Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…
“Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there…'” (Genesis 22:1, 2)
Whoa…whoa…whoa, wait a second. What? Love my neighbor…no problem. Feed the poor…got it. Love those who hate you…tough, but I’ll give it a shot. I’ll even build an ark…it may take a while. BUT, sacrifice that which I love? Thy will be done? Suddenly, I’m not so sure.
“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer…” -prophesy of the Messah (Isaiah 53:10)
Is it possible that the will of God can sometimes bring testing? Does the will of God ever involve suffering and pain?
Today let’s deal with the question about testing. So, just a heads up, as in Abraham’s situation above, God tests us. In other words, God brings things into our lives that stretch our faith. Like a spiritual work out with the goal of making us stronger. Do you trust Him? Are you willing to go the distance? Sometimes we have to be given opportunities to exercise our faith in order to grow as God’s children. Faith was made to be driven! Like a muscle in the body, if it is not used it will atrophy…it will die. James said,
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead…was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did..” (James 2:17, 21-22)
To pray “Thy will be done” is not just asking God to act around us but to act within us…growing us…making us more into what we were intended to be…preparing us for the things ahead. It is knowing that we will be tested.
Today as you pray the Lord’s prayer remember that God loves you and His will is the best for you. It may be challenging at times but He will always be there and He will always provide you all that you need to make it through any “test” (Genesis 22:13,14/First Corinthians 10:13/Philippians 4:12-13).
Don’t be afraid to take your faith out for a spin!