from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager
A
WILLING MIND
And you, my son
Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted
devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and
understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found
by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
1 Chronicles 28:9
It’s
one thing to be good at something, to have the ability, power, or giftedness to
make something happen. It’s quite another to be willing to use it.
Pharaoh
had the power to let the Israelites go, but he wasn’t willing (Exodus 10:27).
Bezalel, Oholiab, and other skilled men and women had the ability and knowledge
in all kinds of craftsmanship that were needed for the construction of the
Tabernacle, and were willing to come and
do the work (Exodus 36:2).
King
David understood the importance of willingness. He instructed his son Solomon
to serve God with a willing mind, and it was his personal prayer: Restore to me the joy of your salvation and
grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 51:12).
God
speaks to us through His creation, His Word, His Spirit, and others. He prompts
thoughts during Bible reading, morning runs, afternoon commutes, and coffee
with friends. When He nudges us to write a note, or whispers that we’ve been
neglecting time in the Word, or presses a person or situation firmly in our
spirit, how do we respond? Are we willing or reluctant? Do we obey or retort
with excuses and delay tactics?
If
you’re currently mulling over something you know God is prompting you to do,
think on this: The LORD searches every
heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9).
We may fool others and even ourselves with our reluctance, but we’ll never
deceive God. He sees and understands all of our thoughts, words, and ways.
Nehemiah
thought about the broken walls of Jerusalem, and after fasting and prayer was
willing to take the lead to rebuild it. Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and heard His
question, “Whom shall I send? And who
will go for us?” And he readily and willingly responded, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:1,8).
When the Holy Spirit repeatedly warned Paul that prison and hardship were part
of his future, he didn’t stall or turn around. Instead he willingly followed
where God led and said, I consider my
life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task
the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s
grace (Acts 20:23-24)
Think on it: How willing are you to
complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to you?
The
faith that saves is the total response of the whole self to the will of
God. It is the response of the mind in belief, the heart in trust, the
will in conduct. It is to accept the fact that God goes all out for us,
and then to be willing to go all out for God.
John Redhead
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