Your Wish is My Command

Jesus is the Way.  He established a new way of life that pleases God and abolishes the old way.  “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.  Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come--In the volume of the book it is written of Me--to do Your will, O God."  (Hebrews 10:6-7)   

When we accept Jesus' love for us and His death and resurrection, we are made into a new creation with old things passed away. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Our old way of trying to do things (sacrifices and offerings) to gain God's approval has been replaced by the gift of salvation, making us whole with a new heart that delights to do God's will.  This new way might be expressed as "your wish is my command," because our heart's desire now is to do what pleases Him.  Paul says whether we live or die, we aim to please Him. 

Knowing the love of God is so awesome and overwhelming that in spite of our flesh seeking its selfish way, the love of Christ "constrains us" to do His will as a cheerful giver.  Romans 8:13 would say it this way, "if by the Spirit of God, we put to death the deeds of the body, we will live."  Our born-again spirit delights to do His will and with the Holy Spirit's power overcomes the fleshly desire to only want selfish goals. 

Knowing God's love makes all the difference.  The conclusion of why we can glory in tribulations in Romans 5:5 is that "hope does not disappoint us because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Spirit of God who has been given us."  No wonder the prayer in Ephesians 3 is for God to enable us that we "may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

God continues to reveal Who He is and how great His love is for us. As we grow in receiving and understanding His love, the only honest response is to want to please Him.  When Peter saw the miracle of the nets full of fish, he knelt down and cried, "Depart from me for I am a sinful man" and willingly followed Jesus to become a fisher of men.  When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, after crying out to be cleansed of his sinful lips, willingly responded. "Here am I, send me."  Likewise, Saul, or now better known as Paul, completely shifted his life purpose from hating and killing Christians to giving his all to bringing men to know Jesus.  

Jesus promises that His burden is light and his yoke is easy.  The way of the transgressor is hard.  So not only does God calls us to delight in doing His will, He makes it a place of ease and rest for our souls.  We literally enjoy knowing His pleasure when our hearts are filled with vehement desire, zeal, and eagerness to joyfully obey His commands.  God loves a cheerful giver.  Therefore, unite with all Christians in this simple prayer from Psalm 143:10. "Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God."