HOW TO KNOW GOD'S WILL FOR IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN YOUR LIFE. Part 3 of 6.
God’s Basic Will for Every Christian. Continued.
Who would you say such individuals are acknowledging when they make such negative statements as these concerning their sickness, defeat, frustrations, anxieties, and problems–God or Satan? This may explain to you why you are not experiencing more of God's leading in your life, or why it is that you do not know His will in this or that particular situation. Perhaps it is because you are acknowledging the wrong person as the controlling influence in your life and circumstances. Yes, this could very well be the major factor in much of your sickness, problems, frustration, and defeat, for God promises to direct the steps only of those who trust fully in Him, not themselves, and who acknowledge Him and His divine providence in all their ways.
STUDY 2
How God Makes Known His Will for Specific Decisions and Needs.
As incredible as it may seem at first glance, nevertheless, it is true that "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Ps 37:23). The term "ordered" means literally "establish, or ordain" in the original Hebrew, and is used by David in Psalm 8:3 where he exclaims, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man, that you are mindful of him?"
The cycles of the moon, the movements of the planets, sun, and stars in their courses, as well as the revolving of the countless galaxies, composed of billions of stars, throughout the universe, are all ordained by God with such precision that scientists can set their watches by the sun or stars, astronomers can predict accurately where a certain heavenly body will be 100 years
from now, and space scientists can, for example, send a spaceship toward Mars which will arrive many months later exactly on target. It is this same term which is used in Psalm 37:23, where we are told, "the steps of a good man are ordained by the Lord." This means that the same wisdom which ordained the courses of the sun, moon, planets, and stars with such magnificent precision has also ordained the steps of the Christian.
Thus, we see that God has a plan for every life. When we know His will for our lives, then we can fulfill His plan. God has a plan for everything in the universe which He created: the sun, the moon, and stars; the angels and hosts of heaven; the southern flight of the birds in the winter and their return in the spring; the rise and fall of the tides; the periodic rainfall with the resultant growth of the earth's vegetation; the variation and change of the seasons, and so on. His wisdom, planning, and providential control are evident everywhere, from the delicate
intricacy of design seen in the falling snowflake to the balance of the earth on its axis in its course around the sun.
Since God has a preordained plan for everything, would it not, therefore, be strange if He neglected to have a plan for men, whom He created in His own image? And yet, most people, including Christians, live as if God created man, and then more or less left him alone, having only a passing interest in his welfare and condition.
The Scriptures clearly state that God has a plan for every believers' lives, as seen for example, in such passages as Psalm 37; 91; Proverbs 37:23; Psalm 37:23; Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1; 4:11-15; 5:17. . Nevertheless, Many Christians know nothing of the concept of a God-planned life. These are people who apparently do not know that Jesus promised that a sparrow "shall not fall on the ground without your Father," and that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" ( Mt. 10:29-30). From their joyless expression and speaking of wretchedness, adversity, and confusion, one would gather that God had saved them only to forsake them, leaving them to struggle along in the world as best they can.
There are Christians everywhere who seem to have lost their direction, who have made the wrong choices, who are uncertain as to God's will for their lives, who are in the wrong occupation and are unhappy and dissatisfied, who are insecure and afraid, who cannot make a decision without doubt or apprehension concerning whether or not they have done the right thing, and who are frustrated, discouraged, and defeated by circumstances. It is not God's will that any Christian should suffer such bewilderment and defeat. Why? Simply because "the steps of a good man are ordained by the Lord."
Far too many Christians are living below the level of what God has planned for their lives. He has a perfect plan for you in order for you to fulfill His will; but there is also a permissive will which He allows those to follow who, for one reason or another, reject or neglect to follow His perfect will. So many Christians are living on this lower plane of God's permissive will, which can never bring the joy, peace, accomplishment and fulfillment they are looking for. Often they are accepting a life of frustration, oppression, and poverty because of their ignorance of, or their unwillingness to submit to, God's perfect will for their lives.
