Walk in the will of God, prizing obedience to him, and placing a high value on doing what he says in his word. Walk in the narrow way, not turning to the right or to the left, and take delight in practicing the presence of Jesus every day.
Downloadable chapters of Joni's new book Practicing the Presence of Jesus - link below:
Hi, I’m Joni with a dark moment in the life of our Savior.
In Luke 22, we see Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane in the early morning hours before his crucifixion. He is down on his hands and knees, heaving and groaning in horror. Already, he is staring into the undistilled liquid evil churning in the cup which he’s about to drink from. And so trembling, he pleads, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me.” In other words, “Father, I am facing sheer hell here, and so if there’s any other path through this, I’d rather take it. Not the cross.” But in the next breath, he adds, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” And it was settled. Jesus considered obedience to God more important than a detour around Mount Calvary.
We will never know or be able to fathom what it cost Jesus to say those words at that moment, “Father, not my will, but yours be done.” But one thing we can know, it shows us the importance of obedience to God. Now we all have [I have] my own small Gethsemane, as it were. I deal with pain, and like my Savior, I often pray, “Lord, it feels like I’m facing hell here, and so I’m asking for you to take this cup of pain away from me.” But, like Christ, I add that important qualifier, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” The answer I most often receive from God is, “Joni, for now, you must drink this cup.” It’s not the answer I am hoping for, but I willingly submit because I prize God’s will above all else. If I were healed and lacked that, I would have nothing. Worse yet, I would be choosing to drink from a cup of evil, for nothing is more chilling than refusing God’s will. Yes, there are more important things in life than living without pain and wanting to be wedged in the middle of God’s will is one of the most important.
I learned this from Jesus. And over the years I’ve spent in this wheelchair, he has taught me so much about obedience. He has shown me how to value the will of God. And I’m not saying I’ve arrived, and I’m not saying that I never ignore or refuse God’s will. But what I am saying is that when you suffer, you don’t – and I repeat, you do not – want to ignore the path on which God has put you. Only by obeying the Lord can you know for certain that you are safe. That your soul is not in danger. That you’re not stepping outside the bounds that ultimately will bring a blessing. “Blessed is the one who trusts in you,” says the psalmist. But the greatest joy in obeying God is the chance to bring him great pleasure; to give him awesome delight. And I can’t think of a better blessing than that. So, I hope you are walking in the will of God, prizing obedience to him, and placing a high value on doing what he says in his word. Walk in the narrow way, not turning to the right or to the left, and take delight in practicing the presence of Jesus every day.
By the way, that in fact is the name of my new book. It’s called “The Practice of the Presence of Jesus” and I’ve taken today’s insights from its pages. Hey, I’d love for you to learn more, and you can download a few chapters right now at joniradio.org. Discover how to practice the Savior’s presence through obeying him in small and great ways. Find out about it by downloading a few chapters of “The Practice of the Presence of Jesus” at joniradio.org. Get your sample today at joniradio.org. God bless you today and thanks for listening!
© Joni and Friends