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  GOD'S WILL IN SUFFERING.
  by Watchman Nee
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Summary: To walk in the will of God, one must submit to His will, be
pliable to His Spirit, and make plans with flexibility.

Topics: "God's Will", "Suffering"
Scripture References: Matthew 26:39, Luke 22:42, John 4:4, Philippians 2:5

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DESCRIPTION
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Watchman Nee emphasizes the importance of aligning our will with God's,
as demonstrated by Jesus in Gethsemane when He prayed, 'Not My will, but
Thine be done.' He illustrates that true spiritual victory comes from
choosing God's glory over our own desires, even amidst suffering. Nee
encourages believers to adopt a pliable spirit, open to God's direction,
and to make plans that can be adjusted according to His will. By doing
so, we can experience the power of Christ's victory and be equipped to
help others. Ultimately, knowing God's will requires a flexible spirit
that is willing to follow His lead.

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CONTENT
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GOD'S WILL IN SUFFERING. In Luke xxii. 42, we read: "Not My will, but
Thine be done." These words, spoken in Gethsemane, indicate that Christ
put His will on God's side, in the awful anguish He was going through.
The pressure was so strong that His sweat became as great drops of
blood. "Not My will, but Thine," was the declaration of His attitude as
He set His will. He had come to the same choice just before--"Now is My
soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour?"

"Shall I say, `Father, save Me'?" "No," but "Father, glorify Thy Name."
Christ put His will for God's glory. And as He put His will on God's
side against this awful pressure, He was heard, He was sustained. Then
an angel came and ministered to Him.

If you too will make this the central principle of the spiritual life,
and set the helm of your will unvaryingly to choose God's will because
it is God's will, then He will apply to your life Christ's victory on
Calvary in such a way, as to endue you with power, for the deliverance
of others from the power of evil spirits.

HOW THE LORD KNEW THE WILL OF GOD. The Lord Jesus knew the will of God
in His spirit. See John iv. 4: "He must needs go through Samaria." The
literal rendering is that "It was binding upon Him." It was God's will
that He should go, and He knew it, because His spirit was pliable. If
you are to know the will of God you must not have a hard or unbending
spirit. You need a spirit so flexible that it can move whichever way God
wants, and I do not see how we are going to know and walk in the will of
God, in harmony with God's Word, unless we consent to this walk in the
spirit. If you insist that such and such a course must be taken to-
morrow, you have not left yourself open to the will of God to effect any
change. The Lord does not seem to have had inflexibly fixed plans. "But
are we to make no plans?" you ask. Yes, but they should be made in such
a way that you can drop them, if necessary, in a minute. You will not
walk continuously in the will of God until you have learnt how to be
pliable to His will.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/watchman-nee/gods-will-in-suffering/
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