Memorize: he went away again the second time, and praying, saying, oh my father, if this cup may pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Mathew 26:42
Read: Mathew 6:9-10 (KJV)
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Read: James 4:13-15 (KJV)
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Bible in one year: Isaiah 48-50; Luke 4:14-37, Hymnal: sing hymn 4
Message
Because God is the creator of all things in heaven and on earth, He holds supreme authority over everything, and He does whatever pleases Him (Psalm 135:6).
His desire is that every creature in heaven and on earth should do His will. The will of God is God’s plan and purpose for each entity in His creation at any given time. Only those who have submitted themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ can readily do God’s will from their heart (Psalm 40:8). There is only one person on earth who knows the will of God at any particular time, and 1 Corinthians 2:1 1 reveals that person:
”For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
Therefore, anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in him or her can neither know nor be submissive to the will of God (1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:7). Even if such people attend church meetings and worship services, they will still find the word of God and the lifestyle of His kingdom questionable, burdensome and even offensive.
Whenever an unconverted person is confronted with the will of God as revealed through His word, an antagonistic tension develops in their heart, which the conviction of the Holy Spirit works to douse. Because the corrupt carnal nature of man sees itself as the master of the universe, human beings love to exercise their freewill over everything, including the forces of nature and even God’s divine power.
This has led some people to erroneously see the power of the human freewill as being superior to God’s divine authority. However, children of God do not walk in this folly. As children of God, we recognize that the exercise of freewill outside the will of God is false freedom which leads to slavery and captivity to worldly pleasures, addictions, pride, inordinate ambition, immorality, and the like.
These are the very same things that Jesus sacrificed so much to deliver us from. Therefore, we submit our freewill to God in the process of discovering and following God’s purpose for our lives. Any exercise of freedom that gives a person the liberty to live recklessly without due consideration for divine purpose and life after death 15 actually the freedom of fools. God’s will for His children is always good and in their best interest (Jeremiah 29:1 1). It is the essence of life and the only way by which we can fulfil our destiny. You can continually know God’s will for your life by discerning it in the place of prayer (Ephesians 5:17, Colossians 1:9). Your Heavenly Father expects you to ensure that His Will is done in your life, family, church and community (Matthew 6:10). Are you doing this?
Prayer Point: Father, I submit myself anew to the lordship of your Spirit. Please let your will be done in my life, in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
No comments:
Post a Comment