Not My Will
“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but
Yours be done. An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.”
(Luke 22:42-43 NIV)
A traumatic event in my life many years ago led me to pray these simple but
difficult words of Jesus, “yet not my will but Yours be done.” At that time I
was ready to surrender to God and submit my entire life to Him. In a moment, God
filled me with a peace beyond understanding. Considering the words of the
apostle Paul in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the
good of those who love Him” I realized there was nothing to fear since God’s
will is always intended for our good.
Many people suffering from the anguish of illness, grief, financial loss, family
or job problems should remember Jesus also experienced anguish; a sorrow much
more intense than anything we could ever experience. Depending on His Father for
strength, Jesus persevered until the end. The writer of Hebrews said: “let us
fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy
set before Him endured the cross, scorning it’s shame, and set down at the right
hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
If Jesus who being perfect needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray
trusting God will help us to endure. With the Lord’s strength we can overcome
all life’s trials while we await the blessings that are sure to follow. Let us
remember Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane when our faith is being tested. We
can be assured that God’s plan is always best and His unfailing love will
sustain us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help us to endure the trials of our lives. May You accomplish
Your good and perfect will as You did in the life, death and Resurrection of
Your Son. Amen.
Lori Ciccanti