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Luke 22 - Devotion · The Five Minute Bible Podcast

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Welcome to Five Minute Bible in our journey through the New
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Testament. In each episode, we take just a
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few minutes to focus on one chapter of the New Testament,
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exploring the truths God is teaching us through His Word and
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expanding our view of who He is. Before you listen, make sure
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you've gone straight to the source, either by reading
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today's chapter of the Bible yourself or listening to today's
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read along episode in this podcast feed.
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If you haven't done that yet, feel free to pause and do that
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now. When you're ready, let's dive
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into God's word together. In Luke chapter 22, we read
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Luke's account of one of Jesus last days before his
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crucifixion. We read about Jesus and his
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disciples eating what would come to be known as the Last Supper.
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And then eventually we see Jesus retreat to the Mount of Olives
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to pray, knowing that he had already been betrayed by Judas
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Iscariot and was about to be arrested.
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Listen to what Jesus prays in this, the most painful moment of
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his life. He says, Father, if you are
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willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours
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be done. Jesus is not making light of
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what is about to happen to him. This is real, raw, honest prayer
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to the Father. He does not desire the cross.
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He's not looking forward to being betrayed and crucified.
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However, here we see the heart of Jesus made abundantly clear
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once again, over and above his desire for this cup of death to
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pass from him more than He desires to not experience that
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physical and emotional pain. He desires God's will.
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He wants what God wants. Not my will, but yours be done.
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This calls us as the readers back to the Lord's Prayer.
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When Jesus says your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth
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as it is in heaven. Jesus knows what we must learn,
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that what God says is best is always best.
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Though it may be painful in the moment, though it may result in
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discomfort or heartbreak or even death, God's way is the best
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way. And we can rest in handing over
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our lives, our futures, to the Lord, allowing His will to be
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done in US. Now think about this.
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We know that God is sanctifying us.
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He's making us holy. He's working in us to align our
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desires with His desires, and over time we will more and more
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want what He wants. But what about those times when
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those desires don't line up? What about when God's will for
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our lives is contrary to what we think would be best?
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What about when the relationship doesn't work out?
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When the job doesn't come through, when children or
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grandchildren aren't on the horizon, when the prognosis
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isn't a +1, we know that God is working all things together for
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our good, for our sanctification, for our
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holiness. And so when we meet situations
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that work out differently than we hope, we don't have to be
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afraid. We don't have to be discontent.
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We don't have to be anxious. Because God is working it all
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together for our good. His ways are higher than our
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ways. His thoughts are higher than our
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thoughts. So take heart, Christian.
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You can believe wholeheartedly that His will is better than
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yours, better for His name, better for His Church, and
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better for you. Because that's true.
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You can walk in the model of Jesus here on the eve of His
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death. You can pray.
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Pray boldly. Pray honestly.
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Pray to the God who hears, who cares, and who is working all
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things together for your good. And when His answer is not what
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you'd hoped for, know that He is always doing something better,
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something higher, something greater than you even knew to
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ask for. Not my will, but yours be done.