Our crooked and foolish wills!

(George Everard, "Holy Living!" 1882)

In order to live a holy life - the WILL must be yielded up entirely to God.

The chief sin of man is to set up his will against God's will, and to live quite irrespective of that which God has commanded.

But in conversion, the will is given up to God. "Teach me to do Your will," is the believer's prayer. "Lord, what will You have me to do?" is the genuine expression of the heart renewed by the Spirit. And the more this purpose is followed out, the more holy will the Christian be.

What is our will when rebelling against God - but the source of endless trouble and remorse? Is not God's will the truest will, the best will - the will that leads to peace and rest, as well as holiness and Heaven?

When there comes a great temptation to follow our own way through a prospect of gain or passing pleasure, if we hearken to the same - does it not invariably bring its own bitter punishment after it? But if we deny self, and do that which we know to be right - have we not found again and again a great blessing? Has not, perchance, the comfort or blessing we desired, become our own - without the sting of a guilty conscience, which would have marred all its enjoyment?

O that we could always seek to have our crooked and foolish wills made after the straight and all-wise will of God! Would that we could ever be satisfied that all things mysterious now, will prove to be the right path to the kingdom for God's children! Would that we could say in all things, "May Your will be done!"

To help us to endure cheerfully whatever may happen to us, let us be firmly persuaded that the hand of Infinite Love is ordering and directing all things for our profit and His glory.