Day 7: The Utterance of Trust

"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

Luke 23:46

Jesus’ final statement is a prayer of trust and surrender. Having completed His mission, He willingly and confidently yielded His spirit back to the Father. Jesus shows us how a life lived in obedience to God should end—not in fear, but in peaceful relinquishment. It is the ultimate act of trust.

In this last utterance, Jesus quotes from Psalm 31. His words exemplify trust in the Father when facing the unknown.

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;

    let me never be put to shame;

    deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me,

    come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

    a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,

    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,

    for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;

    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

Psalm 31:1-5

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to live lives committed into God's hands, letting go of the need to control every outcome, plan, or relationship. We have no need to know every detail of what our future holds, because we know and completely trust the One whose hands hold our future.

Surrender is not failure. It is the truest expression of faith and trust.

In letting go of His spirit, Jesus knew that He was placing His very essence into the hands of His perfect and loving Father. In doing so, He showed to those around Him, and to us today, that the Father’s hands are the perfect place of safety.

Just three days later, Jesus’ followers witnessed the victory of His surrender: He arose! He will never face death again and He gives each of us the precious gift of eternal life with our Heavenly Father! Hallelujah!

For Reflection:

As you prepare for Easter Sunday and a new week, follow Jesus’ example of surrender. Are you tightly gripping something that you need to release to the Father? Name it out loud and let it go in prayer. Commit your schedule, your worries, and your life into His hands. He is trustworthy.