Luke Series The Time Is NowSample

Submitting to God’s Will

During Jesus’s last night of fellowship with his disciples, we get a glimpse of his journey of loneliness, rejection, and suffering. Realizing that his time to go to the cross was approaching, he prayed, earnestly asking God if there was another way. In those agonizing moments, Jesus communicated with his Father in authentic and honest language, resigning himself to do God’s will: “Father... do what you want, and not what I want” (v. 42). 

Ultimately, Jesus was confident that his Father’s will was the catalyst for everything that happens in the world and in the lives of every created being. Imagine Jesus, his heart heavy, speaking to God: “Father, this is what I see in front of me, and at a certain level it seems daunting and overwhelming, but I place my trust firmly in you. You know best. You see the beginning from the end. So, I rely and defer to you. Your will, Father, not mine.” 

This close-up of Jesus, praying, reminds us that disappointment, rejection, and suffering are an inevitable part of every one of our stories. But God is rich in mercy, and is the dispenser of grace. If we submit our will to God, we will find that as we journey through the varied terrain of life, God’s faithfulness is consistent and reliable. Whatever challenges confront us, may we say like Jesus, “Father... do what you want, and not what I want.” 

Reflect

What secret fears have you kept hidden from God? Are there prayers you’ve been afraid to pray? There is no value in hiding your secret fears from God. 

Pray

Father, remind me always that stewardship of your mission and message requires service and sacrifice. 

Respond 

Bring all your fears to God and ask for peace. Then, rest in the assurance that God will do what is best. 

Father, sometimes I am terrified and overwhelmed. At those times, teach me to pray and rest in you like Jesus did.