Tag: Isaiah 6

My Will Be Done, or Thy Will Be Done?

In John 12:37-50, we find Jesus quoting Isaiah 6:10, a passage where God says He will “blind their eyes and harden their hearts” so that they will not understand or turn to Him. On first glance, it sounds as though God is actively working to prevent people from believing. But as we dig deeper, a richer perspective emerges—one where human freedom and God’s sovereign plan are in a perfect, if mysterious, harmony.

I firmly believe all things happen under God’s design, but this doesn’t mean God coerces every choice or action. Instead, God knows every possible outcome—all the ways a free creature might respond in any given circumstance. He orchestrates the world in such a way that His purposes are fulfilled, but human choices are genuinely free. This view helps us understand Jesus’ reference to Isaiah. The passage wasn’t about God “forcing” people to resist belief. Rather, it was about His awareness of their hearts and how His message would be received given their predispositions.

See, in Isaiah, the people’s blindness wasn’t manufactured by God; it was the result of a longstanding resistance to His message. By the time Jesus was teaching, the religious leaders and many others had spent years ignoring God’s call to genuine worship and repentance. Jesus’ use of Isaiah’s words acknowledges that these people would continue to resist, not because God forced them to but because they chose to close their hearts. God’s sovereignty allowed Him to use even their resistance to further His plans.

We might think of it like this: God’s will is broad enough to encompass both the willing and the unwilling, the faithful and the resistant. When someone continually resists, God may allow them to experience the consequences of their choice, but that choice is theirs. It is this deep respect for freedom that underscores the entire message of Jesus in the Gospels. He offers salvation, but He doesn’t coerce it.

Jesus’ example shows us how divine sovereignty and human freedom work together. Every time we choose to follow Him, we participate in God’s grand design, bringing His purposes to fruition in the world. The key difference lies in whose will we are choosing to follow. Will it be our will, with all its limitations and potential missteps, or will it be His will, which is perfect and ultimately fulfilling?

The question, “My will be done, or Thy will be done?” is one we face every day. Like those who encountered Jesus, we each have the choice to turn toward God and align with His purposes, allowing Him to work through us. Though we’re free to choose otherwise, God’s invitation remains open—a gracious reminder that His will is always toward life, restoration, and purpose.

Consistency is King

I’m not sure where it came from — and don’t care to look it up — but over the years I’ve heard some variation of the phrase, “60% of the time, it works every time!” Of course the whole joke is that whatever the product or service is, it only works 60% of the time. No one wants something that only works 60% of the time! Let’s pop that thought in our pocket for a second and look at this verse in Amos

You can’t wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless.

Amos 8:5a, NLT

If you found that verse convicting, congratulations! The Holy Spirit is at work in your life! And that’s where we come back to that item in our pockets. No one wants something that only works 60% of the time. That includes God. Why would he want someone who comes to church on Sunday, but as soon as they leave those hallowed halls, they lie, they cheat, they steal?

Is your life segmented? This part for Jesus, but another for “real” life? I recently compared our lives to a hotel. When we say that we are “sold out” for Jesus, it means that every room is occupied by him. You love baseball? Is Jesus taking up residence in your “baseball” room? You love movies? Is Jesus living in your “movie” room? If there’s any room that He is not welcome in, then your life is segmented. You are just waiting for the Sabbath and religious festivals to end so you can get back to the Godless part of your life.

But the story doesn’t need to end there! renovate the room! Clear out the crap! And please, PLEASE, don’t suffer alone! Talk to a a brother, a sister, a friend, spouse, or pastor! Let us help you! Let us help you move the renovation from a “one day” project to an “in process” project! Let us help EACH OTHER be more consistent. Because consistency is king!