BE ON THE RUN WITH GOD: LIVING A LIFE OF TOTAL SURRENDER AND HOLY OBEDIENCE By Major Frank Materu
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Key Scripture
“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” — Exodus 33:14
“Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” — Genesis 5:24
“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall run, and not be weary.” — Isaiah 40:31
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Introduction
The call to follow God is not a call into religious comfort, predictable routines, or settled conformity with the systems of the world. It is a call into a dynamic, living, and sometimes uncomfortable journey of obedience, surrender, and continual movement under the direction of the Holy Spirit. God does not call His people to settle where the world settles, nor to conform to what society defines as stability, success, or respectability. Instead, He calls them into a life of spiritual mobility—walking, following, and moving with Him as He leads.
Many begin their journey with God with passion, zeal, and strong spiritual enthusiasm. Their hearts are on fire, their devotion is sincere, and their desire to serve God is genuine. However, as time passes, the pressures of life, responsibilities, ambitions, and worldly systems begin to shape their priorities. Gradually, without noticing, they shift from radical obedience to comfortable religion. They begin to “settle down” spiritually, becoming more concerned with stability, approval, and material security than with obedience to the living God.
This spiritual settling is one of the most dangerous transitions in the life of a believer. It does not always appear as rebellion. It often appears as maturity, responsibility, or wisdom. Yet beneath it lies a subtle departure from the burning urgency of walking closely with God. The heart becomes divided between earthly security and divine obedience. The result is spiritual dryness, reduced sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, and a loss of spiritual fire.
God’s call remains unchanged. He calls His people to follow Him fully, without hesitation, without compromise, and without allowing the world to define their direction. To “be on the run with God” is to live in constant responsiveness to the Holy Spirit, refusing to become spiritually stagnant or emotionally settled in worldly comfort.
This lesson is a prophetic call to reawaken spiritual passion, restore obedience, and return to a life that is fully surrendered to God’s leading, no matter where it may take the believer.
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The Danger of Spiritual Settling and Worldly Conformity
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2
One of the greatest spiritual dangers is not open rebellion but quiet conformity. Many believers do not deliberately reject God, yet they slowly adopt the values, priorities, and lifestyle patterns of the world around them. This process often begins subtly through the pursuit of comfort, stability, and social acceptance.
As responsibilities increase, many believers begin to prioritize financial security, material comfort, and social respectability above spiritual obedience. They become increasingly influenced by the systems of the world, believing that success is defined by accumulation, recognition, and personal advancement.
However, God warns that conformity to the world leads to spiritual blindness. When believers begin to measure life by worldly standards, they slowly lose sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The fire of obedience diminishes, and spiritual urgency fades.
The tragedy is that many do not realize they are drifting. Outwardly, they remain religious, active, and socially respected. Yet inwardly, their devotion has weakened. The passion to follow God wherever He leads is replaced by the desire to remain safe, stable, and comfortable.
God’s call is not to rejection of responsibility but to the preservation of spiritual priority. He calls His people to remain spiritually alert, constantly aware that their true citizenship is not of this world but of His Kingdom.
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The Call to Continuous Movement with God
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7
To “run with God” is a metaphor for continuous obedience and responsiveness to divine direction. It means refusing spiritual stagnation and embracing a life that is always attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
God does not lead His people into spiritual idleness. He leads them into active obedience. Sometimes He calls them to move forward in faith when there is no visible security. At other times, He calls them to remain hidden, to endure, or to change direction unexpectedly.
This requires a heart that is flexible in the hands of God. Many believers struggle because they want God’s guidance but only within the boundaries of their personal preferences. They desire direction that aligns with comfort, predictability, and social approval. However, true obedience means surrendering even those expectations.
Walking with God is not about control but trust. It is not about knowing every step in advance but about trusting the One who directs each step.
The believer who truly walks with God learns to move when God says move, to stay when God says stay, and to trust when nothing is clear. This is the essence of spiritual maturity.
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The Battle Between Comfort and Calling
“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life.” — 2 Timothy 2:4
One of the greatest internal conflicts in the believer’s life is the tension between comfort and calling. Comfort seeks stability, predictability, and ease. Calling demands obedience, sacrifice, and sometimes uncertainty.
God does not oppose responsibility, provision, or family care. However, He opposes anything that becomes a substitute for obedience. When comfort becomes the guiding principle of life, spiritual sensitivity declines.
Many believers unknowingly begin to prioritize material advancement over spiritual obedience. They invest their energy into securing earthly stability while neglecting spiritual responsiveness. Over time, their spiritual fire weakens, and their sensitivity to God’s voice becomes dull.
Yet God continually calls His people back into spiritual urgency. He reminds them that life is temporary and eternity is permanent. What matters most is not comfort but faithfulness.
The believer must constantly examine whether comfort is slowly replacing calling in their priorities. When comfort becomes dominant, obedience becomes selective, and spiritual passion declines.
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The Call to Radical Obedience and Trust
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5
Radical obedience means trusting God beyond human reasoning, beyond financial calculations, and beyond emotional security. It is a life fully surrendered to divine direction.
God often calls His people into paths that challenge human logic. These paths may appear uncertain, uncomfortable, or unconventional. Yet within them lies divine purpose, protection, and provision.
Trusting God requires letting go of the need to control outcomes. Many believers struggle because they want assurance before obedience. However, faith operates in reverse—obedience first, clarity later.
The believer who fully trusts God does not require full understanding before taking the next step. Instead, they rely on God’s character, knowing that He is faithful, wise, and sovereign.
Radical obedience is not reckless living; it is surrendered living. It is the willingness to follow God even when the direction disrupts personal plans or societal expectations.
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The Life of Spiritual Dependence and Hidden Journeys
“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him.” — Psalm 25:14
There are seasons in the believer’s life where God leads in ways that are not publicly understood. These seasons may involve isolation, obscurity, uncertainty, or hidden processes.
God sometimes works most deeply in the unseen places of life. During these seasons, believers may feel as though they are “hidden” or “unrecognized.” Yet these are often times of deep spiritual formation.
Walking closely with God means accepting both visible and hidden seasons with equal trust. Whether in public influence or private preparation, the believer remains under divine guidance.
God’s purpose is not always immediate visibility but eternal transformation. Those who remain faithful in hidden seasons are often prepared for greater assignments later.
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The Call to Spiritual Alertness and Endurance
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” — Matthew 26:41
Spiritual life requires vigilance. The enemy seeks to distract, delay, and derail believers through pressure, temptation, and deception. Without alertness, spiritual decline can happen gradually and unnoticed.
Endurance is essential for those who walk with God. The journey of faith is not a short race but a lifelong walk of consistency. There will be seasons of strength and seasons of testing, but in all seasons, the believer must remain faithful.
Endurance is strengthened through prayer, Scripture, obedience, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Without these, spiritual fatigue becomes inevitable.
God does not call His people to a momentary enthusiasm but to lifelong faithfulness.
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Summary
This lesson reveals the call of God to a life of continuous obedience, spiritual movement, and total surrender. Believers are warned against the danger of settling into worldly comfort, conformity, and spiritual complacency.
God calls His people to walk closely with Him, to remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and to resist the pull of worldly systems that seek to dominate their priorities. True faith requires radical obedience, unwavering trust, and spiritual alertness.
The believer who walks with God must be willing to move when God says move, remain when God says remain, and trust when nothing is clear. This is the essence of spiritual maturity and devotion.
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Conclusion
God’s desire is not to imprison His people but to lead them into fullness of life, purpose, and eternal significance. However, this journey requires surrender. It requires letting go of comfort as the ultimate goal and embracing obedience as the highest priority.
To “run with God” is to live in constant alignment with His will, refusing to be slowed down by fear, comfort, or worldly expectations. It is a life of trust, faith, and obedience under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Those who follow God fully will never be abandoned. Even in uncertainty, He remains faithful, present, and guiding every step.
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Call to Action
Examine your walk with God honestly. Identify areas where comfort may have replaced obedience, where routine may have replaced passion, and where worldly concerns may have overshadowed spiritual sensitivity.
Return to a life of active obedience. Reignite your spiritual sensitivity through prayer, Scripture, and surrender. Refuse to settle spiritually where God is calling you to move.
Commit yourself again to follow the Holy Spirit without hesitation, without compromise, and without fear.
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Final Word of Encouragement
God has not forgotten you, nor has He abandoned your journey. Even if you feel hidden, uncertain, or stretched, He is still guiding you.
Do not mistake seasons of silence for absence. God is still working, still leading, and still preparing you for what lies ahead.
Those who walk with Him faithfully will discover that every step, even the difficult ones, leads into His perfect purpose.
Keep moving with God. Do not settle. Do not stop. Do not turn back.
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Salvation Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, I come before You acknowledging my need for Your salvation and mercy. I believe You are the Son of God, who died for my sins and rose again for my justification.
Forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me with Your precious blood. I surrender my life completely to You today.
Teach me to walk with You daily, to obey Your voice, and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit without hesitation or compromise.
Remove every desire in me that pulls me away from Your will. Give me strength to remain faithful in every season of my life.
I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Write my name in the Book of Life and keep me until the end. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
