Finding the Will of God.

Christians who have any knowledge of God know that He is all-knowing and is aware of our future. Whether we all believe in predestination or not, we can all agree that God does know the future. But the place where most of us have trouble with this holy attribute is thus; “If He knows, why doesn’t He tell me??”

Scripture also tells us that God has a plan for our lives that He established before we were born. Again, “Why don’t you share the secret with me, Lord?”

There are some things that God DOES let us know concerning His will for us. “God is not willing that ANY should perish”. So He wants us to be saved and establish a redeeming relationship with Him.

But here is where we often run into trouble because “the Devil is in the details”. Literally! If fact, when Satan attacks us, it is usually when we become impatient with God. Following God’s will is a matter of faith, and without faith we are unable to please God. God reveals his will for us on a “need to know” basis. He wants us to trust Him in the management of our lives.

Sometime God does reveal His long-term will for us. A call to the preaching ministry is a good example. But it is probable that where we go to seminary or take a church will not be known to us right away when we receive His call.

Another example of God’s long-term revelation is when we get married. Actually, the first time I met my future wife Marilyn I knew I was going to marry her. And 49 years later, God has not changed that aspect of my life.

Discovering God’s will is a daily process, sometimes even a minute by minute process. Each day when we get up, God wants to meet with us. Part of our daily prayers need to to be seeking His will for the day, or for the next hour! Ask God to lead, and then trust Him to open or close opportunities. The good news is that the longer we serve Him and see His faithfulness, the more He is willing to reveal to us.

When I was in a Christian High School, the importance of seeking God’s will for my life was stressed repeatedly, almost as if the heavens were supposed to open and an outline and a road-map would be lowered. In the outline I would see what my profession would be, who I would marry, the names of my children, where I would live, etc. I thought I had it figured out. But my plans soon changed when I met Marilyn. Then the plans changed further when we had David a year later. The fact of the matter is that if I would look back and prepare an outline of how my life actually went, you would see that it would have been impossible to have foreseen the events that led me to where I now am.

But except for a couple times in my early life when I wandered away from God, I can see His hand in almost everything that happened. I am now retired and very happy and content, knowing that I am exactly where God wants me to be. He is continuing to reveal Himself to me on a daily basis, and I am amazed at how God “works out all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose”.