Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 ESV)
The ago old question that many before us and many after us will ask is this - "What is God's Will for my life?" It has been a personal struggle of mine throughout the years and it doesn't necessarily have any easy answers for us today.
However, the Bible does give us some clues when it comes to discovering and knowing God's will in your life that I would like to share with you today.
THREE THOUGHTS TO UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WILL
1. God wants you to know His will for your life or particular circumstance.
God is not playing a game of “Hide and Go Seek.”
1. God wants you to know His will for your life or particular circumstance.
God is not playing a game of “Hide and Go Seek.”
Listen to Ephesians 5:17, “Wherefore be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
In Colossians 1:19, Paul prayed for the Colossians, “Be filled (controlled) with the knowledge of His will.”
God will not command us to do something that is impossible or frustrating.
2. God’s will is not a bitter dose of medicine.
The Psalmist was able to say, “I will delight to do your will” (Psalm 40:8).
Sometimes believers think if I surrender to God’s will He will send me to China or Afghanistan, or I will have to be single all my life. Whatever God’s will, if we love God, it will be a delight.
3. God’s will is not specifically spelled out in the Bible.
God doesn’t name the person we are to marry. He doesn’t tell us whether we should to college or not or which college we should attend. God doesn’t email us: “I want you to be a preacher or missionary, or mechanic or nurse or housewife.” Sometimes life is complex with these decisions.
2. God’s will is not a bitter dose of medicine.
The Psalmist was able to say, “I will delight to do your will” (Psalm 40:8).
Sometimes believers think if I surrender to God’s will He will send me to China or Afghanistan, or I will have to be single all my life. Whatever God’s will, if we love God, it will be a delight.
3. God’s will is not specifically spelled out in the Bible.
God doesn’t name the person we are to marry. He doesn’t tell us whether we should to college or not or which college we should attend. God doesn’t email us: “I want you to be a preacher or missionary, or mechanic or nurse or housewife.” Sometimes life is complex with these decisions.
In Psalm 32:8, God does promise, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will guide you with mine eye.” Today God’s instructs and teaches us His will through His Word.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, are two of the most compacted verses on God’s will. There are three steps to knowing God’s will in these verses.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, are two of the most compacted verses on God’s will. There are three steps to knowing God’s will in these verses.
The book of Proverbs contains God’s wisdom for godly living as 1:1-7, the introduction makes clear. In Proverbs chapters 1-9, Solomon is giving his “My Son” talks. It is as if Solomon has his arm around his son, giving him godly, fatherly advice.
In Proverbs 2 and 3, Solomon is giving a series of “If…then” verses or conditions and consequences. “If” we meet certain conditions, “then” certain consequences will follow. In Proverbs 2, Solomon states in verse 1 “If” and verse 3 “If” and verse 4 “If” you meet the conditions in these four verses, “then” in verses 5-8 and “then” in verses 9-22 these consequences will follow. This series continues into chapter three.
In Proverbs 2 and 3, Solomon is giving a series of “If…then” verses or conditions and consequences. “If” we meet certain conditions, “then” certain consequences will follow. In Proverbs 2, Solomon states in verse 1 “If” and verse 3 “If” and verse 4 “If” you meet the conditions in these four verses, “then” in verses 5-8 and “then” in verses 9-22 these consequences will follow. This series continues into chapter three.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, if you meet three conditions then God will consequently “direct your path” into His will.
Therefore, you must meet God’s conditions in order to know His will for your life!
Therefore, you must meet God’s conditions in order to know His will for your life!
THREE CONDITIONS TO KNOWING GOD'S WILL
The First Condition, You Must “Trust in the Lord.”
Basically - If you're not a Christian - the first step in knowing God's will is to become a Christian and TRUST IN THE LORD with all your heart. You cannot attempt to know God's will until this issue is settled in your heart.
The Second Condition, You Must “Trust in the Lord, with all your heart.”
First, we must be saved and next we must be surrendered to know His will. Paul says a similar thing in Romans 12:1-2. The question is, “Is it possible to be saved and not surrendered?”
Have you come to this point in your Christian life where you can honestly say, “Not my will but thy will be done.” Why would God reveal His will to someone who is unwilling to do it?
The First Condition, You Must “Trust in the Lord.”
Basically - If you're not a Christian - the first step in knowing God's will is to become a Christian and TRUST IN THE LORD with all your heart. You cannot attempt to know God's will until this issue is settled in your heart.
The Second Condition, You Must “Trust in the Lord, with all your heart.”
First, we must be saved and next we must be surrendered to know His will. Paul says a similar thing in Romans 12:1-2. The question is, “Is it possible to be saved and not surrendered?”
Have you come to this point in your Christian life where you can honestly say, “Not my will but thy will be done.” Why would God reveal His will to someone who is unwilling to do it?
The Third Condition, You must “Trust in the Lord, with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him.”
In addition to being saved and surrendered, we must be saturated with God’s Word to know God’s will. The better we know God’s Word, the better we will know God’s will.
In addition to being saved and surrendered, we must be saturated with God’s Word to know God’s will. The better we know God’s Word, the better we will know God’s will.
The word “Acknowledge” comes from the Hebrew word (yada) which means “Know.” In Genesis 4:25 “Adam knew (yada) his wife, and she bare a son.” If we know God intimately and experientially through His Word we can better know His will.
There are some things in God's will that are specific and to the point from God's Word - like "don't commit adultery" or "don't fornicate" but there are some areas that you will need to Trust The Lord with to make clear in your understanding.
But when I'm fulfilling the above conditions - God states that "He shall direct your path."
