Monday, May 27, 2013

THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S WILL

Part Four: Kissing God’s Boo-Boo

Little Johnny came running into the front room screaming his lungs out for his mother, “Mommy, mommy!”

Startled, she looked up and put her cup of coffee back down on the end table and held out her arms toward him. “What’s the matter honey? What’s wrong?”

Johnny ran into his mom’s outstretched arms and shoved his hand toward her face. His index finger was red and swollen. Like so many injuries sustained by young children, the damage had already been done and there was nothing she could do but verbally comfort him and hold him close to her bosom.

As she sat there holding little Johnny in her lap, she reached into the momma’s arsenal of tricks and asked him in a sympathetic tone, “Do you want me to kiss your boo-boo?”

“Yes mommy,” Johnny sniffled with tears running down his cheeks.

I can only speculate as to the boo-boos that we give God when we go against His will and disobey Him. Because of predestination, God knows when we will disobey Him.

However, it still pains Him that we do because He is a holy God [Psalms 99:9]. With seven billion plus people on Earth, I can’t imagine the pain that man inflicts on God daily. We kiss God’s boo-boos by repenting and by living in His will, which brings us to the question of the hour, “What is the will of God for our lives?”

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification. . . [1 Thessalonians 4:3 KJV]

Sanctification has to do with holiness and living a surrendered life for Christ. Yet so many believers equate the will of God with their purpose in life and what they think God wants them to do for Him. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Purpose is our will and it is only what we want to do for God in the natural. However, God does have a plan and a purpose for our lives [Jeremiah 29:11] and gives us the desires of our heart (purpose) [Psalms 37:4], to help and serve the body of Christ. Does this mean that we should not seek that purpose? Heavens no!

Now purpose is a good thing but when the Bible speaks about the will of God it is talking about doing what pleases Him. God’s Word is replete with things that please Him. For example, it pleases God and it is His will for our lives that we preach the Gospel to every living creature, conform ourselves to the image of Christ [Romans 8:29], and live a surrendered and sanctified life in Christ.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of Earth.

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
[Colossians 3:1-3 NLT]

We need to refocus and work on accomplishing God’s will for our lives and not our will for our lives. When we do, watch things change in our lives. It’s all about Christ and “What can I do for you today Lord? Lead me in Thy paths, truth, and understanding.”

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever
[1 John 2:17 NLT].

The NLT says, “. . .But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” This means to live in the love of God forever and no one can pluck him out of God’s love [Romans 8:35]. Hebrews 11:6 declares that it is impossible to please God without faith. Faith is the conduit from our soul to the Spirit. The more we activate our faith to reach the Spirit that dwells within us, the more we will conform to the image of Christ and the more we will please God, operate in His will, and the more we kiss His boo-boos.

Next week we’ll talk about stinkin thinkin and grasshoppers.

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