PRAYING TO KEEP OUR JOY IN GOD'S WILL DESPITE DIFFICULTIES

When Jesus was feeling the pressure of what lay ahead with His imminent suffering and death for us on the cross,  Jesus prayed this in the Garden of Gethsemane:

“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” And repeated it, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” Matthew 26:39, 42

At this dark hour in Jesus life when He himself said, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”  (Matthew 26:38) Jesus stays within the pattern He has demonstrated all His life.  No matter what, He would do what His Father showed Him and asked of Him.

Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.  John 5:19, 30

All sorts of people do things to one degree or another that they know are outside what they should be doing.  They use many different excuses.  Many of us know better but because of convenience or self-will, act or speak in ways we clearly know are not pleasing to God and are not what Jesus would say or do in the situation.  And so we are in need of the kind of heart Jesus had that was spoken about in Psalm 40

I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”  Psalm 40:8

We all want at some level to be living in God’s will and yet when His will takes us through tough times and our journey curves through dark and stressful circumstances, I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure that I “take joy in doing your will.”  Sometimes we do it because we know we must or because we don’t see any other way forward but it’s more out of obligation than joy, it seems to me. 

As the world’s concepts and laws deviate more and more from God’s plan and will, it may cost us, as it has so many down through the centuries, to stand up for truth and for God’s will.  Today is a good day, when the challenges are less – even though they may feel heavy – to find a way to that place in God’s heart where we can take joy in doing even the toughest thing set before us.  I mean, what was tougher than the cross and yet we are told:

… keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.  Hebrews 12:2

Today, O Lord, I yield myself to You. May Your will be my delight today. May You have perfect sway in me. May Your love be the pattern of my living. I surrender to You my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions. Do with them what You will, when You will, as You will. I place into Your loving care my family, my friends, my future. Care for them with a care that I can never give. I release into Your hands my need to control, my craving for status, my fear of obscurity. Eradicate the evil, purify the good, and establish Your kingdom on earth. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.  (Richard Foster)

Take Lord and receive, all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own.  You have given all to me.  To You, Lord, I return it.  Everything is Yours, do with it what You will.  Give me only Your love and Your grace; that is enough for me.  (Ignatius of Loyola)