God's will

​8-4-21
Today's devotion is based on John 6:40, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."
What is God's will for humanity, for the whole world? In our world today, many people ask questions about the existence of God. Then if people accept that God exists, they often ask things about the goodness of God and why bad things happen, especially to good people. Surely good people can get to heaven; after all, they have earned it.
Jesus tells us our Father in Heaven's will is for all people to be with him in eternity.  Since it is impossible for us to earn our salvation by being good, we need a Savior. It is not our goodness, our actions, or our birthright. It is not even that we might belong to a Christian denomination that gets us into heaven. It is simply by faith. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, the only Son of God.
So when the world tells you that you must do more to earn favor with God, you can confidently reply, 'It is by faith that I have eternal life. Faith in Jesus whom God sent into the world to save all people from sin and eternal death who look to him in faith'. Our work then is to believe in Jesus as our Savior.
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Heavenly Father, may I always seek to do your will and not my will. Help me to be humble as I live each day following your Son Jesus and sharing your deep love with everyone I see this day. Lord, bless all people by your presence through your word by your Spirit. Send us each day to serve you as we serve others so all may see that eternal life is by faith alone in Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.