I am a 45 year old woman, and have been born again for 29 years yet I am just learning how to speak properly- to the Lord anyway. Don’t believe me? It’s true. For many years I often started my sentences with ‘but’ such as, “But God, I am not strong enough.” Or how about the many times I said, “I am not able…” Other times I replied to His instructions with “and then I can ____, right?” as opposed to just doing. But these days there is a two word phrase I have come to appreciate in my conversations with the Lord. “I will.”
Did you know that it says over 1500 times in the Bible (KJV) the exact words “I will”? Honestly, I got tired reading each one so I began scanning, and most of it is not man saying “I will” but God saying “I will”: make, cause, destroy, establish, remember, shew, bless, give, know, not, pursue, send, chasten, etc. God determines He will do something, and it gets done!
We, on the other hand, often say we will do something and as long as it still feels good to do it, we’ll do it, but if not, we’ll justify our excuses as righteous. Maybe we’ll just sleep in instead because the kids kept us up so late, or go to Timmies for a fix. Perhaps we’ll continue our exciting conversation with a friend instead of completing our ‘I will’. I think, I think, I think… I think too much. It is much easier to just do what I’m supposed to without always questioning.
So, my new answer to everything God wants or says is, “I will.” It’s been great in this new place where peace and joy are the predominant feelings. Last night, however, I heard a difficult word to which I needed to say, “I will” accept. Though I said it within a few minutes, I didn’t really mean it until this morning, but I determined to keep saying it until my flesh gave in. My flesh wants to usurp authority over God’s plans just to accommodate my feelings, but I continue to remind myself that God knows best.
No one said it would all be easy. In fact, Jesus said there would be difficulties. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) But our Lord has overcome the world and with His strength shining through our weakness (2Cor. 12:9), we will not only survive, but we will overcome (1John 5:4,5) and live abundant lives (John ).