Our lives are only happy and complete when we are moving in God's will, since we lack both the wisdom and foresight to plan our own lives effectively. The Scriptures declare, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps" (Jer.10:23) Isaiah graphically portrays the consequences of man's attempt to plan and direct his own life, saying, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" (Isa. 53:6).
"Does God want me to go back to my wife and attempt to salvage our marriage for the children's sake, or remain separated and try to make the best of it?" a bewildered husband asks.
"I feel the call of God in my life," confides another. "It seems to be in the mission field. However, I have a family to provide for, and as yet I do not have the support of any missionary society. How can I know what God would have me to do?"
"Now that I have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit," a young woman asks, "should I remain in my present church, which is not sympathetic toward this experience today, and try to witness my experience there, or should I seek fellowship with Spirit filled Christians in another church?"
"I must know by the end of the next month whether or not I should renew my lease on my place of business. My wife and I feel that the Lord may be leading us out of this into something else. How can I know for certain just what God would have us do?" asks a man that is pressed for a decision soon.
"Can I believe God for deliverance from the financial oppression I am suffering?" "Will God heal me of multiple sclerosis, which medical science states to be incurable?" "Is it possible for me to ask in faith for the salvation of my family?" "How can I determine if God would have me to remain in my present employment or ask for something better?" "Should I remain unmarried and thereby be able to serve the Lord more effectively?" "Have I failed God somewhere and missed His will for me, since I seem to be going through so many severe trials in the past few months?"
"Should we pray for deliverance from our trials?" "How may I determine if I should seek to serve the Lord in some form of religious work, or remain in my present teaching position?" "I am confused about God's will for my life. How may I be sure just what He would have me to do?"
Questions ... questions ... questions - all from bewildered, confused, sometimes frustrated Christians, earnestly seeking to learn God's will for their lives, or anxious to know His will concerning an important decision they must make in some pressing matter. How can the man who feels God would have him go to the mission field ascertain God's will? Certainly it is an important and crucial decision with which he is faced. It is useless, and even unsafe, for a man to be trying to serve the Lord in India, if God wants him in Indiana. That student will certainly fail who attempts to leave a school where God has placed him, merely because he must undergo certain trials in order to remain.
Nor will that person ever succeed who, motivated by an enthusiasm to serve the Lord, disposes of his business in order to go preach the gospel, when God desires to use him as a Christian businessman right where he is. He will be as frustrated and out of place as that individual who failed to respond to God's call to preach His Word and accepted something less than God's perfect will for his life. Likewise, when one is not sure whether or not he has made the right decision about some matter in harmony with God's will, it will be terribly difficult to determine, if he finds himself going through trying circumstances, whether these experiences are "trials of his faith," or chastisement for his disobedience.
How can we be sure just what God's will is in the decisions which confronts us? How can we avoid mistakes and costly blunders? You may be sure of one thing - you do not have to plead
with God to guide and direct you. Over and over in Scripture He expresses His willingness and desire to give you an understanding of His perfect will for your life. He promises to direct your footsteps day to day. God has pledged Himself to direct each step of your life if you will determine to meet the three-fold condition which He sets forth in Proverbs 3:5-6 of total trust in
the Lord; a lack of trust in yourself; and a constant statement of these two facts.
EIGHT SCRIPTURAL METHODS BY WHICH GOD MAKES KNOWN HIS WILL
It is not unreasonable to believe that if God could create a man in His image that He could also speak to him and communicate His will to him, Inasmuch as God has clearly stated in His
Word that it is His desire to reveal His will to the believer, and is displeased when we are not walking in harmony with it. We should also expect that He would provide the means for ascertaining it. This He has done. There are, we find, eight scriptural methods for ascertaining God's will – three are notice in which we must take the initiative, and five are passive in which
we become recipients of divine revelation of His will for us, as seen, for example, in the angel's appearance to Joseph in a dream warning him to flee into Egypt with the child, Jesus. Passive revelation of God's will comes unsought at the Spirit's sovereign discretion, inasmuch as God has promised to direct the steps of those who fulfill the conditions (Prov. 3:5-6).
