Lord God, what a blessing You gave me to be able to travel to Israel, to see the city of Jerusalem, and to walk into the Garden of Gethsemane! I am forever changed by that gift. It was amazing!
On one hand, as a tourist, it seemed historically and intellectually reasonable to be seeing structures and walls that stood in Jesus’ time. But as I sat, looking at two of the very olive trees that were standing in the garden when You were there, I marveled. Utterly amazing!
To see something that was alive, living then, and still alive and living now was incredible. To think that I was in the presence of something that had been alive in Your presence here on earth…
In the quiet, my thoughts were drawn back to the night You came to pray the “not my will but Thine” prayer. I reread that passage in Matthew that described that sorrowful and troubled plea.
Jesus laid all His personal potential down. Father, I have hopes and dreams, goals, desires. I desire to honor You with what I do. I thought of what my biggest possible plan could be, all the potential I have, and how it would bring glory to You, thinking, if You would just make it happen…
And then I realized something: if Jesus, with all the ability and power and potential that He possessed, (and He could have called ten thousand angels and made a spectacle the world had never seen before!) was willing to put it all aside for God the Father’s holy and perfect will for His life; how can I do less?
What is there that I could possibly think of to do, that would be better than anything Jesus could have done? And He could have done literally ANYthing! Yet Jesus laid it all down to take up God the Father’s purpose.
I must do the same. And so echo those words: “not my will, Lord, but Thine.”
Jesus had the unlimited and infinite capability to accomplish whatever He wanted. And He gave it all up to accept Your plan. I have a very limited and puny capability for setting and accomplishing goals.
So rather than asking You to bless whatever plan I may be able to think up, I ask that You would show me the plan You have for this portion of my life.
And give me the courage and strength required to live it in a way that will bring You glory. Amen.
Thank You for having mercy on me O Lord. Thank You for withholding from me the penalty that my sins deserve. I praise You that Your mercies are new every morning; that You are not like a human, who would reach a limit of forgiveness or loving kindness.
Daily Bible Prayer 