May Your Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven

The heavens belong to the LORD, but he has given the earth to all humanity. [Psalm 115.16]

When Jesus taught us to pray: "May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." He was very much carrying forward the implication of Psalm 115.16.

It is all too easy however to believe only partially what Psalm 115.16 actually teaches us. It requires very little of us to believe God owns and controls heaven. Likewise, it is no tax on our belief to think we control and own the earth - to a degree.

It is in the "to a degree..." statement above where our greatest weakness is found. Sometimes the earth and its systems of science and nature simply beat us. The laws of science, physics and nature can really oppose the human condition and make it very difficult to think we humans actually own and control the earth. In fact, more often than not, they make us believe we belong to the earth instead of it belonging to us. This is a progression (or, digression really) that is clearly seen in the chronology of the Bible. With the exception of a few straggling prophets, the authority of mankind to control the earth is seen dwindling over the course of history leading up to the Advent of Jesus.

This is where those who believe and follow Christ find a solution. We have been given the mandate, and therefore the authority, to pray for God's will on earth according to the standards of heaven. This mandate was given by One Who demonstrated its application - Jesus!

But what is God's will on earth? How can we know what God wants to happen on earth? First and foremost, we can look at Jesus to find these answers. But with further study, we will see that Jesus simply "fleshed out" the character and nature of God as seen all through Bible history leading up to His Advent and ministry.

The Bible. God's Story tells us everything we need to know about God. Both Old and New Testaments are consistent in their revealing of God and His nature and character. Jesus was a 'confirmation' of all the nature of God encapsulated in a relatively small time and space. As far as the "man" part of Jesus was concerned, He revealed to mankind the authority that God desires man to have and exercise.

We need to think about this truth. Jesus demonstrated to us that, as humans, we have, in His redeeming work on our behalf, every bit of the same authority over the earth as He demonstrated. But wait! Jesus even declared we would do greater things than He did (John 14.12)! In John 5.19 Jesus however attributed the authority to God for all He (Jesus) did on earth. And, that is precisely why He taught us to pray (to the Father), "May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

How important is it that we operate in the authority of Yahweh?

Psalm 118.10-14 says:

Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the LORD. My enemies did their best to kill me, but the LORD rescued me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.

I believe we have much to learn about operating in the authority of God in the earth today.

Father, thank You for speaking to my heart today about what I am to be about in my life here on earth!