Our Father and His Effective Will

Ok, I hope this comes out sensible enough.  I've had this thought in my head for the past week or two and thought I'd pass it along, because it's a very encouraging thought.  However, the thought's only been in my head and I haven't tried to put it into words until just a few days ago.  So it might come out a little muddled, so please, just bear with me.  The thought is: God accomplishes that which He would have us to do.

If God gives us something to do, leads us in one direction, calls us to a certain place, He's not just going to send us out there as sheep with no shepherd.  He's not the kind to tell us how to do something, give us a test on it, and then sit back and watch to see if we get it right.  No, He'll be walking with us the whole way, lending a hand whenever needed, and even carrying us through (probably carrying us most of the way).

Here are some verses that I ran across in the past few weeks that I thought could be applied to the subject.  2 Timothy 1:12, "...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."  2 Thessalonians 3:3, "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil."  Hebrews 6:15, "And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise."  Ephesians 6:11, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."  Isaiah 53:4-6, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

 The Lord will keep what we've committed.  Isn't that an amazing thought!  The Lord is faithful unto us even when we are not faithful unto him.  He gives us the promises.  He gives us battle array; He doesn't want us to go headlong into a fight without His protection.  And He has accomplished salvation, our salvation, He's done it for us!

Think on these things.  And whatever you're dealing with at this moment, how can this thought not encourage you?  God accomplishes that which He would have us to do.  Some of us may think that we are so weak, and why would He want us as His children.  Maybe we seem to be failing in everything we do.  But if you are chosen of God, He did it for His glory.  And when we feel especially low or cast down, all we must do is look to Him and He'll be right there, helping us along, casting away our cares.

Whatever Christians do for Christ, it is not them that do it, it is Christ within them accomplishing that which He would.  And this is what every Christian prays for: that others would not see us in our fleshly selves, but that they would see Christ shining bright through us, a light in this dark world.  And if the Lord Jesus Christ is doing a work in you, dear friend, don't fight it, but surrender yourself to Him and His will.  Because He not only accomplishes that which He would have us to do, but He accomplishes what He wills as well (which, actually, they're one and the same).

*Side Note*  I didn't name this post until the last minute and when I was previewing it, part of the title kind of stuck out at me.  The Father has a will.  Now, a lot of the time when you (or at least I) think of someone as having a will (in this sense), you're going to think something along the lines of stubborn-willed.  Think about it, do you ever hear someone say, "Oh, that child has such a sweet will about her"?  No (or at least, I don't), you would hear something like, "He's a stubborn-willed child."  So here I finally get to my thought: God is stubborn.  Plain and simple.  Only, He's righteously stubborn, whereas it is a sin for that little boy to be stubborn.  What He wills, He will have, and there's no changing that.  And that right there is a glorious thought!  Because He willed to have me!  And you, dear reader, if you are His!  He was more stubborn than me in bringing me in and was righteous in His stubbornness.  My stubbornness was just sin.  But Christ paid the debt for my sin, and stubbornly would not share me with the devil.  Praise God!  And you, too, dear reader, praise Him for His goodness and His stubbornness and His righteous will!
(So, yes I know that was a little off subject.  But it was a last minute thought and I thought I'd share it with you, anyway.)