Thy Will Be Done?

This evening during our bedtime routine my seven year old and I made an agreement to teach my two year old The Lord’s Prayer. We decided to begin immediately.  As we began to recite each line and await our student’s response I began to reflect on each line…Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done.

I paused for a moment as I began to consider the gravity of such a declaration.  I had to ask myself if I really wanted God’s will to be done. If I were to examine my behavior and actions would they reflect the submission of my will to that of the Father’s?  The honest answer would be that I, like many, have been inconsistent.  It has been a matter of convenience and all too often I have ignored what I know to be God’s will because it might put me in an uncomfortable position or cause me to rely on something besides my own understanding.  However, the desire to be found pleasing in His sight is far greater and offers a more gracious and valuable reward.  So, what exactly does God’s will entail?

The will can be defined as desire; decision-making capacity; by choice, without reluctance.  Often, we pray one of three ways.  First, we pray for God to lead or guide us in a particular matter or situation and never inquire as to what His will is for us. Second, we ask God to reveal, or make His will known to us and we merely attempt to include God into our will.  Or finally, we ask to be taught to do God’s will.

When we pray for guidance we are not trusting the Lord.  The steps of a good man are ordered, not guided, by the Lord.  On the occasions that we desire knowledge of God’s will it is useless for us to ask for any such revelation when we have no intention of being completely obedient.  However, when we seek to be taught how to do God’s will we become tremendously useful to the kingdom.  The psalmist David requested on numerous occasions to be taught to do the master’s will.  (Psalm 51:12; 143:10) As such, he was described as a man after God’s own heart.  Even when he sinned his desire to reconcile his broken relationship was so great that he readily submitted his will.

God teaches us in three ways. First, by his word. Secondly, he illuminates our minds by the Spirit. Thirdly, he imprints it in our hearts and maketh us obedient to the same; for the servant who knoweth the will of his master, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes: Luke 12:47.—Archibald Symson.—Treasury of David, The

Teach me to do thy will. We are to pray that God would teach us to know, and then teach us to do, his will. Knowledge without obedience is lame, obedience without knowledge is blind; and we must never hope for acceptance if we offer the blind and the lame to God.—Vincent Alsop (-1703), in “The Morning Exercises.”

—Treasury of David, The

Jesus said to Pilate: “Thou couldest have no power against Me, except it were given thee from above.” In everything that came on Him, He saw God’s will: it was all the cup the Father gave Him. When believers learn to see God’s will in everything that comes to us painful or pleasing, great or small, then the prayer, Thy will be done, becomes our unceasing expression of submission as well as praise!

My prayer is that as I make the petition, Thy will be done, that God continually transforms my will to His.  The object of God’s will is holiness.  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord…Hebrews 12:14.

Sticking to the Plan

We are on a spiritual high when we feel in every fiber of our being that we have heard the voice and the Lord and we have been given an assignment.  Every assignment has a set of instructions, especially with God.  God likes order.  So, we have our assignment and we have been given express instructions to accomplish a specific task. We’re motivated, excited and ready to be used by God!  We hope to successfully accomplish the tasks that we set out to do.

However, sometimes even our most well intended motives are either misunderstood, we realize that they changed somewhere along the way, or we allow ourselves to be detoured. Everyone usually has an agenda when they endeavor to do something; whether it is conscious or unconscious.  Pleasing God should be at the top of that list.

Whether we are sharing the Gospel with someone who is lost or we are interacting with other members of the Body of Christ it is important not to allow our motives or instructions to be changed.  Anything can cause us to waver in our intent.  We may become concerned about a particular individual or groups’ opinion or their feelings.  Someone may suggest something that seems to be a great addition to our plan so we alter the original plan.  Yes, it is important to be compassionate but, not at the cost of a soul–ours or theirs.  Our message must not become watered down. It’s in the details.

Take for example the man of God from Judah (1 Kings 13).  God had given him specific instructions as to what he should do after he spoke with King Jeroboam.  He was not to eat or drink anything while on his mission (1 Kings 13:9) nor was he to return home by the way he came.  After successfully resisting an offer of a fine meal with the king which included a gift, because of his instructions, the man of God made his way to another route.  Along the way he allowed himself to be deceived by a seemingly well intended old prophet.(1 Kings 13:18)  The prophet claimed that an angel came to him by the Word of the Lord and instructed him to take the man of God back to his home for a meal.  The man of God lost his life as a result of not sticking to the plan.

The man of God from Judah died because he listened to someone claiming to have a message from God rather than God himself.  We often alter the plan because someone has a “Word from the Lord” that seems easier than the instructions God gave us, their idea has a detail that intrigues us. The TRUTHS of God many times DO NOT feel good or are not what we want to believe, BUT they ARE the Truths of God never the less. Feelings do not count, compliance with scripture and obedience to it are the only things that count.

A few points we can apply to following instructions are:

• God is not the author of confusion. We will never receive mixed messages from God or any message that contradicts His Word from Him.
• Every good idea is not a God idea.  Everything that glitters is not gold.  Just because it sounds good doesn’t mean it is good or good for us.
• Follow the instructions that God has given to you. Just because we have seen it work for someone else it may not be God’s will for us. Each believer is given a gift(s) and some of us may have the same gift.  However, our method of application may be different or our focus is different.
• Test everything against the Word of God. Any messages received should stand when tested with the Word.  God can speak to you just as well as he can anyone else if you are willing to listen.
• STICK TO THE PLAN! When you are certain of your instructions do not lean to your own understanding or anyone else’s for that matter.  God requires obedience of all that he employs.  One act of disobedience cost Moses his entrance into the promised land!  All of the things he had previously done did not matter.  He failed to trust God’s direction.

We must insure at all costs that we do not alter or change the plans or instructions that God has given to us.  It could cost us more than we are willing to pay in the long run.

Remember, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way.  Psalm 37:23 KJV