Daily Devotional For Wednesday, October 16, 2024
They say, “Time flies when you are having fun.” If you do not enjoy the Lord, I really pity you. King David, who wrote most of the Psalms, fills his psalms with verses of how much he enjoyed the Lord. We are making our way through Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, & 7. We have completely finished Matthew 5 and we are now in Matthew 6:9-13, looking at what is traditionally called The Lord’s Prayer. Many scholars prefer to call it The Disciples’ Prayer since Jesus gave this as a model to follow to His disciples when they pray.
We are currently looking at Matthew 6:9-10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (NASB). Many people totally misunderstand what God’s will is. In a nutshell, when we pray we’re asking that every person on this planet bring their will under submission to God’s will. This means to be dedicated to God’s will, we must be in direct opposition to the devil’s will. This is what Bible scholars call “righteous rebellion.” Meaning as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are rebelling against the sin in this world, the devil, the ungodly systems and unholy temptations that are available to us. In this case, we are rebelling for a good reason
Contrary to those with little or no faith, world systems can be changed. When Jesus was here, He preached and taught against sin and He personally opposed sin, sometimes with anger. Remember that twice Jesus cleansed the Temple. It wasn’t pretty, but He did not back down. Nowhere does the Bible teach that every evil, corrupt and sinful thing done against us is somehow God’s will for our lives. Listen to me: nothing sinful, wicked or evil comes from God, but only from the devil. I like how pastor and author John MacArthur puts it: “To pray that God’s will be done is to pray that the devil’s will is undone” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 384).
To pray for God’s will to be done means we must pray in faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (NASB). We can’t even please God without faith. In my short years on this planet, I think the greatest hindrance to answered prayers is not style, technique, words, location, but the lack of faith.
Having taken numerous courses in seminary in Theology, I learned there are 3 aspects to God’s will.
- First, there is God’s will of purpose. This is God’s infinite, complete, comprehensive and what we might call God’s toleration in His sovereignty that includes everything in this universe. God’s will of purpose includes how God is going to wrap the end of this world, Jesus’ Second Coming, The Millennial Reign, Judgment, a new heaven and new earth and etc. Consider these verses below:
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- Isaiah 14:24, “The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, `Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand’” (NASB).
- Jeremiah 51:29, “So the land quakes and writhes, For the purposes of the Lord against Babylon stand, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitants” (NASB).
- Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (NASB).
- Ephesians 1:9-11, “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him (10) with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him (11) also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will” (NASB).
This will of God is the will that allows sin and sinners to have their way only but for a season. In God’s already appointed predestined time God will bring the curse of sin and the devil to an end.
2. Second is what we call theologically God’s will of desire. This is God’s will that is not always realized or fulfilled. Look at 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (NASB). Unfortunately, though God does not want anyone to die and go to hell, the sad reality is many will. This will also refer to God's will of conversion.
3. Third, is what theologians call God’s will of command. This type of will from God is only for the disciples of Jesus Christ because they are the only ones who can obey it and do it. Look at Romans 6:16-18, “ Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (17) But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, (18) and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (NASB). This will of God involves our obedience and commitment to God’s will for our lives as His children.
This means our greatest obstacle to God’s will is not the devil, is not evil, is not the world or our culture, but our pride. It was pride that led the devil to rebel and it is our pride that causes us to rebel against God also. For us to do God’s will, we as Jesus’ disciples must do what Jesus commanded in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (NASB).
There must be a crucifixion of self so that we can fulfill the sanctification of the cross for the sole purpose of satisfying the demands of salvation. This is Paul’s point in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (NASB).
I like what John Hannah said about prayer: “The end of prayer is not so much tangible answers as a deepening life of dependency . . . The call to prayer is a call to love, submission, and obedience . . . the avenue of sweet, intimate, and intense fellowship of the soul with the infinite Creator” (Source: Link: https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/a-patter-for-prayer-part-ii-martin-wiles-sermon-on-prayer-adoration-151071.
Our goal as Christ’s disciples is to bring heaven to earth as we hallowed His name, letting His kingdom (rule & reign) be done in our life and His will be realized and fulfilled in us. Consider the following story from church history:
“In the fourth century the Emperor Julian (later known as Julian the Apostate) abandoned the Christian faith and sought to abolish Christianity, replacing it with the worship of the ancient gods of Rome and Greece. At the very height of his power, and as it looked as though the abolishment of Christianity could become a real possibility, he was mortally wounded in battle. “The historians tell how, when he lay bleeding to death, he took a handful of his blood and tossed it in the air, saying: ‘You have conquered, O man of Galilee!’ Christ’s “conquering” of the Emperor Julian, as Julian viewed it, was but one small step away for the “man of Galilee” from the throne of Heaven and earth. For when Christ returns in glory He will have the heads of all evil rulers and all disobedient people under His foot. Then, finally and absolutely, the will of Heaven will become the way of earth” (Source: William Baclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, “Matthew,” p. 177 & Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Preaching The Word: The Sermon On The Mount Message of the Kingdom, p. 168-169).
Questions To Consider
- Pastor and author John MacArthur said, “To pray that God’s will be done is to pray that the devil’s will is undone.” How would you like to see God’s will done specifically and the devil’s will undone specifically?
- Without faith, it is impossible to please God praying “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Where in your faith do you need to grow to pray this sincerely and obediently and why?
- You were given the three major wills of God. Read again the point and verses about God’s will of purpose. God allows sinners and sin to have its way for a limited time and then He will put an end to all of it. What scares you most about this type of will of God and why?
- The second will of God you were introduced to is what we call God’s will of desire. Read the Bible verse with this and the explanation. This type of will of God is not always realized. Why?
- The third will of God is what God’s will of command. This will only apply to disciples of Jesus Christ. Read the Bible verse for this one. When it comes to your own life, what aspects of your life are outside of God’s will of command? When do you plan to obey God on this?
Scripture To Meditate On: 2 Chronicles 20:6, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I must admit that there are areas in my life that are conforming more to the culture around me rather than to Christ who lives in me. I do not want to be an instrument of taking the devil’s future undone will and making it done in my life. I want Your reign, rule and will done in my life. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly