As You Wish

My husband recently incorporated Star Wars into a sermon and was quite proud of himself for it.  Today, I’m going to try to match him by using one of my favorite movies as the basis for this devotional.
 
I don’t have a great analogy to connect “The Princess Bride” (which is also a great book) to a spiritual concept.  Rather, I want to borrow a key phrase from this beloved fairy tale film.  Do you remember the farm boy, Wesley, at the beginning of the movie and his response to Buttercup’s every whim?  Remember when he came back to her as the Dread Pirate Roberts and the moment she realized it was really Wesley as he went tumbling down the giant hill yelling those cherished words: “As you wish.”  What an awesome scene!  If somehow you’ve managed to not see the movie, don’t worry; this message is still for you.
 
Maybe you can already see where I’m going with this.  Those three little words, “As you wish” should be the believer's response to every command of God.  Let’s look at five people from the bible who essentially said “as you wish” to God.

• Abraham: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a plane which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8.  Abraham trusted God and obeyed blindly.  Even when we don’t know the outcome, we should say “As you wish” to God’s instruction.
• Noah: “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Genesis 9:22.  In building the ark, Noah didn’t leave out a single one of God’s instructions.  Our response to God should be to obey Him completely.
• Isaiah: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”  Isaiah 6:8.  There is no exclamation mark in the text, but when I read this verse, I feel the exclamation in my spirit.  Isaiah heard the call, and he responded, “Here I am!  Send me!”  Our “as you wish” to God should be said enthusiastically.
• Mary: “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38.  The tone of Mary’s response to God was filled with veneration.  We should respond to God’s call reverently.
• The Lord, Jesus Christ: “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42.  The most obvious example of obedience to God is from God himself, through the person of Jesus.  He showed us that we must selflessly respond to the call of God.

 
In the movie I’ve referenced, the male leading character answers every request of his love interest with the phrase “as you wish.”  His humble obedience was a direct response to his unfailing love for her.  Likewise, we should consistently affirm our love for God by blindly, completely, enthusiastically, reverently, and selflessly obeying his direction.  Our obedience to God must be driven by our love for Him, with no thought for what we will gain. 

Sometimes I have a feeling of anticipation, as if I am waiting on God to give a command to which I can respond, “As you wish.”  I’ve said to Him, “Show me what you want me to do, Lord!  I’ll do it!”  But, I need to stop and look at the instructions He has already given to all of us and evaluate how I am responding to those.  I need to make sure I am saying “as you wish” in regards to what the Word says to do.  Am I saying, "As you wish, Lord" to the commands to love God with all my heart, to love my neighbor, to forgive, and to not worry?  I fall short often, but I pray that whether the task seems big or small, whether it comes directly from scripture or from the prompting of the Holy Spirit, that I will continually learn to obey.
 
I leave you with a challenge!  Read Romans 12:9-18, and after every sentence that contains a command whisper, “As you wish, Lord.  As you wish.”  Then go live out that promise.

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