Day 23

Luke 15:18 says “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” 5 letters in two small words changed the course of the prodigal’s entire existence. “I will”. I hadn’t noticed it before, but we don’t use the word “will” in its true form a lot. I’m learning to speak Haitian Creole. Learning this new language has been difficult for me because Creole has many, many abbreviations. Just when I think I have a handle on a word, I find out most people don’t use the word in its entirety, but only a shortened version of it. I think we’ve done that with the word “will”. I tried to think of the last time I actually said “I will……” For the most part, I say “I’ll”. “I’ll go” not “I will go”. Now this is not a big deal or anything, but when I say “I’ll” it seems to take a little of the power out of it. “I will” seems more emphatic, more demonstrative. It seems to show more resolve. Now these are just words and I don’t mean at all to imply that using an abbreviation has anything to do with conviction. What I am saying is that our will is important to God. I can’t abbreviate it in my walk with Him. With my MIND, I can understand God’s truth, with my HEART, I can feel conviction and desire the truth. But it is with my WILL that the process is complete. My WILL is what enables me to act on what my mind understands and my heart feels. The prodigal could have stayed where he was. He could have understood his mistake and felt sorry for it but do nothing about it. Then he said those two little words: “I will”. Of course, he didn’t just say them, because the word “will” doesn’t allow that, does it? When I say, “I will” it is a prompt to action. Jesus said in Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Our will is where we love Him with all our strength. Jesus said it this way to the Father: “Yet not what I will, but what you will." May I be more intentional with the “wills” in my life so that they are in line with my Father’s will.


Julie Hallman