There is something that I am sure you are aware of, but I would like to assist you in the knowledge of this fact, that God’s will is done. “Thy will be done” are four words that many Christians do not say as emphatically as perhaps they should, in fact, more often than not, these words could almost be replaced with “It’s not what I would do, but I have resigned myself to what you are going to do.” In other words, it is a way of just giving up, and not in a way that is glorifying to the Lord, but more in a defeatist mentality.
Many think only in the terms of God’s will being done in the long term, not in the present, take for instance the thoughts of those who oppose abortion, it is not God’s will that tens of thousands of the unborn are killed each year, so they will pray that He would stop this from happening, but it does not stop, and so they resign themselves, while still doing all within their power to stop it from occurring, to the “Thy will be done” mentality, that someday it will not be so. Here is a verse for you if you are following along in this letter, “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Dan. 4:17)
Here then is the debatable topic, the point of contemplation, if you will, if indeed God rules in the kingdom of men, being of a fact Sovereign over every part of His creation, then is it His will that all that has happened, is happening, and will happen indeed His will? “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Prov. 16:9) At best, most who are unable to comprehend His Sovereignty will now say to themselves, “It will all work out in the end, the wicked are all in the Lake of Fire, the righteous are all gathered in the kingdom of God, let eternity begin.” The world calls this an apocalyptical view, a defeatist mentality, we see it as truth, but how does it answer the question of the evil, suffering, pain, and all other manner of things that are occurring every day somewhere on this planet, how is this His will.
There are vessels fitted for destruction, so that His glory will be known, (Romans 9:22) impossible to achieve without sinful rebellion. “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” (Romans 9:18) Impossible to achieve unless He is Sovereign. The question is more than debatable, it must be contemplated at length over much time, with much prayer, and in great humility, for we are saying here that everything that has, is, and will occur, everything, is under the complete directorship of the Most High, inferring where He desires to, standing back and watching, if you will, when He chooses to, in either case, nothing is done unless He allows it to happen. Sovereignty can hold no other meaning, our free will is the ability to do as we please, we are limited only by the laws of physics, by the laws of creation that He Himself created.
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.” (James 3:9) Your free will does not extend nearly as far as you may like to think it does, as stated, there are the laws that govern space and time, the materialistic realm keeps you from even attempting certain things, you can live within these boundaries in any way you choose to, subject yourself to the laws of man, or do not, that choice is yours, but there is always a price to pay. That freedom could extend only as far as the prison walls allow, or if you apply yourself, it could encompass the entire planet. In this amount, it is our will that is done, but the fact remains, this life, this one time is all you have, and in truth, it is all you will get, save for what He whose will is done gives, or allows you to accomplish during your time here, and then after that, it is over.
“Thy will be done” should never be uttered with hesitation, never voiced, or thought in the terms of what we want, His will has always been done, there has never been even one single incident in the history of creation that it was not. Very difficult for us to comprehend, not only in the aforementioned example of abortion, but in all pain and suffering, in all things that many do not equate with what they have determined a loving God to be. “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7) Ponder that one for a while.
“And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Gen. 6:13) “And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” (Mark 13:20) “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:10)
I do not understand, none of us do, because we are not God, this I do know though, the items I “own” I can do with as I please, the life that I live is only in the areas that are available and within limits to me, mine to do with as I see fit, but everything and everyone is God’s, to do with as He best sees fit, your free will does not even enter into the equation here.
Thoughts on these lines can only lead to one of two doors, as it were, there are no third options, pride or submission. The wicked have and always will choose pride, for they are not only blind, but arrogant in the extreme, and believe themselves self-existent, eternal. The humble will submit, in all humility, recognizing the Sovereignty of the Most High, not needing to understand His will, but simply submitting to Him whose will is always done. “But wisdom is justified of all her children.” (Luke 7:35) You can accept His will or not, that really makes no difference to God, your decisions and actions are not going to change Him one bit.
