.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank You for inviting me into the holy work of making salvation possible for others through my surrender. Give me the courage to release whatever You request, knowing it might become the vehicle that carries Jesus to someone who needs to see Him. Forgive me for the times I've held tightly to what You were asking for, not realizing the salvation opportunity my reluctance might have delayed. Help me trust that what I release for Your use gains eternal value in Your hands. Make me a living sacrifice through which others can encounter Your saving presence. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- What is God asking me to surrender that might be connected to someone else's opportunity to see and respond to Christ?
- When have I witnessed how someone's sacrifice or surrender created the opportunity for another person to encounter Jesus?
Step of Faith
Today, I will identify one thing God has been asking me to release and surrender completely, praying specifically that God will use it as part of His plan to bring salvation to someone else.
