John 17:9 KJV
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
John 17:15 KJV
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of
the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
It is
intriguing that there were some things he said He would not pray for:
- He would not pray for
the world
- He would not pray that
we be taken out of the world
This world's
end is already written. The how, the why, the by whom and even the when
are all determined by God. Though men place much stock in the world, its very
existence rests in the will of its own maker.
I suppose most
Christians have wished to be removed from this world at one time or another.
The evil of this world can get to us. We want relief. We desire that day when
the will of God is done on earth as it is in heaven. But the will of Christ is
not that we be prematurely taken out of the world but that we act as salt and
light and that we resist the evil in this world until such a time as He chooses
to remove us.
The wisdom of
Christ's prayer is perfect and impeccable. May we trust that what Christ prays
for us in heaven (and doesn't) is equally perfect.
Thank you, Preacher!
ReplyDelete