That I Should Not Reign

1 Samuel 8:7: And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

That was the issue that kept individuals from God in Old Testament Times and New Testament Times. It is the issue that keeps individuals from Him even today. Many individuals are willing to be saved from Hell but they are not willing to be saved from a Hellish life here on earth. They are not willing to be saved from their own fleshly will. They are not willing to accept God*s will. There are many perfectly logical reasons that we need God*s will. He is all-wise, He knows best, He knows what we need, He loves us, He is all-powerful, He is all-knowing, He knows the future and He is able to accomplish His will.

Matthew 6:10: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Before I surrendered my heart and life to Christ, it was just a vague platitude for me. Whenever I prayed Thy will be done I had no idea what it meant. It was ok with me if He had His will everywhere on earth except in my heart and life. I did not want His will in my life until He made me know that I needed it.

Matthew 26:39: And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Jesus Christ, the one individual in the history of humanity whose will was sinless set the example for us. He surrendered His will to that of the Father. How much more do we sinners all need to surrender our will to that of the Father. There is an expression several places in the Bible that someone fell on his face. I believe they did that as a physical demonstration of humility before God and surrendered their will to His.

Genesis 17:3a: And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, . . .

Numbers 22:31: Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

Joshua 5:13: And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the captain of the LORD*S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Luke 5:12: And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Luke 17:14: And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

The Apostle Paul is a prime example of one who needed the will of God and yielded to it.

Acts 26:12: Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

Have you fallen on your face before the Lord and Have you surrendered your will to Him? We should do it often and always.

Care to discuss That I Should Not Reign with Ron?

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