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This Week’s Devotional Topic
NOT MINE BUT THY WILL BE DONE
When you get your day started, who’s in charge? Who or what decides the choices you make with your time? Is it your boss? Is it your spouse, close friends, co-workers or neighbors? Or is your day pretty much determined and directed by circumstances that come up around you? My prayer for you and I is that we will be determined to seek out and be obedient to God’s will, not our own!
When you have a goal for your next road trip, one of your first steps will be to break out a map or more likely, enter the destination into your smart phone and then follow directions. Let your goal, “destination” for the day be obedience to God’s will. I like to talk to Jesus in my heart first thing, when I wake up in the morning. Turn the day over to the Lord for His direction right there, while I’m still in bed. Invest a few moments talking with Him about some things you expect the day to bring. Then (if you can) turn on some Christian music while you are brushing your teeth, getting dressed and combing your hair. Let God’s word be your spiritual breakfast, the foundation for your day.
Then before you step into your responsibilities, invest time in God’s word and prayer. As you consider the importance of doing this early in the day, remember the fact that the best time to “tune the instrument is before the concert”.
Here are some instructions for us from God’s word. Start with the example of the Psalmist who knew the value of investing time in scripture.
Psalms 119:96-105 I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
And as we hear God’s word, listen and obey. Here is a response to Saul from Samuel.
I Samuel 15:22 Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Have the mind of Christ.
Philippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Did you catch that? The ultimate goal is “…that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.
Jesus prays on the Mount of Olives
Luke 22: 39-43 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 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 we hear the account also described in Matthew 26:39. Jesus went on a little farther from the disciples and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “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.”
May God help us to listen to Him and then to obey. That we may honestly say to our Lord, “not my will but Thine be done”.
This week’s Scripture:
I Samuel 15:22; Psalms 119:96-105; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 22:39-43 and Matthew 26:39
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