Let Go and Let God

Psalm 46:10 KJV

“Be still, and know that I am God”

💡 INTRODUCTION

A man was hiking alone when he slipped and fell over the edge of a steep cliff. Instinctively, he grabbed hold of a root that was hanging down the side.

There he was… suspended in total darkness.

The night was black.

The wind was howling.

His hands were burning.

His strength was fading.

Hour after hour, he clung to that root—exhausted, trembling, knowing he couldn’t hold on much longer.

In desperation, he cried out into the darkness:

“Is anyone up there?!” To his surprise, a voice answered from above: “Yes… I’m here.”

Hope surged in his heart.

He shouted back, “Can you help me?!” The voice replied, calm and steady: “I can’t reach you, Just Let go”

There was a long silence.

The man tightened his grip… his knuckles turned white… his fear took over. After a few moments, he cried out again: “Is there anyone else up there?!”

refusing to let go…. When the sun finally rose the next morning, still clinging to the root… he looked and He was only two feet off the ground.

That’s us.

👉 We say we trust God… But we refuse to let go.

I. THE CONTROL WE CLING TO

A. The Pressures Of Life

Every day has a way of tightening its grip on us. Responsibilities stack up, expectations rise, and before long, life begins to feel less like a journey and more like a weight we’re dragging uphill. The pressure doesn’t always come from one big crisis—it’s often the slow, steady accumulation of little things that wear on the soul.

💡 It’s like carrying a handful of small stones in your pocket. At first, you barely notice them. But as the day goes on, more get added—one for work, one for family, one for finances, one for worries about tomorrow, health problems, one for our kids. By the end of the day, what once seemed manageable now feels unbearably heavy. And the truth is, most of us don’t realize how much we’re carrying until we’re already exhausted.

B. Our Instinct

We try to fix everything, We try to control outcomes

“Trying to control everything is like gripping sand—the tighter you hold it, the faster it slips through your fingers.”

I had a lady I pastored 25 years ago. She began to list all the worries and cares in her life. Kids, grandchildren, her dog, her neighbor, her health, her friends health, problems in Washington DC, problems in the world…. I said why is it your responsibility to worry and fret over all these things… she said Preacher if I don’t worry about them who will!

Some of you are trying to fix friends, fixes marriages, fix jobs, fix our kids, fix, fix, fix…..

the more you try and fix it the worse it gets

C. Our Burden Gets Heavier

The tighter we hold: The more exhausted we become, The more anxious we grow

A man set out on a long weekend mountain hike. At the start, his backpack felt manageable—but as the miles went on, the weight began to wear him down. His shoulders ached. His legs trembled. His breathing grew heavy. The kicker said I can’t go on the trail is just too hard. Finally, another hiker passed him and said, “Why are you carrying all that?” The man replied, “I thought I needed it.” The other hiker opened the bag—and inside were things he never needed:

• Extra tools

• Unnecessary supplies

• Dead weight

He said, “You’re exhausted not because the journey is too hard—but because the load is too heavy.”

What’s in your backpack? What are you carrying that you don’t need too

II. THE COMMAND WE CONFRONT

Psalm 46:10 KJV

“Be still”

A. Psalms 46 is a Calls to Release

“Be still” literally means “Let go”

This phrase carries the idea: stop fighting, release your grip, surrender control.

We live in a generation addicted to control:

We try to control outcomes, control people, control our future

But God says: “Be still.”

📌 You cannot hold onto control and cling to Christ at the same time.

B. God Calls in the Storm

Psalms 46 isn't a Psalm of quite meditation…. its a Psalm of chaos and war

Psalm 46:1–3 KJV

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Gods Not ministering after the storm and chaos , But in the middle of it

“The Psalmist sings calm in the chaos.”

C. God Calls and Challenges Us

Letting go feels like: Losing control, Falling apart

Gods not commanding us to quit —it’s surrender, it’s trusting

“You cannot cling to control and claim confidence in God at the same time.”

III. THE CONFIDENCE WE CHOOSE

Psalm 46:7 KJV

“The Lord of hosts is with us”

Psalm 46:10 KJV

“know that I am God"

Psalm 46:11 KJV

“The Lord of hosts is with us”

A. We Can Have Confidence in Gods Character

👉 He is sovereign

👉 He is present

👉 He is faithful

📌 The storm that shakes you, but it does not shake Him

B. We Can Have Confidence in Gods Care

Matthew 11:28 KJV

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 11

Come to me is an invitation to trust Jesus personally, not merely to believe historical facts about him.

… Jesus provides “rest for your souls” (v. 29).

“The moment you let go is the moment God takes over.”

Trusting God is like when I taught my kids to drive. At first I was high alert, praying out loud, stomping a imaginary brake pedal and yelling woe, woe woe before every curve

Trusty God is resting and sleeping in the passenger seat …. God I trust you, I don’t need to watch over you

IV. THE COMMITMENT WE COMPLETE

📌 This is where it becomes personal.

A. Identify What You’re Holding

Fear, Pain, Control, Bitterness, Outcomes, Our kids, our family

📌 What are you gripping right now? What are you trying to control

B. Make the Decision to Release

1 Peter 5:7 KJV

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

👉 Casting requires action on our behalf, our responsibility

C. Trust the Outcome to God

📌 You don’t control: The timing, The result, The process

👉 But you can trust the One who does

“Surrender is not losing—it is placing everything into the hands of the One who cannot fail.”

ILLUSTRATION — “JUST JUMP”

A house was on fire… Flames climbing… smoke filling the upstairs room… A young boy was trapped—no way out. He ran to the window, coughing, terrified, looking down. Below, his father stood and shouted:

“Son! Jump! I’ll catch you!”

The boy cried out through the smoke: “Dad… I can’t see you!” And the father shouted back: “That’s okay, son…you may not see me, but I can see you. Just jump!”

That boy had a decision to make: Trust what he saw…Or trust his father

That’s where some of you are right now:

You can’t see the outcome, You can’t see the future, You may not see God working

But God is saying: “I see you.”, “I know where you are.” and if you trust in me “ I will catch you.”

“Faith is not seeing God—it is trusting the God you cannot see.”

“The moment you let go of what you cannot control is the moment you finally experience the God who controls all things.”