Thy Will be Done

[Maryanne Winder Lester]

Thy Will be Done.

Have you even questioned your abilities to do what God wants you to do? Have you ever thought He was asking too much of you? Have you ever made excuses to God? Have you ever procrastinated because you just didn’t feel like doing it now? Well, I can say, “Yes” to all these questions. I may be fooling myself and anyone else I am able to convince to see things my way. But, I’m not fooling God. He knows the exact moment that I am meant to accomplish His will and the tools I will need along the way. He wrote the story of my life before I was even born. He would never ask me to do anything I was unable to do and in His infinite wisdom, He knows just how to give me that nudge to get me going. But, God can be so clever in the ways He presents His will to us. He gave us free will to let us choose. He doesn’t stop the enemy from tempting us or lying to us. We are faced with these tests every day. For some of us, it’s almost as if we need to have a visual manifestation, or witness a miraculous event, or a tragic event or be brought to a low point where we feel we cannot escape. Be careful what you ask for, He just might give it to you. Have you ever looked back at the events of your life and wished you could have a “do-over?” How many times have we said, “If only I had done it this way instead of the way I did it?” Or even wish you could turn back the hands of time? Have you ever had this thought, “If I knew then what I know now…” Again, I’m one of those people.

God gave me an abundance of wonderful gifts, but sometimes I allow those gifts to get in my way. And when that happens, I lean on my own understanding. I know, bad move on my part, but that is free will in action. I always thought the greatest gift He gave me was my intelligence. Let me provide you with a couple definitions of Intelligence. 1. Relating to or involving the mental processes of abstract thinking and reasoning rather than emotions. 2. Having a highly developed ability to think, reason and understand, especially in combination with vast knowledge. I always need to know Who, What, Where, When and Why. Who invented this or that, What makes the sky blue, Where can I look to find this answer, When (like the exact moment) was the earth formed, Why am I here? I research everything because I need to know specifics. I read everything I can get my hands on. I need to be convinced. I need proof. Then, once I know an answer, only then can it be etched in my mind as a fact, an absolute truth. Having this God given gift of intelligence has made it more difficult for me to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding.” And, when thoughts and ideas don’t exactly line up in my mind, I rationalize. But then I found Salvation through Jesus Christ. Halleluiah!

We have so many examples in both the Old Testament and New Testament of people who had similar questions and doubts; people who were tempted, people who denied God or Jesus, people who made excuses and people who thought their own will was better than God’s will. Even Jesus Christ was tempted. Jesus prayed in His last day, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:42.

Look at those clueless, disobedient Israelites. God performed miracle after miracle to get them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. He sent plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh finally had enough and told them to get out. He parted the Red Sea so that they could get away from Pharaoh, then caused the same sea to swallow up Pharaoh’s army. He gave them manna from Heaven and water from rocks during their travel through the desert. But were they thankful? NO! They complained that they were tired of the manna and built golden statues to their other gods. They questioned Moses’ authority. So what did God do? He made them wander around in the wilderness for 40 years, until the Elders died off and they never even made it to the Land of Milk and Honey.

What about Jeremiah? He was just a youngster when God called him and ordained him to be a prophet. Jeremiah tried to use his age as an excuse, “Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” Jeremiah 1:6. When Jeremiah looked at something, he saw what it was. Such as, a branch of an almond tree and a boiling pot. But God chose this young man to speak the words of God to the people of Judah. And these words were not pleasant! People hated Jeremiah for the messages he delivered. Because the words of the Lord which Jeremiah speaks are about the consequences of the Israelites in their failure to surrender to the will of God. And because of their disobedience, Jerusalem was destroyed and once again the Israelites were taken captive.

Peter, one of the chosen disciples of Jesus Christ, lived in faith. Matthew 14:28-29 says, “And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” And again in Matthew 16:15-18, Jesus speaks to His disciples and to Peter. ”He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said to Him, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.’” But yet in Matthew 26:35, “Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” And that same night, after Jesus had been arrested, Peter did deny Him 3 times. Peter was human and had fear.

Submit to the will of God, stop making excuses, stop delaying. We have but one purpose and that is tofollow the will of our Father in Heaven.

Please pray with me:

Heavenly Father,

You know me because you formed me before I was in my mother’s womb. You know my strengths and my weaknesses. Please show me Your will and allow me to honor You daily by submitting to You. What I want is nothing, if it is not what You want. Lead me down the right path.

In the Holy name of Your son, Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen.

Maryanne Winder Lester 4/16/2010