May 5

God's Will

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. — Matt 6:10 BSB

Many people fear God’s will, thinking it always leads to pain, sorrow, or loss. They become somber at the mention of doing God’s will. What a lie the devil has spread about God! The will of God is the will of a Father. It’s His fatherly love in action. “It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish.” “This is the will of God, your sanctification.”

If God’s will were done on earth as it is in heaven, there would be peace among nations and love and happiness in every home. Love would bind all people together in a city of blessing. The world’s current state is not an argument against the goodness of God’s will. It is because people refuse to do God’s will that things are as they are!

In our own lives, we will never be truly right or happy until we can say, “I delight to do Your will, O my God.” We might not start there. The first step is to choose His will, then we can come to accept it lovingly and thankfully. Finally, we will rejoice and take delight in it. If you cannot yet say, “Your will be done,” then say, “I am willing to be made willing for Your will to be done.” If your will is hard and unyielding like rough iron, ask God to plunge it into the furnace of His love, so that everything that resists Him is melted away in the heat of His divine fire. Rest assured that He will not give up on you or be impatient with the time it takes, and He will not be harsh. He will keep His hand on the pulse of your heart, ready to ease up if the refining process becomes too strong.

At first, you may feel some pain, just as there is pain when a dislocated limb is set back in place. But afterward, there will be the joy of restored health and vigor. You will only lose what you would gladly give up if you knew, as God does, what is best for your soul’s health. “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” In His will, we find our peace.

Prayer

Most gracious God, to know and love Your will is righteousness. Enlighten our souls with the brightness of Your presence so that we may both know Your will and have the strength to do it. Amen.