Lord! What will you have me do?
Acts 9:5-6 (KJV) 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
I have always said if it was good enough for Jesus it was good enough for me. Matthew 6:9-10 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. I love how Thayer's Greek Definitions defines the Greek word for "will" . "What one wishes or has determined shall be done!" So Jesus is saying here to His Father in heaven "What ever you wish done in earth be done." Basically the same words as Paul. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Where are you my friends? Are you wanting the will of God in your lives? Or, are you happy just doing your own thing as a Christian?
Many years ago Mary and I were brought to the realization by the Lord that if we wanted our lives to have less pain, less trouble, less worry, less problems and more success, more joy, more happiness, more of Jesus, one thing had to happen. We, like Jesus, had to live within the will of God.
My friends, just like Paul the moment you say to the Lord "Lord What will you have me to do?" and mean it with all your heart your life will change. When Mary and I started praying that prayer with all our hearts. Lord your will be done in our lives as it is in heaven! Things started to change. We were not rich, we were like most Christians working regular jobs. We had our share of debt. We were driving 15+ year old vehicles. No not because they were "classics" but what we could afford. We were tithing, church going, workers for the Lord. We were no one special for the Lord and going nowhere special for the Lord. But, we had one mind together! If it was good enough for Jesus it was good enough for us.
When I was three years old my grandfather who was a missionary died. I never really knew grand dad except for what my folks or grand mother would share about him. For most of my adulthood I have worked for the Lord in one form or another. But, I never fully understood the drive I had to preach the Word of God. Soon after Mary and I started praying that we wanted God's will for our lives things began to change. We had the same vision of us living out of a travel trailer and preaching the word. Then an old pastor friend of mine had me helping him preach at the two churches he was pasturing. This pastor friend of mine also wanted to be in the will of God. He was not rich by worldly standards but the old Buick he used in his work for the Lord had over 380,000 miles on it with no problems. It was around that time that my mother shared with me that it was my grandfather's dying wish\prayer that my parents would direct my life to being a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My parents took me to church once at a year old. I made too much noise and they never took me back. But, when I started to pray "Lord your will be done in my life" with all my heart. He then could do it and honor the prayer of a righteous man. That my friends was years ago. Today, Mary and I are totally out of debt with savings in the bank. Today, I am the head of an international ministry. Today, the ministry reaches over 100 nations. Today the ministry supports orphans in several countries. Today the ministry provides supplies and support to pastors around the world. Today the ministry sends out free Bibles around the world. Today the ministry has reached uncounted in the Wyoming oil and gas fields. Today the words I preach and teach go out to over 600 individuals each week. Today, the combined websites of the ministry get over 400,000 visitors a year. Today Mary is the head of a worldwide prayer ministry. Today Mary sends out her teachings to hundreds around the world. Guess what? This has nothing, I repeat NOTHING!! To do with Mary and I except we want only God's will in our lives. Everything, all of it, the whole, the complete is to the GLORY OF GOD! and He deserves all the Glory. Mary and I are zip, zilch, nada, nothing without the will of God in our lives. Ask God: What will you have me do?
Let me give another personal example of how having the will of God in your lives will change your current situation. Soon after we started praying "Lord your will be done" We had to go to one of our daughters graduations. On the way back we burned up the motor in our Jeep Grand Wagoneer. There was not one engine to be found anywhere. Plus we could not afford a new motor as I said we were like most Christians working full time jobs and having our share of debt. I noticed that a friend of mine had an old blue Honda civic for sale. I looked at the car and thought it might work for us until I could get the jeep fixed. When I started the car the smoke coming from the exhaust hid the car for about 5 minutes. My friend jokingly said it clears up after a while. Well, the little car was only $400 and would provide basic transportation. It was a gift from the Lord for being in His will. We drove that little car over 40,000 miles before giving it away. It never burned oil again, never broke down, never gave us another problem and got 45 miles to the gallon. Within a couple of months the Lord provided an inexpensive used motor for our Jeep with only 38,000 miles on it. We drove that jeep to over 250,000 miles before we gave it away. This is what can happen when you truly want to be in the will of God with your lives. Just look at Paul, he went from killing Christians to writing most of the New Testament just because he said to the Lord with all his heart. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Just think of your lives my friends, are they all you dreamed or are they all that our Lord has for you?
Let's take a look at Nehemiah. He was the cupbearer for the King. He was no one special, just a slave working for the King's household. Nehemiah became aware of the trails and tribulations of the Jews in exile. Nehemiah was so saddened that he started a fast and asked the Lord to forgive himself and all of Israel. He asked God to allow him to be used in His will. When Nehemiah went before the King it showed that he had been fasting and praying for days. God gave him favor with the king and the king gave Nehemiah everything he needed to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. God so blessed Nehemiah for being in His will that He had the King make him Governor of Jerusalem. God blessed Nehemiah so abundantly that 150 men ate at his table each day and yet Nehemiah never had to take the food allowance due him as the governor. Read The Book of Nehemiah and see what great things the Lord does with those in His will.
If you read through the great men and woman of the Bible we see time and time again how those who were in the will of God were blessed beyond belief. They were blessed both physically, spiritually and financially. Read of Moses. His eyes were not even dim at 120 years old when God took him home. Read of how Esther was blessed for being in the center of God's will. David was forgiven for breaking all ten of the commandments. Even though Elijah was burned out and ran from Jezebel he was carried away in a fierily chariot. Even though Joshua built the golden calf and 20,000+ died that day he was allowed to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Even though Abram --Abraham was a liar he was given a son who became the father of all of Israel. Even though Jacob was deceitful and a conniver he was chosen of God because he was in God's will. I could go on and on but do you get the point here. There is a definite blessing for wanting to be in God's will with your whole heart.
I get so tired of all the name it and claim it, blab it and grab it, your best life now preachers. I believe what Bill Sunday said in 1924; "I have no objection to a new theology if its newness consists of making old truths more clearly understood. But if its newness consists in trying to take the old truths out of our hearts, then to HELL with that theology." I think John Hagee got it right when he said. "God is not in heaven saying 'Let's make a deal' No! He is saying 'This is the deal! My will be done!'" The "new" Christianity has created a generation of self-centered, selfish, what's in it for me Christians'! We need to get back to the realization that we have eternal life with Jesus because "God so loved the world!" Can't we love the world back enough to give them the Jesus we have? I mean we have been given the ultimate gift of eternity with the Lord in heaven what more do we need? Look at the sick and dying in this world! We can offer them the same hope we have. We can give them so much more than they have. What will you have me do Lord? Do you ever ask that or are you afraid that He will give you an answer you are not prepared for?
My friends the days grow shorter and shorter by each moment. Will you venture out into a new world of walking in the perfect will of God? Will you stay in your comfort zone? Will your heart ache to be about the Fathers business or will you continue to be about your business? If it was good enough for Jesus it should be good enough for His followers. Luke 2:49 (KJV) 49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
Will you be about your Father's in heavens business or yours? If you want your lives to have less pain, less trouble, less worry, less problems and more success, more joy, more happiness, more of Jesus, one thing has to happen. You must, like Jesus, live within the perfect will of God for your lives.
