Do for us whatever we ask

Scripture:

Mark 10:35 "Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, 'Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask'".

Observation:

Jesus ends up replying to them and asking what they want. They tell Him that they want to sit at His right and left hand when they entered the Kingdom of Heaven. The words, "do for us whatever we ask", jumped off the page at me this morning. Our human nature is so strong and because of it we sometimes say things that reveal our heart. Here we see the heart of James and John revealed when they say "do for us whatever we ask.

Application:

Many people today come to Christ the same way, "Do for me whatever I ask or I'm out of here" is the motto of many Christians. The "what's in it for me?" attitude has permeated the church. We seldom do anything simply in obedience to the Lord unless we see some benefit for us. As a pastor, I see many people upset with God because He didn't give them what they wanted. Jesus is not our Santa Clause in the sky. We are to humble ourselves under His mighty hand and trust Him to give us what we need instead of whatever we want. Don't try to control Jesus into making Him do whatever you want Him to.

Prayer:

Lord, I have my list of what I want from You, but today I yield that list to You and trust You will give me what is best for me. Help me live a surrendered life that asks for the will of God to be done and not my own will. As Jesus said in the garden, "Not my will, but thine be done".

Sincerely,
Jeff