At the Altar:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:1-2).
I find that many Christians spend years seeking to learn God's will for their lives. They read books on the subject, hoping to find some clue, they pray for guidance, or they seek help through religious counseling, but they have overlooked God's basic requirement for learning His perfect will – the total commitment of one's life on the altar as a living sacrifice. To comprehend just what God requires for total consecration, it is suggested that the section entitled Go Back to Calvary in the first previous studies be reviewed again, for all that was set forth there is to be applied here as the manner in which Romans 12:1-2 is to be understood and obeyed.
While it is true that the Christian can ascertain to some degree God's will through prayer, study at His Word, or by other means, nevertheless, total consecration is required to know His perfect
will, as Romans 12:1-2 clearly indicates. We must learn that we cannot substitute praying for obeying; for without total commitment many precious hours can be wasted praying for a revelation of God's will, or for guidance for our lives in some matter, and heaven will often seem as brass. Why? God is waiting for us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, and climb upon the altar where He can speak with us. He only reveals His perfect will to us when we are upon the altar, for it is only here that we are in a position to hear Him when He speaks. When "self" has been crucified and the life surrendered without reservation, then you will find that the Spirit is frequently speaking inwardly to you, and that you can become quite sensitive to His voice, being able to discern it from your own will, or from the suggestions of the enemy.
It is a great blessing to know when the Spirit is speaking, and to be able to respond to His leading and prompting, fulfilling God's will instead of wandering aimlessly about confused and, bewildered.
You will find that you will be sensitive to His voice to the extent your life is consecrated on the altar and you are yielded to the Spirit. And to the extent you are sensitive to His voice you are able to respond when He speaks. God at times, for one reason or another, speaks directly to His children in an audible voice to reveal some matter to them, give them guidance, or make known His will. Generally, however, it is by means of that still, inner voice that He speaks to our spirit, prompting, leading, directing, and influencing, or at times checking us from taking some undesirable course of action.
God will not reveal His perfect plan and will to a Christian who is not fully yielded unto Him without reservation, for such an individual would be ineffective and unable to fulfill God's purpose in his life. An effective instrument is one that has yielded itself completely to the hand of the one using it. Many Christians feel they have yielded themselves to the Spirit and have consecrated themselves to God, yet they have not always done so without reservation. One individual, for instance, feels that he is consecrated because he is praying for God to send him as a missionary to India, but who at the same time would have no desire for God to use him as a missionary to Indiana! He is consecrated, but not unconditionally; thus, God's perfect will cannot be revealed to him, since it would be impossible for it to be fulfilled in his life.
Another, with a gift of prophecy prays earnestly to God to fulfill his desire and use him in a great way in a ministry of prophecy like that of Amos or Isaiah, but has little inclination to follow in the steps of a prophet like Lucius, for example. After all, who has ever heard of Lucius outside of the people in the local church at Antioch (Acts 13:1)? Another pleads with God for the gifts and power to slay giants as David, pulling down Satan's strongholds, but would decline to engage in this warfare alone in his closet, on his knees, wrestling with the forces of darkness by prayer and fastings.
Christians too often come to God and think they are consecrating themselves to Him simply because they say, "Here I am Lord, use me in such and such a place, at such and such a time,
in such and such a way." Then they wonder why God does not respond to this little genuflection before Him with a mighty out-pouring of His Spirit upon them, or why they seem to have so
much difficulty in ascertaining His will for their lives. After all, they do wish to serve Him and to be used by Him. Why then are they so often bewildered and ineffective? It is simply because they have not placed themselves on the altar and yielded themselves unconditionally to Him. It is true that God wants to use you to speak His Word; but if you are not fully yielded to Him, then often you will find that you will be speaking the wrong word to the wrong people at the wrong time. An effective instrument is one fully yielded to the purpose of the one using it.
