The accomplishment of God’s will
We pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
We see, our first concern in prayer is God, His fame, his honor, his rule, his kingdom and his will. Before we get to our physical needs and spiritual needs we need to concentrate on God and his kingdom. Many times bad things happen to us, evil things, hijackings, thefts, sickness, war, death in the family, and we ask immediately, why us, Lord? Why are these things happening to me? We are concerned about our own peace and comfort. We are not firstly concerned about God’s kingdom and His will. Think about the coronavirus for a while.
How many people do you think today and over the last two years were thinking about their possible deaths?
I can assure you, people across the world were thinking more about death than before the pandemic started. When people start thinking about their mortality they usually start thinking about God. Now when people start to think about God and death they don’t necessarily come to the right conclusions, but they become more receptive to the gospel message because of the prospect of death.
I am reminded of the story in Italy at the wake of the pandemic or should we call it the human engineered virus.
Testimony of a doctor in Lombardy (Italy):
“Never in the darkest nightmares did I imagine that I could see and live what has been happening here in our hospital for three weeks. The nightmare is flowing, the river is getting bigger and bigger. At first some came, then dozens and then hundreds. Now we are no longer doctors, but we have become classifiers on the treadmill and we decide who lives and who should be sent home to die, although all these people have paid taxes all their lives. Until two weeks ago, my colleagues and I were atheists; it was normal because we are doctors and we learned science and science told us to exclude the presence of God. I always laughed at my parents going to church. Nine days ago a 75 year old pastor came to us. Gentle man, he had great respiratory problems. He had a Bible and we were impressed that he read it to the dying and they took him by the hand. As all the new doctors were tired, discouraged, psychologically and physically exhausted, when we had time we would listen to the pastor. Now we have to admit that we, as humans, have reached our limits; more we cannot do, and more people die daily. We are exhausted, we already have two colleagues who have died and others are unemployed. We realised that where man end he ends, we need God and we begin to ask ourselves questions when we have a few free minutes. We talk among ourselves and we cannot believe that from ferocious atheists we have become believers to find our peace, asking the Lord to help us resist so that we can take care of the sick.
Yesterday the 75-year-old pastor died, which until today, despite the fact that we had more than 120 dead in 3 weeks here, we had all ended up wanting; We are saved because the old shepherd managed, during his stay, to bring us a peace that we no longer expect to find. The pastor went to the Lord and we will soon follow him. I have not been home for 6 days, I do not know when I last ate, and I realize my uselessness on this earth and I want to dedicate my last breath to help others.
I am happy to have returned to God while surrounded by the suffering and death of my fellow men”
This testimony reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways. We know now firsthand because of the outbreak two years ago, many have indeed come into the kingdom of God. God has used the virus for his glory. It is off course also true that evil people and governments have used the virus for their own enrichment. But within it all, God still has and is accomplishing his purposes.
In whatever situation we find ourselves in, whether it is during the coronavirus time or lockdowns, or hopefully returning to normality, will you focus on deepening your relationship with God and praying for unsaved people to come into God’s kingdom?
This time, like every time, is a time of gospel opportunity. Redeem the time. Pray for the unsaved. Ask yourself, what is your will, O God?
How can I further the cause of Christ? How can I promote the Name of Christ?
Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can give lasting hope and joy. It is God’s will that unbelievers hear the gospel. It is the will of God that unbelievers hear the gospel and be saved.
We can harness the Internet and our phones to encourage, share the gospel and pray for the unsaved and unreached and those who live in desperate times
Don’t just pray that God’s will be done, do the will of God and reach out to some. That is God’s will.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, be thankful in all circumstances for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:15-17).
Seek the Lord while He may be found
Please use this time to reflect on your life
Are you in right standing with God?
Are surrendering your will daily to His will?
Are your goals in life in line with his goals?
Are you seeking His fame and kingdom?
INTERETHNICMISSIONS 