(Psa 103:1) Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Did you know that you have a will? Your will is that part of you that determines whether you will do something or not. If you’re hungry and someone puts your favorite meal in front of you, you will probably exercise your will easily and consume the whole thing. But what about when you have to do something you don’t want to do? You think about it for a while. You weigh out the consequences. You ask yourself if it can wait. And then you make your choice to do it or not. You made that determination. You chose for yourself.
Some people call upon “will-power” to help them in time of need. They are struggling with something and they tell themselves they just have to “buck-up” and do it. It usually works for a while but then the batteries wear out and it’s back to being weak again. You wish you had the iron-will to just forge ahead and conquer the mountain in front of you. You wish you could have that triathlon strength and go the distance, but you feel powerless and therefore hopeless. You wonder if you’re ever going to have the resolve you need for what you’re facing.
So, what do we do when the will power wilts? David found out what to do at those times. He tried another kind of strength. He exercised his will to bring God’s power into his situation and therefore got the victory over challenging circumstances.
David said, “I will”. He made a choice. His batteries ran out, so he just plugged into that constant source of power . . . GOD! He told himself to bless the Lord. Maybe he didn’t feel like it but he did it anyway. Then the Lord’s strength kicked in because God loves it when we praise Him and serve Him even when we don’t feel like it. (2 Sam 24:24)
We know from Psalm 34:1 that he also conformed his will constantly to the will of the Lord: I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. And you know when you do that, your will finds that groove of obedience that tends to say “yes” instead of being so stubborn and unyielding.
Now there will be times when your will will be severely tested. Inside you will be screaming against God’s will. It’s going to be tough. But don’t give in! The Spirit will strengthen you to choose the way of the Lord and to deny your own desires and demands. Remember Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane? (Luke 22:42) . . . "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Great things come when you chose God’s will over your own.
So, will you claim the promise? . . . (Phil 4:13) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I hope you will!
Louie