THY KINGDOM COME---COMMENTARY

THY KINGDOM COME----COMMENTARY

   I have had a serious situation ongoing in my life.  I constantly pray about it, telling God how I feel and what I would really like to see Him do about it.  Have you done that?  When there is something that is really weighing heavy on your mind, do you take it before God and ask Him to fix it?  Well, I was praying about my situation the other night and it hit me like a ton of bricks, as I always end my request with, "Not mine, but Your will be done".  This is how Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done."  Now, it is alright to pray that, but are we really willing to accept His will regarding our most important problems?  After all, we hear preachers of "Mega-churches" always telling us to "just believe" and God will resolve all of our problems, right?  Have faith!  Send more money!  God will fulfill your request as soon as you remove all of the sin from your life.

   What is your most important possession?  What, in your life, do you spend all of your energy to care for, to protect?  What are you willing to die for?  What is the most important possession you have?  Your wealth, your health, or your family?  As a single parent most of my life, I have focused my energy in caring for my children.  They have been MY responsibility.  I have not been responsible for taking care of my family until recently.  It has just been my children most of my adult life.

   When you raise your children, they come to you and ask you for things that you know is not good for them.  In this instance, you can see into the future and see the negative outcome, so you deny their request.  At times, they want it so badly that they hound you for it to the point that, even though you know the outcome, you say yes and hope it will be used in the future as a lesson.  In a way, God is like that.  You really don't want to push your will upon Him, or He may say yes.

   So, when my child is in trouble, right or wrong, I take responsibility for him.  I run to God and tell Him what I want Him to do about it, and it has to be done right now!  Please, I haven't seen any movement, Lord, I really need Your help right now!

     I have taken a "Job" approach, praying for the sins of my children to be forgiven daily.  Job started his days by sacrificing for the sins of his children and bringing them before The Lord.  We don't sacrifice animals anymore, since Jesus was The Ultimate Sacrifice.  But, I do bring them before The Lord daily for forgiveness.   Does it matter?  Does it count?  Well, I know they are responsible for their own actions, but I have to believe Job's kids were accountable for their own actions, also.  So, I pray.
    My brother has been dead over 40 years and I still pray for him.  Does it matter?  I don't know, but I do know that God knew, before my brother died, how many times I would pray for him, even in the future.  You see, my God is not constrained by time.  He invented it! 

   While I was earnestly praying about a recent problem with one of my children, I realized that I had been praying for God to have His will to be done about the problem.  This problem has the potential of being life altering, it is a very BIG deal.  And there I was, praying "Not my will, but Yours be done."  What was I thinking?!?  Then, I tried to convince God, yes, I was doing my best to convince God that my will in my child's life was best for him.  I have not posted the rest of the Book of Job on this blog site, so let me spoil it by telling you how Job's time of trouble ends:  even Job, who saw himself as perfect, was rebuked for questioning God.  (beginning in Job 32)  And there I was....God forgive me!

   I have a type 1 personality.  I like to be in control.  I have been responsible for my children all of their lives, and here is my turning point.  I have also known all along that God had entrusted me to RAISE my children.  He has allowed me to teach them and to set an example for them.  He has given them to me to love and care for.  But, ultimately, they BELONG to Him.  My children, my family, my health, my possessions, etc., all that I have BELONGS to Him.  I am but a steward. So, in faith, I relinquished my strangle hold on my child to my God.  

   You see, even though we hear preachers saying to claim this blessing or that blessing, or to have faith, or do this or do that, we need to step aside and give God glory and praise for His will in whatever the situation.  Remember Lazarus, the diseased beggar at the gate of the rich man?  (Luke 6)  If God wants all of  His people to be rich, He needs to apologize to Lazarus, don't you think?  If He wants us all to be in constant good health, there is the Apostle Paul, John the Baptist, etc., that He needs to apologize to.  What ever we go through, we are to trust Him, that He has our best interest at heart and He has a purpose in all that He will have us endure.  He allows us to make mistakes, but He is big enough to use whatever the situation to further His Kingdom, and to grow us in our faith.  It is hard, because we don't want to let go of what we have been entrusted with.  When we let go and trust God, though, it has eternal blessings, not just temporal ones.

   Let us focus on God and promote His Kingdom in whatever our situation.  The Apostle Paul did not tell God that he would write his epistles as soon as he was released from prison.  No, he used his "down time" from traveling around and preaching to write letters to the churches and teach.  What are you doing, what are you qualified to do?

You are invited to leave a comment with your thoughts.  No comment is published without review.

If this post is a blessing to you, please consider sharing it on your favorite social media, and maybe it will be a blessing to one of your friends. Above all, please pray for us, that The LORD will use us to His glory.  Thank you.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com  and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.