In searching for a robbery suspect police put together a lineup and asked the men to repeat the phrase, "Give me the money or I'll shoot". A man in the lineup shouted, "That's not what I said!" You might say that the man was a little anxious to defend himself. It is often the case that the same trait puts us at odds with our heavenly Father.

When Christ bowed in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before His grueling ordeal on the cross, He prayed, "If it be possible let this cup pass from me, but nevertheless not my will but Yours be done" (Matthew 26:39). The life of Christ, from the moment He left the gates of heaven to His return to the throne, speaks to us about submission. When He was twelve He was found in the temple teaching and when He was asked about it, He simply said, "Do you not know that I must be about My Father's business" (Luke 2:49). When He was about thirty, He traveled to the Jordon river to be immersed by John the Immerser, as Jesus put it, "in order to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). The Psalmist teaches us that all God's commandments are righteousness (Psalm 119:172). His baptism was God's commandment and our Lord would submit. When Jesus begin His ministry of teaching He taught just as the Father in heaven told Him to teach (John 12:49-50). Our Lord's goal in life was to fulfill the will of His Father in His life.

It seems that if Jesus, endowed with great power and authority, would so willingly submit to the will of God, then we should not be so stubborn regarding our own lives, but we often are. The mighty Son of God submitted to the heavenly Father, but weak, frail men resist His will. Could it be that true strength is found in entrusting oneself completely to his Creator and Father above? Imagine that!

For a free Bible correspondence course call 830-833-4884 or e-mail bcc@ moment.net .