Therefore, before God can unveil His perfect will for your life day to day, you must first obey that aspect of His will which He has already revealed – total consecration, "for this is the will of God, even your consecration" (1 Th. 4:3). It is only as we present ourselves as living sacrifices that we are shown progressively, day to day, more and more, "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:1-2). Just as we fellowship and speak with our children God promises to communicate with us and reveal His will, however, it may be that you have been living too far from Him to hear His voice when He speaks. Draw near to Him daily in prayer, love, and obedience, and you will find yourself becoming increasingly sensitive to His voice as He speaks to you.
In the Word;
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Those who may be looking for a shortcut or some easy solution to learning the will of God probably will be disappointed to learn that God has already revealed His will for their lives in
large measure in the Scriptures; and, as a consequence, this means they will have to pay the cost of sacrificing some of their time and interest in other things, and diligently search His Word,
if they expect Him to speak to them through it.
In these instances in which Christians with whom I have counseled are bewildered and confused, and are unable to ascertain God's will about some matter, I have found almost invariably that their predicament is the inevitable consequence of not knowing what the Word of God teaches concerning their problem or need. Again and again I have seen Christians pray for a revelation of God's will, or come to me for guidance about some matter, the solution to which is already revealed in God's Word. It is useless to ask God for guidance on matters where He has clearly unfolded His will, if through negligence, or for some other reason, an individual has not bothered to ascertain what He has had to say on the subject.
If, for example, a Christian woman wishes to marry an unbeliever, hoping to convert him after marriage, she could pray for months for a revelation of God's will in the matter without receiving it, for God is never going to answer such a request as to whether or not this marriage should take place. Why? Simply because He has already revealed His will on this matter in His Word (2 Cor. 6:14). Neither is God going to give that individual the Holy Spirit who prays as some do whom I have heard, saying, "Lord, if the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for me, and if it is your will that I should have it, then somehow show me this fact and I will accept it." God has already revealed in His Word the promise of the Holy Spirit, and states clearly that the baptism will be given to those who, in faith, ask for it (Lk. 11:13).
Again, many Christians are confused concerning God's will in the matter of sickness. Since they are not firmly grounded in what the Word of God teaches on the subject of healing, then they are unsettled in their minds, believing that it is not always God's will to heal the sick, and that there are some exceptions to His promise that "the prayer of faith shall heal the sick" (Jam. 5:15).
Because they do not know God's Word as they should on this question, then they do not always know what God's will is in the event of sickness, especially in case of serious illness, and have, therefore, committed themselves to praying the faithless prayer in such instances, "O Lord, if it be thy will I ask that I might be healed somehow, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done." Such apparent resignation to God's will may sound pious, but it most certainly is not scriptural, inasmuch as God has already revealed His will about the matter of sickness in His Word in dozens of passages, such as Mark 16:18, saying, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Edited. Shared.
To be Continued.
God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.
God’s Basic Will for Every Christian. Continued.
Who would you say such individuals are acknowledging when they make such negative statements as these concerning their sickness, defeat, frustrations, anxieties, and problems–God or Satan? This may explain to you why you are not experiencing more of God's leading in your life, or why it is that you do not know His will in this or that particular situation. Perhaps it is because you are acknowledging the wrong person as the controlling influence in your life and circumstances. Yes, this could very well be the major factor in much of your sickness, problems, frustration, and defeat, for God promises to direct the steps only of those who trust fully in Him, not themselves, and who acknowledge Him and His divine providence in all their ways.
STUDY 2
How God Makes Known His Will for Specific Decisions and Needs.
As incredible as it may seem at first glance, nevertheless, it is true that "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Ps 37:23). The term "ordered" means literally "establish, or ordain" in the original Hebrew, and is used by David in Psalm 8:3 where he exclaims, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man, that you are mindful of him?"
