Thy Will Be Done

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Thy Will Be Done

We are “funny” people.     We want God’s will to be done,  just so long as  it’s the same  as our will.     Nevertheless,  we dutifully pray  as Jesus taught us  in Matthew 6:9-13,

Our Father  who art in heaven,    
Hallowed be Thy name.    
Thy kingdom come,    
Thy will be done,    
On earth  as it is in heaven.    
Give us this day  our daily bread.    
And forgive us our debts,  as we also have forgiven our debtors.    
And do not lead us  into temptation, 
but deliver us  from evil.    
For Thine is the kingdom,  and the power,  and the glory,  forever.     Amen.

The Lord’s prayer starts out acknowledging  that God is our almighty heavenly Father  and we want  to treat His name  as holy in our hearts  and minds.     That is only good and right,  since He made us  and has redeemed us  in Christ Jesus.     Realizing that God is the one and only Almighty  is saying  that we know for sure  He knows  what is best for us  because His wisdom  is far beyond  our puny imaginations.

And then,  we go on to ask  that His kingdom  would come to us.     There we are asking  that God would implant the truths  of His word  and His salvation  in our hearts.     God’s almighty power and love  have been proven  in Jesus Christ  and we greatly desire  to have a part  in God’s eternal goodness.     Who wants to miss out  on heaven?

And then comes the sticky part  of the Lord’s prayer.     Jesus,  who is God in the flesh,  says we must willingly  and whole-heartedly submit  to our heavenly Father’s will  for our lives here  on earth.     But,  we kinda skim over “Thy will be done,  on earth  as it is in heaven.”

And,  here we are wrong.     The words are  on our lips,  but we don’t really mean it.     When we pray,  we want our will  to be done — not the will  of our all-wise heavenly Father.     After all,  our desires are great  and we don’t have the patience  to wait  for God’s will  to be done rightly.     We would rather assume  that what we desire  has got to be  what is best  in the end.     Don’t we know  what we need?

Sometimes yes,  and sometimes no.

We are sinners living  in a sinful world.     We are easily persuaded  to feel  that we need certain things.     But,  when it seems  that God is not answering our prayers,  we still need  to submit  to His love,  power,  and wisdom.     He has loved us enough  to suffer and die  on our behalf,  to pay  for all our sins.     Surely,  after all that,  He will only give us  what is good for us eternally.

And so,  we need  to learn to submit  to God’s love  and wisdom.     We need  to trust and obey,  for there’s no other way,  to be happy  in Jesus,  but to trust and obey.     Let us humbly acknowledge  God’s Lordship,  love,  power,  and wisdom  as our heavenly Father.

It really will be best for us  in the end — far better  than our imagination.     Then we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  Your ways truly are  so much better  for us.     Let us always treat Your name  as holy  by trusting and obeying.    Lead us  to know  and trust Your tender love.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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