The Lord’s will

When we heard this, we and the others there begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. But he answered, ‘What are you doing, crying like this and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus.’

We could not convince him, so we gave up and said, ‘May the Lord’s will be done.’ (verses 12-14)

Read Acts 21: 1-14

People often say ‘Whatever the Lord’s will is’ almost as a throwaway line. Most of the time they say this when they don’t know what his will really is.

The people in Caesarea said, ‘May the Lord’s will be done’ . However, they were not unaware of what the Lord’s will was. They wanted Paul to stay with them where be would be safe, but they were convinced that the Lord wanted him to go to Jerusalem and be handed over to the Gentiles.

You may find it strange that the Lord’s will for you may sometimes involve doing things you don’ t want to do, things that involve self-denial or suffering. But even if the Lord’s will is for you to suffer or to deny your own selfish desires, he will give you what you need for the journey ahead. You may then be amazed at how the Lord uses you to spread his message of peace and forgiveness among others.

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to surrender to your will so that it may be done in me. Amen.

by Stuart Kleinig, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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