The cycles of the moon, the movements of the planets, sun, and stars in their courses, as well as the revolving of the countless galaxies, composed of billions of stars, throughout the universe, are all ordained by God with such precision that scientists can set their watches by the sun or stars, astronomers can predict accurately where a certain heavenly body will be 100 years
from now, and space scientists can, for example, send a spaceship toward Mars which will arrive many months later exactly on target. It is this same term which is used in Psalm 37:23, where we are told, "the steps of a good man are ordained by the Lord." This means that the same wisdom which ordained the courses of the sun, moon, planets, and stars with such magnificent precision has also ordained the steps of the Christian.
Thus, we see that God has a plan for every life. When we know His will for our lives, then we can fulfill His plan. God has a plan for everything in the universe which He created: the sun, the moon, and stars; the angels and hosts of heaven; the southern flight of the birds in the winter and their return in the spring; the rise and fall of the tides; the periodic rainfall with the resultant growth of the earth's vegetation; the variation and change of the seasons, and so on. His wisdom, planning, and providential control are evident everywhere, from the delicate
intricacy of design seen in the falling snowflake to the balance of the earth on its axis in its course around the sun.
Since God has a preordained plan for everything, would it not, therefore, be strange if He neglected to have a plan for men, whom He created in His own image? And yet, most people, including Christians, live as if God created man, and then more or less left him alone, having only a passing interest in his welfare and condition.
The Scriptures clearly state that God has a plan for every believers' lives, as seen for example, in such passages as Psalm 37; 91; Proverbs 37:23; Psalm 37:23; Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1; 4:11-15; 5:17. . Nevertheless, Many Christians know nothing of the concept of a God-planned life. These are people who apparently do not know that Jesus promised that a sparrow "shall not fall on the ground without your Father," and that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" ( Mt. 10:29-30). From their joyless expression and speaking of wretchedness, adversity, and confusion, one would gather that God had saved them only to forsake them, leaving them to struggle along in the world as best they can.
There are Christians everywhere who seem to have lost their direction, who have made the wrong choices, who are uncertain as to God's will for their lives, who are in the wrong occupation and are unhappy and dissatisfied, who are insecure and afraid, who cannot make a decision without doubt or apprehension concerning whether or not they have done the right thing, and who are frustrated, discouraged, and defeated by circumstances. It is not God's will that any Christian should suffer such bewilderment and defeat. Why? Simply because "the steps of a good man are ordained by the Lord."
Far too many Christians are living below the level of what God has planned for their lives. He has a perfect plan for you in order for you to fulfill His will; but there is also a permissive will which He allows those to follow who, for one reason or another, reject or neglect to follow His perfect will. So many Christians are living on this lower plane of God's permissive will, which can never bring the joy, peace, accomplishment and fulfillment they are looking for. Often they are accepting a life of frustration, oppression, and poverty because of their ignorance of, or their unwillingness to submit to, God's perfect will for their lives.
Our lives are only happy and complete when we are moving in God's will, since we lack both the wisdom and foresight to plan our own lives effectively. The Scriptures declare, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps" (Jer.10:23) Isaiah graphically portrays the consequences of man's attempt to plan and direct his own life, saying, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" (Isa. 53:6).
"Does God want me to go back to my wife and attempt to salvage our marriage for the children's sake, or remain separated and try to make the best of it?" a bewildered husband asks.
"I feel the call of God in my life," confides another. "It seems to be in the mission field. However, I have a family to provide for, and as yet I do not have the support of any missionary society. How can I know what God would have me to do?"
"Now that I have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit," a young woman asks, "should I remain in my present church, which is not sympathetic toward this experience today, and try to witness my experience there, or should I seek fellowship with Spirit filled Christians in another church?"
