(Jesus said) "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

There are times when we pray, "Thy will be done," but we really don't mean it.

That's because there are those moments when we want our will, not the Lord's will to be done. Somewhere along the line we came to the conclusion that we had a better grasp of our needs than the Lord. And that, my friends, is dangerous.

The other day I had a friend who was trying to figure out what he would say if a genie came out of a bottle and gave him one wish, which would instantly be fulfilled. Knowing that genii traditionally love to turn our wishes against us, my friend was very cautious in his thinking. He started out this way:

1."Should I ask for a long life? That's not enough. I'd better ask for a healthy, long life."

2."But a long life isn't going to be that great if I don't have the wherewithal to enjoy it. So, maybe I'd better ask for a healthy, long life with a lot of money."

3."Of course, if people lose confidence in the dollar, I could have a lot of money, which isn't worth anything."

4."So my wish would be for a healthy, long life with a lot of money and a steady economy. Of course, if I stop there, I might end up being a healthy, rich, long-living, lonely man."

So he changed his wish to

5."I want to be rich, live a long life, with health, and in a world that has a steady economy, surrounded by good companions." Then he thought, but suppose I got arrested. I could be rich, live long, and be loved by people in prison. There are a fair number of prisoners who live out their days that way. So I'd better add ....

Now you're welcome to continue on with this line of thinking. Go ahead. If you do you will eventually find, as my friend found, it's impossible for us to see enough of the future, enough of the possible difficulties, to take control of our futures.

All of this means, if we're smart, and if we are people of faith, we are ready and willing to entrust ourselves into the hands and will of the Triune God. Does that sound like a dangerous thing to do?

It isn't.

After all, Jesus Christ came into this world to live, suffer, die and rise so that you and I might be freed from all the negative results of sin. Jesus offered Himself as the supreme Sacrifice to make sure our lives would never be lived without hope. Indeed, because of what the Savior has done, we can be at peace. We know that He will never leave or forsake us, and we can cast all our troubles on Him, which is a whole lot smarter than trying to out figure a genie.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may recognize my limitations and inability to see what is right and best for me. Grant that I may, even in times when I don't understand, trust that Your will for me is right and good. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 23    Psalms 54    Psalms 63    Luke 22:47-71

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