I am tired tonight and processing the premature death of a very dear friend, but I wanted to pass along some treasure I have been gleaning from my re-reading of an Andrew Murray classic, God's Will: Our Dwelling Place. Every time I read this wonderful book, things get clearer for me as to the absolute centrality of God's will to the life of a follower of Jesus. And since I am so weary, I will allow our wise friend from the past to do most of the talking.
First, a general statement about God's will that I think is incredibly trustworthy and true to experience (from p. 163). "God's will is at first a deep, hidden mystery. He who lives to that will, as far as he knows it, may count on being led deeper into it as the manifestation of a holy, mighty, infinite goodness. Let me give myself to it as too infinite love." Wow! For so many years I thought of God's will as something to be done rather reluctantly, yet Jesus taught us to pray for His will to be done on earth as in heaven (where everything is good and perfect--hmmm!), and Paul describes God's will as good, pleasing and perfect.
Then a comment on the necessity of our doing God's will from page 104. "The will of God is so entirely one with the nature, perfection, and the love of God, that to neglect or refuse any part of it makes it impossible for God to fully reveal himself to us and to bless us." Again, how many people make it their first thought that the best way to blessing is absolute surrender to God's will?
Finally, a comment on the relationship of grace and God's will from page 105. "People have not seen that grace is nothing but the will of God manifested. And, as grace came through Christ's doing of that will, so its one object is to unite us with that will, and have it done as it is done in heaven. Doing the will of God has been something additional -- a supplement to what the grace of God has done, an expression of gratitude -- instead of being the very door into all the love, salvation, and blessedness out of which the grace came and into which it leads. If we understood this, every desire for help from God for salvation, happiness, and the enjoyment of his love would be identified with standing perfect and complete in all that will." Kind of says it all, doesn't it?
More later. Time to pack for yet another little trip!
Stay lost in Papa's love, surrendered to His will,
Tom, Abba's little boy
1 comment:
Hi Tom.
I believe that God's grace verses His will is only going to intensify in the coming year. Father's desire has always been intimacy--and forever will be. As the days grow darker, his desire is to draw us closer into his gentle loving arms. The longer his children resist this loving draw, the more the grace of God will have to be offered. I stand amazed at how many are so welded to the machine that they cannot see--or hear--the Father's call to intimacy. The thing that I see taking place during all of this is that those who are on this journey will begin to pray for those have not entered in. God's grace will be upon them as His love will engulf them.
Blessings on you.
ron
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