Matthew 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, 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.
This passage of scripture teaches us the attitude of surrendering our will to God's will, trusting in Him to do what is right and best for His people. When Christ uttered these now famous words, He was actually going through an experience of depression at the prospect of impending death at the hands of those He came to save. How dark and foreboding His situation was, is reflected in His words of solemn pathos to His disciples for moral support in His time of dire need. Let's read:
Matthew 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
During this time of trial, Christ was severely tempted to seek alternatives to the plan of redemption, but He steadfastly committed Himself to the Father's will, even though this meant surrendering the prospect of any deliverance from the hands of wicked men, including one of His own disciples. This attitude of submission to the Father's will on the part of Christ has very important lessons for all humanity, as our will and God's will are not always in harmony.
Whenever we are brought into straitened circumstances, when the only way out seems to be in contradiction to God's plan for us, we should be willing like Christ, to make our will subject to His will. When we adopt this format for decision-making and planning, we essentially give God the freedom to work His good will in and through us, and as history has proven time and time again, His way is always the best way, as was the case with Christ and all those who will be saved through His sacrifice. Let's read:
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
In our day we are bombarded with philosophies that focus our attention on our ways of doing things, instead of God's way of achieving them for us. Often when in trial, or harassed by the enemy of souls, we are tempted to believe that God's ways and means will put us at a disadvantage in life, and thus we sometimes succumb to the logical reasoning of the devil. However, in the example Christ has set before us, we see victory being gained through submission, and if we were to follow Jesus' lead when brought into difficult places, we also would be victorious in all the battles of life.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture that should encourage us to trust in the wisdom and power of the Living God, and if we do, we will find that His will for our lives is the best plan that can be implemented for our temporal and eternal good. Let's read:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
May this be the experience of our lives both now and forever. God bless!