October 11 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

In Gethsemane our Savior struggled to unite himself with the will of his Father. It was sheer agony. But when he left the garden, he was ready for the supreme act. He agreed to do God's will, even though it meant that he had to drink the last drops from the cup of God's holy wrath.

From his agony and self-surrender, we learn that praying "Your will be done" means much more than shrugging our shoulders and saying, "If I can't have it my way, let God have it his way."

Looking at Gethsemane, we learn that when we pray, "Your will be done," we should become so united with God's holy purpose that we are prepared to do God's will at any cost.

"Your will be done" is not a prayer of resignation; it is a prayer for obedience. Resignation is "yes" with a sigh. Rebellion is "no" with a shout. But obedience means accepting the present not as it is mapped out in our plans but just as it stands in God's books.

So we must know what we are doing when we begin to pray the prayer Jesus taught. Most people recite the Lord's Prayer without much thought. But Christ prayed it with blood and tears.

We should be fully aware that anyone who prays this prayer about God's name, God's kingdom, and God's will has chosen sides in the conflict that divides the world. From now on, that person is with the minority who places goods and self and everything at God's disposal. Whoever has prayed "Your will be done" is bearing the burden of the Lord.

That's what Elijah did, and he cried in weariness that he was alone. That's the burden Jeremiah was bearing, and he cringed under it. That's the burden under which Jesus nearly collapsed in the garden of Gethsemane.

If there never comes a time in our lives when "doing of the will of God" seems utterly beyond us and absolutely crushing, then it is not the Lord's burden we are bearing.

REFLECTIONS

When have you felt the burden of God's will?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.