Greetings in Christ,
“Thy Will be done,”
I have been pondering that petition from the Lord’s Prayer. The Prayer is so much a part of our lives in Christ that like our heartbeats, we rarely think on it, but it is essential for life.
We know that God's Will is done at all times, but it becomes quite a challenge for us when that Will seems to conflict with what we see as the good in our lives. It is nearly impossible for someone who has just received a diagnosis of stage-four cancer to rejoice in God's Will. Those who are plunged into sorrow at the unexpected death of someone they love find little comfort in hearing, "It is part of God's Will.”
We all can witness to times and places where we are challenged by the trials of life and are left wondering about the "good and gracious Will of God." It simply does not always add up.
We pray, "Thy Will be done." Unless we are merely parroting the words of the Our Father, we are asking for God's Will to be done in our lives. As we pray this petition, we are asking the Father to teach us to trust Him in every circumstance of life. We are asking for the faith to believe that even when we cannot begin to understand what or why something is happening to us, that we trust that the Father's Will is accomplished.
We are asking that we learn that even in the darkest valleys of life, that we come to understand that the Father's Will is working to bring blessing out of the darkness. We may not be able to see or understand that blessing in this life. I pray that we might, but if it lies beyond us here, I am confident that we will understand it when we come into His Kingdom.
Until then, let us continue to pray, "Thy Will be done," in faith that the Father's Will is being done and that through His Will we are all brought into the Kingdom.