"I must know by the end of the next month whether or not I should renew my lease on my place of business. My wife and I feel that the Lord may be leading us out of this into something else. How can I know for certain just what God would have us do?" asks a man that is pressed for a decision soon.
"Can I believe God for deliverance from the financial oppression I am suffering?" "Will God heal me of multiple sclerosis, which medical science states to be incurable?" "Is it possible for me to ask in faith for the salvation of my family?" "How can I determine if God would have me to remain in my present employment or ask for something better?" "Should I remain unmarried and thereby be able to serve the Lord more effectively?" "Have I failed God somewhere and missed His will for me, since I seem to be going through so many severe trials in the past few months?"
"Should we pray for deliverance from our trials?" "How may I determine if I should seek to serve the Lord in some form of religious work, or remain in my present teaching position?" "I am confused about God's will for my life. How may I be sure just what He would have me to do?"
Questions ... questions ... questions - all from bewildered, confused, sometimes frustrated Christians, earnestly seeking to learn God's will for their lives, or anxious to know His will concerning an important decision they must make in some pressing matter. How can the man who feels God would have him go to the mission field ascertain God's will? Certainly it is an important and crucial decision with which he is faced. It is useless, and even unsafe, for a man to be trying to serve the Lord in India, if God wants him in Indiana. That student will certainly fail who attempts to leave a school where God has placed him, merely because he must undergo certain trials in order to remain.
Nor will that person ever succeed who, motivated by an enthusiasm to serve the Lord, disposes of his business in order to go preach the gospel, when God desires to use him as a Christian businessman right where he is. He will be as frustrated and out of place as that individual who failed to respond to God's call to preach His Word and accepted something less than God's perfect will for his life. Likewise, when one is not sure whether or not he has made the right decision about some matter in harmony with God's will, it will be terribly difficult to determine, if he finds himself going through trying circumstances, whether these experiences are "trials of his faith," or chastisement for his disobedience.
How can we be sure just what God's will is in the decisions which confronts us? How can we avoid mistakes and costly blunders? You may be sure of one thing - you do not have to plead
with God to guide and direct you. Over and over in Scripture He expresses His willingness and desire to give you an understanding of His perfect will for your life. He promises to direct your footsteps day to day. God has pledged Himself to direct each step of your life if you will determine to meet the three-fold condition which He sets forth in Proverbs 3:5-6 of total trust in
the Lord; a lack of trust in yourself; and a constant statement of these two facts.
EIGHT SCRIPTURAL METHODS BY WHICH GOD MAKES KNOWN HIS WILL
It is not unreasonable to believe that if God could create a man in His image that He could also speak to him and communicate His will to him, Inasmuch as God has clearly stated in His
Word that it is His desire to reveal His will to the believer, and is displeased when we are not walking in harmony with it. We should also expect that He would provide the means for ascertaining it. This He has done. There are, we find, eight scriptural methods for ascertaining God's will – three are notice in which we must take the initiative, and five are passive in which
we become recipients of divine revelation of His will for us, as seen, for example, in the angel's appearance to Joseph in a dream warning him to flee into Egypt with the child, Jesus. Passive revelation of God's will comes unsought at the Spirit's sovereign discretion, inasmuch as God has promised to direct the steps of those who fulfill the conditions (Prov. 3:5-6).
At the Altar:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:1-2).
I find that many Christians spend years seeking to learn God's will for their lives. They read books on the subject, hoping to find some clue, they pray for guidance, or they seek help through religious counseling, but they have overlooked God's basic requirement for learning His perfect will – the total commitment of one's life on the altar as a living sacrifice. To comprehend just what God requires for total consecration, it is suggested that the section entitled Go Back to Calvary in the first previous studies be reviewed again, for all that was set forth there is to be applied here as the manner in which Romans 12:1-2 is to be understood and obeyed.
