October 10 - Doing the Will of My Father

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.  John 5:30-37 NASB

Jewish tradition, based on scripture (Deut. 19:15), requires that two witnesses testify before the conviction of an accused person. Here Jesus was saying that He alone couldn’t testify about Himself—two others had to testify about Him. He goes on to tell about two who are His witnesses, John the Baptist and His Heavenly Father. In addition, His own works were His testimony.

Jesus was a man of integrity. He didn’t boast about what He could do or about what He had already done (healing sick and blind people and feeding 5,000 men), but insisted that He couldn’t do anything on His own. He was seeking God’s will.

So what is God’s will? Jesus says in John 4:34, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. (NASB) Additionally, in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus prayed…Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. I know several people who have really struggled with “knowing God’s will for their lives.” I remember spending a considerable amount of time searching the scriptures myself wanting to know what it was that God wanted me to do. What was God’s will for my life? I think God’s direction in Paul’s letter to the Romans provides us with a good answer. Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NASB) That is stated pretty plainly—that which is good, acceptable and perfect. That takes me back to one of my favorite verses: Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 (NASB) Think about good things—and you’ll do what is right and is God’s will. This scripture may not give specifics…like what to do for a specific career or spouse, but general guidance on the way to live to please God. Feast on those words today.

 Dear Jesus—I believe you are who you said you are…the Son of God—and you are God. Your testimony is true. Help me to continue to seek God’s will and to focus on the good, acceptable and perfect—the God  things.

Happy Birthday, Mary Ellen! Blessings~

 © 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved