The Will Of God

Feature 4 – October 2020 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Will Of God

How important it is for us as followers of the Lord Jesus to understand His will, His direction for our lives. As we desire to honor Him we will seek to do as He did, which was to always do the will of His Father. Therefore, to do the Father’s will is to do the Lord’s will.

James 4:13-15 tells us that we should not make plans without acknowledging the sovereignty of God and that His will be done. May we make it our practice to seek and do God’s will.

How Can I Know The Will Of God?
Let’s consider nine principles that will guide us with this important question.

1. Acknowledge Him. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (KJV). It should be our practice to honor Him as Lord and, as such, to commit our every way to Him. This includes speaking to Him, submitting to Him, setting aside our thoughts and wants, surrendering to Him and His thoughts and ways, and making us one with Him.

Anybody who has driven a motorcycle with a passenger on the back understands this principle. As the passenger leans and makes his movements in harmony with the driver, things go well. However, if the passenger moves in a direction opposite the driver’s, there are conflicting forces and the way becomes difficult. We need to make ourselves one with the Lord.

2. Obey Him. We must obey His Word, commandments and thoughts. One verse to help us with this is Colossians 3:16, which says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Consider, too, Psalm 119:9,11: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word ... Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”

In John 2, at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Mary gave very good counsel to the servants in relation to the dilemma of having run out of wine for the celebration. Speaking about her son, she told the servants, “Whatsoever He says to you, do it” (v.5). How important it is for us to obey “whatever” the Lord instructs us through His Word. We need to avoid applying our thoughts and reasoning; we need only to obey His desires. Ponder for a moment His teaching in the parable of the foolish man and the wise man: “Whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man” (Mt. 7:24; read the entire parable, vv.24-27). We need to not only hear but do, putting His sayings into effect in our lives.

When we see instructions in the Word of God in relation to an issue before us, we must apply them and obey. His Word never contradicts itself. He is the Same yesterday, today and forever; so is His Word (see Heb. 13:8; Jn. 1:1). He is the truth (14:6) – His Word will never say anything that is wrong!

Obeying Him is more than just His commandments. When the Lord was on the cross and Mary His mother was there in front of Him, we read: “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home” (19:26-27). The Lord did not give a command to John but an expression of His desire. John obeyed the desire of his Lord’s heart; so it should be with us.

3. Remember, He wants to bless. As our Father, God desires to bless us and wants the very best for us. He does not deny us something simply to take away our joy, but as the wise and loving Father, who knows the end from the beginning and what is best, He works to save us from unnecessary hurt and pain.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?” (Mt. 7:7-11). Romans 8:31-32 adds, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

4. Follow Him. Furthermore, we must remember that He is always with us and will lead us in the way that we should go. We have promises that He will direct our paths. He will not leave us in the dark.

John said, “When He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them” and “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you” (Jn. 10:4, 15:13-15).

David wrote in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd ... He leadeth me” (vv.1-2). The Lord told His people, “I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them” (Isa. 42:16). He also said, “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight” (45:2).

5. Be in a proper relationship with Him. Why would He reveal His will to us if we are walking in disobedience in other areas of our lives? “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Ps. 66:18). We need to have a sanctified, godly, Holy Spirit-controlled life. If we are not in fellowship with God, if we are disobedient children, we should not expect Him to reveal His will to us. The Lord said, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn. 14:15).

6. Have faith; and peace in your heart. If there is a hesitation, a lack of faith in the way that I hope to take, if I am not at peace about it, then this would be an indication not to do so at this time. As we consider this point we must not confuse it with the opposite. Having peace about a matter does not necessarily mean that it is right, but without peace and faith it does mean that to go ahead would be wrong. “Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:22-23).

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” (Isa. 26:3-4).

7. Seek the counsel of godly, mature Christians. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14). However, we need to guard our hearts in this matter, not having our minds already made up. Rehoboam sought after counsel but rejected what he did not want to hear. Listening to the advice of those who told him what he wanted to hear was his downfall (see 1 Ki. 12).

8. Submit to God, not insisting in your own will. Psalms says to “delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass” (37:4-5). “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” (Prov. 3:5-6).

9. God is in control. God is sovereign and will overrule or intervene in matters. If we have honestly applied the previous eight principles and are not in conflict with any of them, we may have the faith to move ahead. On the other hand, if we have made an error and our desire is not the will of God, we can expect that He will intervene.

David had a desire in his heart to build a temple for God. It had been revealed to David that God had chosen Jerusalem as the city and He had even shown David the exact spot for the construction of the temple, so David expressed the thoughts of his heart to Nathan the prophet. Upon hearing them, Nathan encouraged David to go ahead. However, these were not God’s thoughts. God revealed this to Nathan, indicating that it was not David but Solomon his son who was to build the temple. Nathan had to return to David with the news of God’s plan. David humbly and gladly submitted to God and worshiped Him (2 Sam. 7).

We see something similar in the life of Paul. Paul and Silas were on a missionary trip and desired to preach the gospel in the regions of Galatia but were forbidden by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they went to Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but again the Holy Spirit did not permit them to do so. The reason was because God desired that they go over to Macedonia, which they did, submitting to the will of God. Paul and Silas had not properly understood the will of God, but as there was no self-will on their part, they humbly submitted to God’s thoughts and ways and did what He wanted (Acts 16).

God is sovereign. He is a loving Father, omniscient, and desires the best for us; and as such He will protect us from ourselves. If our hearts are right with Him and our motives correct, but our conclusion is not according to His thoughts, we can count on Him to overrule and direct our paths aright. Abraham’s servant praised God, saying, “I being in the way, the LORD led me” (Gen. 24:27).

Summary
As we have decisions before us, let us:

• Acknowledge Him in all things.
• Obey fully His Word and His thoughts.
• Remember He is a loving heavenly Father who desires the very best for us.
• Remember that He promised to be with us and to lead us in the way, even as someone would lead a blind person.
• Keep in mind that there are responsibilities on our part; we need to be in a proper relationship with Him of obedience and honor.
• Have faith and be at peace about the decision before us – peace that if we move ahead we can expect God’s blessing and approval and that this action is according to His will.
• Seek godly and mature counsel.
• Be neutral, not self-willed.

If we are certain that a decision is not contrary to God’s Word and thoughts and we have honestly fulfilled the previously mentioned principles, we can move ahead. God will direct our paths. They may be overruled; He may intervene or change the direction, but He will accomplish His will in our lives for His honor because He is our loving, wise, heavenly Father who only desires the best for us.

By Albert Blok