Hopefully, we are nearing the end of this difficult time of self-isolation and lockdown; but I have been praying for you, as we have all been trying to keep in line with the Government directions.
Have you ever tried to teach or to encourage a rebellious child or young person to live and to behave in the right way? We refer to such a disobedient individual as strong willed or even proud and selfish; they will not do as they are told. Frustratingly, we know that what we are teaching them is correct, it will do them good and will be the best for them in the long run! But they will not listen!
In the Bible, the Lord God Almighty reveals Himself to us in a number of ways. He is ‘Our Father Who lives in heaven’ and as our Father, He is the Creator of all that exists. And because He is the Designer and our Maker, He knows how we should live; He knows what is best for us; He knows what will damage us and the creation all around us if we disobey His ways. He teaches and encourages us to walk hand in hand with Him according to the plans He has for us and so enjoy the best that this life has for us as we move to a glorious eternity with Him.
But as we look at the world today, we see that the situations are not good, in fact, all around us they are getting worse and worse. And the reason for all the distress, difficulties and disasters is that as a people we have turned away from our loving heavenly Father’s good plans and purposes for us and have gone our own way in rebellion and disobedience, which God calls sin.
In the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to say is this phrase, ‘Your will be done, Your Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.’ Have you ever prayed that? What did you expect to happen? Do you really want that?
We know that God’s will is good for us; His plans are far better than anything that we could plan for ourselves. But, while praying for His will to be done and for His kingdom to come, many people ignore what our Heavenly Father is saying and continue in rebellion and disobedience. We then wonder why God does not do something to help us get out of the extraordinary mess in which we find ourselves.
The wonderful fact is that God has done something … because of His great love for us, and knowing that we needed help to walk in His ways. But first, the sin which separated us from Him had to be dealt with. Our Heavenly Father’s love is so great and His longing for us to be members of His family so strong, that He gave His only Son, our Lord Jesus to die in our place on the cross and take the punishment for our sin and disobedience, so that we might know His forgiveness, be brought into His loving embrace and know Him as ‘Our Father Who lives in heaven.’
What a lovely thing it is to see a child, joyfully skipping along a path, hand in hand with their father who guides them securely on the right route … and that is the picture of how the Lord wants us to walk with Him. Then we will truly know ‘Your will be done, Your Kingdom come.’
As we walk through the minefield of Covid-19 and all the death and confusion that surrounds us, there is a way through, there is a path that the Father has for those who humble themselves, who confess their sin and who submit to His ways. Jesus says, ‘I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.’
The Lord also tells us in the Bible, that ‘there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death and destruction.’
So, we have a choice: do we want ‘Your will be done, Your Kingdom come’ or are we prepared to take our chance through the minefield of life and pursue our own way, with the resulting consequences?