He went a little
farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour
might pass from Him. And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible
for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what
You will." (Mark 14:35-36 NKJ)
Reading a traditional marriage covenant, I discover
that the bride and groom mutually covenant to do whatever it takes. The words
may differ slightly -- the prose beautiful and emotional, -- but the covenant
meaning is the same: I'll do whatever it takes to stay married to you.
Growing
up, I often saw my father make contracts with a handshake. A man's word was his
bond. I have lived long enough, however, to see a time when "a man's
word" no longer means very much. And signatures on contracts are temporary
requirements to get what one desires.
In Psalm 15, the Psalmist ponders: "LORD, who
may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?" (v. 1).
And we discover that one "requirement" for dwelling in God's holy
hill is this: "He who swears to his own hurt and does not change" (v.
4). God loves those who are committed, no matter what it takes.
I
sometimes speculate whether I am as committed to God's will as my Lord was. An
unknown songwriter wrote: "I'll trade sunshine for rain, comfort for pain;
That's what I'll be willing to do. For whatever it takes for my will to break,
that's what I'll be willing to do."
It isn't
a heavy burden but a self-examination issue. I am simply challenging myself
about my personal commitment. Commitment is a reality of life. I'm either
committed or I'm not. The question I put to myself is this: Am I willing to do
whatever it takes in order to achieve the Lord's will for my life? If I pledge
obedience to the Lord, will I maintain that obedience no matter what?
Dear
Father, thank you for the commitment you have made to us. Empower me to
maintain my commitment to you no matter what. I pray this in the name of Jesus.
AMEN
Christ
is committed to me . . . I am committed to him!
No comments:
Post a Comment