…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I
in You; that they also may be one in Us… —John 17:21
{CHAMBERS} “If you are going through a time of
isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17. […] God reveals in John 17
that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we
might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one prayer which God must answer,
and that is the prayer of Jesus— “…that they may be one just as We are one…”
(John 17:22). […] The things we are going through are either making us sweeter,
better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and
fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either
make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our
relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our
own lives, “Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42), then we will be encouraged and
comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own
wisdom, accomplishing what is best.”
{ELGIN} I am certain that you have heard the phrase “being
of one mind”. It means that whomever is being
referred to all are in agreement over some issue. There is no wavering. They are “one” with respect to whatever issue
was at hand. In the same way, yet in a
more comprehensive way, Jesus prayed that we would be of one mind with the
Father on all things, not just some things. There is never a time when we agree
to disagree. As we submit our lives to
the Spirit and live our lives by faith, we are united in harmony with the will
of the Father. That is represented by
complete trust in God no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in. We don’t blame God or distance ourselves from
Him because He has let us down somehow.
Some bad thing has happened to us and we feel God has not kept up His
end of the bargain.
God did not say that
we would not have to face crisis, disappointments, heartache, or loss in this
new life of ours. We live in a corrupt
world and our natural bodies are still subject to its corruption. But, He did say that we could endure whatever
comes and through it, He would be glorified.
(2 Corinthians 4:8-10) “We are afflicted in every way, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not
forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the
death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” The Haitians often say to me “Si Bondye Vle”
meaning if God is willing. A phrase that you don’t hear so much in this
country anymore is “The Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.” Both speak to the acknowledgement that God is
sovereign and we yield to that sovereignty.
We are of one mind with the Father.
This not something that just happens after salvation, it is a result
of doggedly pursuing a relationship with the Father through prayer, the Word,
and worship. Failing that, you will
never know, never experience, what being one with Him is like.
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