How to Know the Will of God.

Maybe it's an age thing, but I find myself, more and more, thinking of my life as a much younger person! One of the organisations to which I belonged was the Boys' Brigade - a Christian organisation for young lads. In my day I started in the Lifeboys, and moved on to the older group, where I was privileged to hold every rank apart from Sergeant, and Captain (and including, of course, Chaplain!).

One of the Bible quotations that was impressed upon me in those far-off days was: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." (Prov.3:5-6). Of course, in the 1950s, we learned it in the AV translation: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”  Just for the record, the other important verse that was committed to memory was: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Thy word." (Ps.119:9.) 

The key to knowing God’s will is willingness and determination to follow it before knowing it. “... if any man’s will is to do His will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God ...” (John 7:17).

 

The best indicator as to whether one is really willing to follow God’s will, of course, is whether or not he is now following that part of His will which is already known, as revealed in His Word. This requires first knowing and believing, and then obeying, the Word, especially those portions dealing with God’s general will for all Christians. “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105). Then, if one indeed is following the revealed will of God, he may ask in confidence: "And this is the confidence which we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of Him." (1 John 5:14-15). Further, we may ask the Lord to indicate His will in a specific matter on which there is no explicit Biblical teaching: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, Who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6).

 

God will then answer, though it may not be immediately. “... He told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1). It may not be in accordance with our preferences or personal judgment, but it will always be for the ultimate best. “... for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose."  (Romans 8:26-28).

 

God will lead in two ways in the absence of specific Scripture guidance (which must always take precedence, of course). One is by providential circumstances, the other by inner witness of the Spirit, and these two must agree. Then, if all the terms have been met, we should proceed to follow God’s will as best we can, knowing that God will redirect us if we have made a mistake. God does want us to know His will, and He will “direct our paths.”

Following God’s Will

These past months have been anything but easy!  On more than one occasion I have found myself questioning this call to ministry in France to which my wife and I believe we have been called.  The house that I had expected to sell within weeks, if not days (this was to be the Lord's final confirmation of the call!), is still on the market months later - in spite of two price reductions.  Our car has had one problem after another - and always in France where charges are much higher than what my local mechanic charges me.  Problems with the gas supply to the static have only been finally resolved today.  To cap it all, our younger daughter (37) has just had an operation to remove a cancerous tumour from her left breast, and had just been informed that the chemo-therapy she had been informed would not be necessary, now is a definite requirement.  

 

That's why I was so encouraged by an article in Church Leaders - an 'e-zine' (online magazine) that I receive regularly.  It is by Steven Furtick to whom I happily give the credit.

 

"Being in God’s will doesn’t guarantee a tension-free job, a conflict-free marriage or a trouble-free life.

"We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large … we can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are. All the people we saw there are of great size."
Numbers 13:27-28

The Israelites had finally reached the Promised Land. But it wasn’t what everybody thought it would be.  There was a reward. But there was also opposition.  There were grapes. But there were also giants.

So they came to the conclusion that this couldn’t be what God was calling them to do. This couldn’t be God’s will, because God’s will had to be easier than this.

We tend to think the same way. Many people consider opposition a sign that they must not be in the will of God.  We think the Promised Land is where the blessings are going to be. Being in God’s will is where life is supposed to be easy. Therefore, battle, opposition, struggle and enemies must be a sign that we aren’t in the right place.  But apparently a sign of God’s will is not the ease with which you obtain it. Apparently, the very sign of the Promised Land is giants.

Conflict.
Opposition.

In other words, being in God’s will doesn’t guarantee a tension-free job. Or a conflict-free marriage. Or a trouble-free life.  In fact, the very presence of tension, conflict and trouble could be a sign that you’re right where you need to be.

You might be thinking that you’re not in God’s will right now. You’re going through all this fighting, and it shouldn’t be like this. It must mean you’re in the wrong place.  Not necessarily. It might mean that you’re in exactly the right place. I doubt satan is going to put up a fight to keep you from doing what you shouldn’t be doing.

What if you changed your perspective and saw what you’re facing as a sign that you’re exactly where God wants you to be, because giants live in the Promised Land?  That doesn’t make it easy. But remember:

There was opposition for the Israelites. But there was also a reward.

There were giants. But there were also grapes.

A sign of God’s will isn’t just the opposition you’re facing. It’s also the fact that with God you can actually overcome it. And the reward that you will get for sticking it out will far outshine any opposition that you’re facing."

I trust that others will be likewise encouraged - and that we will all give the glory to our amazing God.