The Table of Showbread: Surrendering Your Will to God – Pt. 5 | Paula White-Cain
Discovering the Power of Surrender: The Table of Showbread and Yielding Your Will to God
Entering deeper into the presence of God is more than a religious exercise—it’s an invitation to transformation. For many believers, the journey from the outer courts to the Holy of Holies is both a spiritual pilgrimage and a practical pathway, guiding us into deeper fellowship and intimacy with God. The Table of Showbread, often overlooked in the tabernacle’s structure, speaks profoundly to the surrender of our will—a crucial step for anyone longing to truly experience God’s presence. Today, let’s explore how aligning our human will with God’s will brings strength, purpose, and abundant spiritual fulfillment.
The Tabernacle: A Pattern Pointing to God’s Heart
Before we focus on the Table of Showbread, it’s important to recognize that every element in the tabernacle is intentional. The Old Testament tabernacle isn’t just a relic of history—it’s a blueprint revealing the process of true worship and transformation. While creation gets only a handful of chapters, God devotes more than sixty chapters throughout Scripture to the tabernacle. Why? Because every detail—from the outer court to the Holy of Holies—encapsulates His desire to dwell with His people and to teach us how to draw near.
From the start, God demonstrated that our spiritual journey mirrors the path through the tabernacle. The outer court reflects our bodies—where sacrifices and cleansing take place. This is where we present ourselves as living sacrifices, laying down our physical desires. As we move inward, we engage in sanctification—cleansed not only by the blood but also by the ongoing washing of the Word. It’s here, in the holy place where the Table of Showbread stands, that our will is tested and refined. This isn’t about religion—it’s about relationship. God isn’t after a fleeting visit; He’s after habitation. He wants to “homestead” with us, making our hearts a permanent dwelling place for His presence.
The Surrendered Will: Unlocking God’s Presence
Many believers assume the greatest enemy to our spiritual progress is Satan, but Scripture shows that once we move inward—toward the holy place and beyond—our greatest hurdle isn’t the devil, but ourselves. The enemy was banished from God’s presence long ago. He can’t reach you in the place of true surrender; what actually holds us back is our stubborn will and our refusal to submit.
This is where the Table of Showbread comes in. Symbolizing the will, the table is a picture of sustained strength—not from intelligence or emotion, but determination. The bread represents not just nourishment, but choosing to align your desires with God’s purposes. We may find it hard to let go of our own plans, yet Jesus modeled perfect obedience: “Not my will, but yours be done.” Every day, He surrendered—teaching us that breakthrough, favor, and intimacy flow through continual yielding.
Why God Emphasizes the Tabernacle
The tabernacle isn’t just a manual for ancient worship. It’s God’s curriculum for transformation. God gave Moses a detailed pattern, emphasizing that He wants to dwell among us, teaching us about holiness and our need for continual cleansing. The wilderness itself is God’s testing ground: a necessary environment where He strengthens and proves our faith, so that His promises can stand against contradiction.
His desire is never to hurt us, but to lift us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord in Jeremiah 29:11—plans for welfare, hope, and a future. God is for you, drawing near with everlasting kindness. When we fully realize He’s after our ultimate good, we can more easily trust His process, even when it challenges our will.
Maturing in the Holy Place: Dealing with the Will
Many of us want to abide continually in the Holy of Holies—in unbroken communion with God. But to get there, we have to pass through the holy place and confront our will. We might be tempted to think we’ve already surrendered, but a deep, honest look at our choices—finances, relationships, priorities, use of time—shows how much of life still revolves around ourselves, not Christ. Scripture says, “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).
To truly give God your will means reviewing every corner of your life and asking, “Does this honor God, or is it just serving myself?” It means recognizing your marriage, work, and ministry as vehicles for God’s purpose, not platforms for personal ambition. So many callings remain unfulfilled simply because we refuse to yield control, holding onto hurts, disappointments, or our own agendas.
Breaking Through by Surrendering the Will
The secret to sustained breakthrough is surrender. Jesus Himself exemplified this when He declared, “I have come to do your will, O God.” Although fully God and fully man, He learned obedience—a reminder that even divinely anointed destinies require the discipline of surrender. Your greatest blessing, promotion, or revelation is often locked behind the last door of obedience you hesitated to open.
Think about the moments you sensed God prompting you to act—to forgive, to give, to step out, or to humble yourself—but you hesitated. Spiritual maturity hinges on how you respond in those moments. God even allows difficult people and circumstances in your life, not as obstacles, but as opportunities to yield your will, grow in grace, and prepare for greater revelation. We often call adversity the work of the enemy, but many times it’s God using “Judas” in your life to reposition you for destiny. Until you pass the tests of surrender and forgiveness, you’ll keep circling old wildernesses.
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