Submission to the Will of God

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Luke 22:42–44
In the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus poured out His heart in prayer to His Father. He knew what He would face the next day. As agonizing as the physical suffering of the cross would be, it was nothing next to the burden of our sins that He would take on Himself. Yet even in that moment of great struggle, Jesus did not use prayer as a way to insist on what He wanted. His prayer was in complete submission to God’s will. He wanted what His Father wanted more than what He wanted, even though He knew what the Father’s will would cost Him.
Many people struggle with knowing how to make the right decisions and do what God wants. If we are to know His plan, then we must be willing to do it even if it is not what we would choose. The Christian who wants God’s will must be a student of God’s Word. On the subject of making decisions George Muller said, “I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If I do so, I make myself liable to great delusions. I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.” If we are obeying what we know from the Bible, we will be doing what God wants us to do.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If our will is subordinate to God’s will, then our path will be pleasing in His sight.

Will I Have Enough?

by Joyce Meyer - posted October 15, 2016

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
—Ephesians 3:20 NIV
One of the strongest and most persistent fears that people experience is the fear that they won’t have enough of what they need. We want to feel safe in every area of life. We want to be secure in our belief that we will have what we need when we need it. This fear can lead to an ungrateful heart, because it brings the feeling that there is never enough. It is best to ask God for what we want and need and then focus on what we do have instead of what we don’t have.
God’s Word says that we are not to fear because He is with us. It is just that simple: Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you (Isaiah 41:10). Thankfully, He has everything we need and He loves us. So like any loving parent, He will provide for us. He has promised to never leave or forsake us. We can be thankful that He never sleeps, He is ever-present, and He keeps watch over us with loving care.
Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am thankful that You provide all that I need and so much more. I refuse to live in fear, wondering if I will have enough. Thank You that You are a God who does immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine.