The words of the following hymn by Mrs. C.H.Morris present an ever present challenge amidst the circumstances of life:-

My stubborn will at last hath yielded;
I would be Thine and Thine alone;
And this the prayer my lips are bringing,
Lord, let in me Thy will be done.

Chorus: Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee. (repeat last 2 lines)

I’m tired of sin, footsore and weary
The darksome path hath dreary grown,
But now a light has risen to cheer me!
I find in Thee my Star, my Sun.

Thy precious will, O conquering Saviour
Doth now embrace and compass me;
All discords hushed, my peace a river,
My soul a prisoned bird set free.

Shut in with Thee, O Lord, forever,
My wayward feet no more to roam;
What power from Thee my soul can sever?
The centre of God’s will my home

The subject of this beautiful old hymn is the sweet will of God and yet I can make the “will of God” so complicated if I leave behind the simplicity of what God requires in my heart. Is it where I live, where I fellowship, where I work, what I do? All these things are inclusive in a primary choice which is bowing to the sovreignty of God in my circumstances, making Him Lord of all my life, and seeing according to Romans 8 v.28, that nothing has gone wrong and He is in complete control!

1 Thes. 5 v. 18 says “In everything give thanks FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

IN EVERYTHING!

Eph. 5 v. 20 continues “Giving thanks always for ALL things unto God………..”.

Do I really believe that God is in full control of my life? The adversities that are part of my life that I would not choose, but that God in His wisdom has permitted – will I give thanks “IN” them, as God’s word has instructed?

Oh, how I would change certain things if I were in control! But God’s word tells me to give thanks over the things I cannot change.

God permits in His wisdom, what He could prevent in His power. Don’t ask God to change your circumstances, He permits them to change you!

The line from the quoted hymn……”My stubborn will at last hath yielded”……..and the very last line, “The centre of God’s will my home”, – this is the centre where I should be living, acknowledging that God is in full control of everything and thanking Him IN it. Then “the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace”. As I turn my eyes upon Jesus this becomes a living reality to me.

Thank You, Lord, for everything you have allowed in my life. In You I live and breath and have my being, no matter what You permit in Your wisdom in my life. As I approach the coming week, I thank You, Lord, for every situation that will arise before I even meet it! True and righteous are ALL Your ways! I bow down and confess You are Lord in THIS place, whatever the place of my challenge. Thank You that I can trust You to have full control of my life.