Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Due to hurricane Irma approaching soon, I am running the post I would have run on Monday, September 11th today instead. Join me in praying for those being impacted by Harvey, Irma, Katia, Jose, and the 8.1 earthquake in Mexico last night. There are so many other significant crises around the world today that need our prayers, as well. This is a perfect time for us to join together as believers in prayer and fasting.
The “birth pangs” Jesus described that will lead up to the Great Tribulation sure seem like they are coming very quickly now. Let’s do all we can to be sure we are right with the Lord and right with other people. This is the time for the body of Christ to shine more brightly than ever before with the Gospel, with hope, with love, with tangible physical aid, and with the message of Good News for this dark world! It is a time to be united and to cast aside any divisions. Let’s be fully available to the Lord to do anything He may call upon us to do in this time. It’s a time to give up our personal agendas and plans and to be ready to plug in wherever God wants us to.
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Are you prepared to wholeheartedly say to God:
“Lord, I want ALL of Your perfect will for me and nothing outside of Your will no matter what it may be and no matter what it costs me”?
What is your initial response when you think about praying such a bold prayer? Are you excited and ready for a lifetime of incredible adventure with your Lord? Or does this idea make you freak out? Does it seem too radical? Too scary?
Our natural sinful tendency when we think about completely trusting God and His will for our lives is fear.
We tend to be afraid that maybe if we fully trust God, He might do something like:
- Hold out on us.
- Do something to hurt us.
- Not really know what is best as much as we do.
- Be too wimpy to really help us.
- Lie to us.
- Purposely want to cause us pain just to see us suffer for no reason.
- Not care when we are hurting.
- Ignore us.
Of course Satan would love for us to believe these lies about God. Interestingly, when we believe these lies about God, we are actually trusting Satan and we don’t even realize it. Not only are these lies not true about the God of the Bible, but each of these lies are really true about the devil. He wants us to be deceived into believing that God is bad and scary and that if we choose another path, any other path, it is good and safe.
But there is no goodness apart from the Lord.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,” James 1:17
Let’s begin with the premise that the Bible is the source of all truth. According to the Bible, there are only two sources of spiritual information: God and Satan. So the question becomes – “Whom will I trust?” These are my only two real choices. If I don’t trust God and His Word, I am trusting Satan and his word, even if I think I am simply trusting myself.
We know many extremely important things about God and His character from scripture that make it entirely reasonable and rational to trust Him fully.
WHO IS GOD?
- He is completely good.
- He is the only God there is.
- His wisdom is infinitely higher than our own.
- He knows the future completely eons in advance.
- He is not limited by time or space.
- He has all power in the universe.
- He has all authority in the universe.
- He is omnipresent.
- His Word and promises to us are true.
- He is the very definition of the most pure love that exists.
- He is a great refuge, strength, and defender to those who love Him.
- He is just and He hates and punishes sin, unbelief, and rebellion against Himself.
- God is completely holy.
- He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
How could I not trust such a One? Is my character or my wisdom superior to His?
HOW DOES ALL OF THIS AFFECT ME?
Once we belong to Jesus Christ, God melts away our fear (1 John 4:18). Now we no longer have to fear losing our illusion of control. We never did have control anyway! God has always been sovereign. And now we rejoice because this is a very GOOD thing, not a scary thing!
If I really know who God is – THEN I can pray very boldly for God’s total will for my life without any fear. In fact, I know that to desire anything else would be dangerous and extremely foolish.
When I know who God is, I can trust Him – just like if I had a loving earthly Daddy. I knew I could always trust my Daddy to do what was best for me, even if I didn’t understand it at the moment. How much more will our perfect heavenly Father do what is best and give us what is best? Not in our wisdom but in His wisdom. Not what is best in the moment, but what is best in light of eternity. The more I taste and see how good He is, the easier and easier it is to trust Him with everything in my life. And the stronger my faith grows.
Even if I have to face significant trials, which I will, I know He will be with me and I know they will bring about great good for His kingdom and for me in the end.
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” John 4:34
Jesus is not asking us to do anything for Him that He hasn’t already done:
- Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matt. 16:24
- “Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:42
A CHALLENGE
I encourage you to sincerely pray a prayer in faith today to receive all of God’s will and to desire nothing apart from His will in your life. Get ready for an incredible life of adventure with God as you allow Him total access to all of yourself and all that you have.
This is what it means for Jesus to be Lord. This is what He calls all believers to do. This is Christianity.
There will be opposition for anyone who lives for Christ. So expect that. But if the sovereign God of the universe is for you, who can be against you?
If you are not ready to completely trust God with everything right now – pray that God will help you be able to get to this point ASAP. If you need resources or encouragement, please let me know.
I want each of us to know without any doubt that we are in right relationship with God and to have His power to be in right relationship with other people as much as it depends on us. None of us are guaranteed another day on this earth. Let’s be ready for whatever may come.
SHARE
- If you have gotten to this place of total surrender to God’s will and want to share about how you arrived here, please share in the comments to encourage others.
- If you are afraid to trust God fully like this and want people to pray for you and you need encouragement, please share in the comments, as well.
Much love to each of you! I am praying for you all!
RESOURCES ABOUT GOD’S CHARACTER
- David Platt’s Secret Church Series “Who Is God?”
- Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology podcasts on “The Character of God”
- Got questions.org’s post “Who Is God?”
WHO IS SATAN?