The word “direct” comes from the Hebrew word yashar which means to make straight or smooth. It is used in Isaiah 40:3 to describe the future ministry of John the Baptist who would ‘make straight’ [Hebrew yashar] in the desert a highway for our God.” In Isaiah’s time, the way one country rolled out the red carpet for a visiting king was to send road workers to fill in potholes “every valley shall be exalted” and shave down the big bumps “every mountain and hill shall be made low” and also straighten the bends in the road “the crooked shall be made straight.” John prepared the people spiritually by preaching repentance and straightening them out as much as possible in preparation for King Jesus.
If you know and do the will of God, it will make your life smoother in contrast to rebelling against God’s will. Proverbs 13:15 states the opposite of 3:6: “The way (or road or life) of transgressors is hard.” I have some friends right now, who would give anything to go back and undo major sins and get back into God’s perfect will.
THREE WAYS GOD DIRECTS OUR PATHS
1. The first is through our God given desires.
There are some things in God's will that are specific and to the point from God's Word - like "don't commit adultery" or "don't fornicate" but there are some areas that you will need to Trust The Lord with to make clear in your understanding.
But when I'm fulfilling the above conditions - God states that "He shall direct your path."
The word “direct” comes from the Hebrew word yashar which means to make straight or smooth. It is used in Isaiah 40:3 to describe the future ministry of John the Baptist who would ‘make straight’ [Hebrew yashar] in the desert a highway for our God.” In Isaiah’s time, the way one country rolled out the red carpet for a visiting king was to send road workers to fill in potholes “every valley shall be exalted” and shave down the big bumps “every mountain and hill shall be made low” and also straighten the bends in the road “the crooked shall be made straight.” John prepared the people spiritually by preaching repentance and straightening them out as much as possible in preparation for King Jesus.
If you know and do the will of God, it will make your life smoother in contrast to rebelling against God’s will. Proverbs 13:15 states the opposite of 3:6: “The way (or road or life) of transgressors is hard.” I have some friends right now, who would give anything to go back and undo major sins and get back into God’s perfect will.
THREE WAYS GOD DIRECTS OUR PATHS
1. The first is through our God given desires.
Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.”
If we are delighting in the Lord, then most likely what we desire is God’s will. If your desires are wrong - God can change those.
I remember having the desire to play the trumpet professionally but God changed those desires somewhere along the way to that of being a pastor.
2. God also directs into His will by open doors.
On Paul’s second missionary journey, in Acts 16:6 God closed the door to go south to Ephesus because God knew Paul would go to Ephesus on his third missionary journey and accomplish his greatest work. In Acts 16:7, God closed the door to go north to Bithynia, because Peter would minister there (1 Peter 1:1). God opened the door for Paul to go west into Europe for which we are grateful because that is why the gospel came to us in the west. What doors or opportunities is God opening for you? This may indicate God’s will.
3. God can direct your path into His will through Godly counsel.
3. God can direct your path into His will through Godly counsel.
Twice in Proverbs it is advised, “In the multitude of counselors there is safety” (11:14; 24:6).
Someone has called this the “Fourth and One” principle. In football, when it is fourth down with one yard to go for a first down, the quarterback will call a time out and go to the sidelines and get advice from the coach.
Sometimes people who are not directly involved in our situation can give objective wisdom. For example, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, clearly saw that Moses needed to delegate his work load to others. Moses was so caught up in his ministry that he lost sight of his unwise work load (Exodus 18:19-27).
There are times when we need to go to godly counselors for wisdom. When I am counseling a couple about marriage, I always ask if their parents are in favor of the marriage, especially if the couple has godly parents.
An old Model T Ford was pulled off to the side of the road with its hood up, and a young man was trying desperately to get it running. He had been working at it for a long time without any success when a beautiful, chauffeur-driven limousine stopped behind him, and a well-dressed man got out. He watched the fellow working for awhile and finally suggested that he make a minor adjustment in one part. The young man was skeptical, but nothing else had worked, so he did what he was told. “Now,” said the man, “your car will run. Crank it up.” So the young man cranked it once, and, sure enough, the engine started running as if it were brand-new. The young man was amazed that this kind of man knew so much about cars; so he asked him, “How did you know exactly what to do?” “Well,” the other man said, “I’m Henry Ford. I made the car, so I know all about how it work” (Gary Inrig, Hearts of Fire, Feet of Clay, page 111). No one knows us better than our Creator and Savior and no one can better fix us to do His will. He has given us the manual to know and do His will.
Sometimes people who are not directly involved in our situation can give objective wisdom. For example, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, clearly saw that Moses needed to delegate his work load to others. Moses was so caught up in his ministry that he lost sight of his unwise work load (Exodus 18:19-27).
There are times when we need to go to godly counselors for wisdom. When I am counseling a couple about marriage, I always ask if their parents are in favor of the marriage, especially if the couple has godly parents.
An old Model T Ford was pulled off to the side of the road with its hood up, and a young man was trying desperately to get it running. He had been working at it for a long time without any success when a beautiful, chauffeur-driven limousine stopped behind him, and a well-dressed man got out. He watched the fellow working for awhile and finally suggested that he make a minor adjustment in one part. The young man was skeptical, but nothing else had worked, so he did what he was told. “Now,” said the man, “your car will run. Crank it up.” So the young man cranked it once, and, sure enough, the engine started running as if it were brand-new. The young man was amazed that this kind of man knew so much about cars; so he asked him, “How did you know exactly what to do?” “Well,” the other man said, “I’m Henry Ford. I made the car, so I know all about how it work” (Gary Inrig, Hearts of Fire, Feet of Clay, page 111). No one knows us better than our Creator and Savior and no one can better fix us to do His will. He has given us the manual to know and do His will.
Gleaned from a sermon by Tim White
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