February 18th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

 GOD’S WILL BE DONE     

Matthew 26:42-46 “He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night Jesus was betrayed, He prayed to His heavenly Father, “may Your will be done.” Jesus, Paul wrote to the Philippians, “humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” His death on Calvary’s cross was Jesus’ Father’s will. Jesus voluntarily submitted to crucifixion in order to save you from your sins. 

Jesus taught you to pray in The Lord’s Prayer a number of petitions. One of those, the third, is “Thy (the Father’s) will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” For what do you pray when praying this petition? The answer given in Luther’s Small Catechism, question 215 is: “It is God’s will that His name be kept holy and that His kingdom come, that is, that His Word be taught correctly and that sinners be brought to faith in Christ and lead godly lives.” (Small Catechism, page 186) 

Here is what Jesus says is God’s will as recorded by the evangelist St. John: “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” For our Father’s will to be done, the cup of death would not be removed from Jesus. Rather, Jesus’ Father permitted His Son to be arrested that night, sentenced to death by Pilot and put to death on Golgotha for the sins of the world. 

Prayer: Not my will, dear Father, but Your will be done for Jesus’ sake. Amen. 

The will of God is always best
And shall be done forever;  
And they who trust in Him are blest;
He will forsake them never.  
He helps indeed
In time of need;
He chastens with forbearing.  
They who depend
On God, their friend,
Shall not be left despairing. 

God is my comfort and my trust,
My hope and life abiding;  
And to His counsel, wise and just,
I yield, in Him confiding.  
The very hairs,
His Word declares,
Upon my head He numbers.  
By night and day
God is my stay;
He never sleeps nor slumbers. 

Lord, this I ask, O hear my plea,
Deny me not this favor:  
When Satan sorely troubles me,
Then do not let me waver.  
O guard me well,
My fear dispel,
Fulfilling Your faithful saying;  
All who believe
By grace receive
An answer to their praying. 

When life’s brief course on earth is run
And I this world am leaving,  
Grant me to say, “Your will be done,”
Your faithful Word believing.  
My dearest Friend,
I now commend
My soul into Your keeping;  
From sin and hell,
And death as well,
By You the vict’ry reaping.  

The Will of God Is Always Best // LSB 758