“Yes, Lord”
“No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.” - (Acts 10:14)
There are certain words that go together, such as “Yes, Lord,” “How, Lord?” and “When, Lord?” But there are other words that don’t go together. These include “No, Lord” and “Never, Lord.”
I was working on a message about this on the day my son Christopher died. When I went back and reread those words, they took on new meaning because they described how I felt when I heard the news: “No, no. I am not good with this. I don’t want this. I don’t accept this. No!”
There are times when we feel that way about the will of God. Even Jesus, when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, recoiled from what lay ahead. He prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39).
Jesus, who was sinless and perfect and holy, was looking into the abyss of all the wicked things in this world, everything that is sinful and unholy. And Jesus knew He would have to bear all of that sin upon himself. That is why Luke tells us that “his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Jesus was under the pressure of it all.
Sometimes it is possible for the cup to pass. But then there are times when God will say, “No, you have to drink it. You have to go through it.”
If we believe in the providence of God, then we know the Lord is in control of all things. And we know that He will do something or allow something for purposes that we don’t necessarily understand. We might say, “Never, Lord” or “I don’t like it, Lord.” But ultimately we have to say, “Yes, Lord.”
Copyright © 2017 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Social media summary: Some words don’t go together, including no and Lord.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
SPECIAL OFFER
No one is beyond the reach of God!
By the world’s standards, acting legend Steve McQueen had it all. But it wasn’t until he placed his faith in Jesus that he found the ultimate source of satisfaction. In his new book, Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon,Pastor Greg tells the little-known story of McQueen’s encounter with Christ.
You can receive a copy as a thank-you gift for donating to Harvest Ministries today.
