“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Luke 5:12

Is He Willing?

Willing – Few people who know anything about God doubt that He is able.  After all, if He is God, He has the power to do whatever He wishes.  The question that haunts us is not, “Is God able?”  The question is this:  “Is He willing?”  Unless God is willing to make a change in my life, His ability to do so means nothing to me.  A God who stands back and decides not to reach out to me is a God who might as well not exist.

That’s really the source of our doubt and despair.  We almost never question God’s ability but we often find ourselves wondering if God really cares.  We experience situations that that make us think God chooses not to help even though He could.  Most people who struggle with God find themselves stuck on this question.  Why didn’t God do something about this or that?  Why wasn’t God willing?

Faith is not immune to such questions.  But faith is not dismayed because faith embraces a different perspective for its answer.  Not an irrational leap.  Not a pie-in-the-sky hope.  No, faith is completely grounded in real-life answers.  But it begins with a much bigger picture of the world.  It beings with the commitment to the fact that God is not only willing but intimately and anxiously involved in every single detail of living.  Faith rests on the conviction that God seeks my best within His purposes.  That’s what Jesus teaches us.  That’s what the whole Bible proclaims.  Is God willing?  Absolutely!  But God’s willingness does not always look like what I thought it should be because God has a much longer view than I do.  Faith is trusting that even when I don’t see the willingness, I know who He is.  Trustworthy.  Merciful.  Compassionate.  Long-suffering.

The man afflicted with leprosy asked this question of Jesus.  He said, “Jesus, I know that you are able, but are you willing?”  Jesus’ answer confirms God’s intimate interest.  Jesus shows us the heart of the Father.  Willingness.

Today you will confront the “Are you willing?” issues of life.  You may be tempted to doubt God’s desire for your best.  Things may not seem to be going the way you thought they should.  But circumstances have little to do with character, especially the character of God.  Be assured that He is willing, right now.  If you are in His hand, obedient to His will, He is engineering life on your behalf.