In Deuteronomy 8:15-16, Moses reminds the Israelites about the works of God. It is written:
“He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.”
God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. As we read Deuteronomy, and the rest of God’s Word, we learn that sometimes, He will lead us into a wilderness to humble and test us so that it might go well with us in the end. Sometimes broken things must be taken apart to be put back together. This difficult truth makes it imperative that we heed Jesus’s example and pray not my will, but Thy will be done.
If you are anything like me, I often think God’s will does not involve wilderness experiences for myself or others. My definition of goodness and mercy often does not include a time of suffering, especially not long-suffering. Usually, I seek paradise more than manna in a desert. I want the finished product without the work. This desire to fix things quickly is dangerous in a world of quick fixes. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he informs him that there will be some, especially in the last days, that will not want to hear the entire truth about God. He says that, having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
One myth we must avoid is believing that our will and God’s will are currently perfectly aligned.
Since our will is not perfect like His, our authority in Jesus’s name must always be balanced with humility. This is important in a world filled with mascots and hype men, who know how to get our passion and pride elevated. Paul reminds Timothy to stay sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and to fulfill his ministry.
I can imagine the Spirit speaking similar words to Caleb and Joshua for the forty years in the desert. There were probably days that it was difficult to stay-sober minded, endure suffering, testify to the goodness of God, and stay with others in their suffering. I believe their trust in God’s faithfulness helped them to seek His will and not their own. They were convinced that God would keep His word and bring them into the promised land. However, in humility, they found rest in God’s process. God provides a way IN the desert, not just a way out. He can help us step into and stay in a trial of our own or that of another.
On more than one occasion in the scriptures, Jesus asked His Father to be delivered from suffering. In these moments, I believe the depth of His suffering was greater than any suffering any human has ever experienced. Remarkably, in these moments Jesus was able to focus on something bigger than His suffering. He remained focused on the will of His Father being done. From Jesus we learn that we can approach the Father boldly, with confidence in His love and faithfulness; AND BECAUSE of this, we come humbly, submitting to His will, even if He doesn’t remove our “cup” from us. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.”
May we not seek deliverance from our trials without the humility to declare “not my will, but thy will be done.” God is the refiner. As we bring Him our requests, may we not take the flame from His hands.
In Christ,
—Roger Garrison
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.