While it is true that the Christian can ascertain to some degree God's will through prayer, study at His Word, or by other means, nevertheless, total consecration is required to know His perfect
will, as Romans 12:1-2 clearly indicates. We must learn that we cannot substitute praying for obeying; for without total commitment many precious hours can be wasted praying for a revelation of God's will, or for guidance for our lives in some matter, and heaven will often seem as brass. Why? God is waiting for us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, and climb upon the altar where He can speak with us. He only reveals His perfect will to us when we are upon the altar, for it is only here that we are in a position to hear Him when He speaks. When "self" has been crucified and the life surrendered without reservation, then you will find that the Spirit is frequently speaking inwardly to you, and that you can become quite sensitive to His voice, being able to discern it from your own will, or from the suggestions of the enemy.
It is a great blessing to know when the Spirit is speaking, and to be able to respond to His leading and prompting, fulfilling God's will instead of wandering aimlessly about confused and, bewildered.
You will find that you will be sensitive to His voice to the extent your life is consecrated on the altar and you are yielded to the Spirit. And to the extent you are sensitive to His voice you are able to respond when He speaks. God at times, for one reason or another, speaks directly to His children in an audible voice to reveal some matter to them, give them guidance, or make known His will. Generally, however, it is by means of that still, inner voice that He speaks to our spirit, prompting, leading, directing, and influencing, or at times checking us from taking some undesirable course of action.
God will not reveal His perfect plan and will to a Christian who is not fully yielded unto Him without reservation, for such an individual would be ineffective and unable to fulfill God's purpose in his life. An effective instrument is one that has yielded itself completely to the hand of the one using it. Many Christians feel they have yielded themselves to the Spirit and have consecrated themselves to God, yet they have not always done so without reservation. One individual, for instance, feels that he is consecrated because he is praying for God to send him as a missionary to India, but who at the same time would have no desire for God to use him as a missionary to Indiana! He is consecrated, but not unconditionally; thus, God's perfect will cannot be revealed to him, since it would be impossible for it to be fulfilled in his life.
Another, with a gift of prophecy prays earnestly to God to fulfill his desire and use him in a great way in a ministry of prophecy like that of Amos or Isaiah, but has little inclination to follow in the steps of a prophet like Lucius, for example. After all, who has ever heard of Lucius outside of the people in the local church at Antioch (Acts 13:1)? Another pleads with God for the gifts and power to slay giants as David, pulling down Satan's strongholds, but would decline to engage in this warfare alone in his closet, on his knees, wrestling with the forces of darkness by prayer and fastings.
Christians too often come to God and think they are consecrating themselves to Him simply because they say, "Here I am Lord, use me in such and such a place, at such and such a time,
in such and such a way." Then they wonder why God does not respond to this little genuflection before Him with a mighty out-pouring of His Spirit upon them, or why they seem to have so
much difficulty in ascertaining His will for their lives. After all, they do wish to serve Him and to be used by Him. Why then are they so often bewildered and ineffective? It is simply because they have not placed themselves on the altar and yielded themselves unconditionally to Him. It is true that God wants to use you to speak His Word; but if you are not fully yielded to Him, then often you will find that you will be speaking the wrong word to the wrong people at the wrong time. An effective instrument is one fully yielded to the purpose of the one using it.
Therefore, before God can unveil His perfect will for your life day to day, you must first obey that aspect of His will which He has already revealed – total consecration, "for this is the will of God, even your consecration" (1 Th. 4:3). It is only as we present ourselves as living sacrifices that we are shown progressively, day to day, more and more, "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:1-2). Just as we fellowship and speak with our children God promises to communicate with us and reveal His will, however, it may be that you have been living too far from Him to hear His voice when He speaks. Draw near to Him daily in prayer, love, and obedience, and you will find yourself becoming increasingly sensitive to His voice as He speaks to you.
In the Word;
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Those who may be looking for a shortcut or some easy solution to learning the will of God probably will be disappointed to learn that God has already revealed His will for their lives in
large measure in the Scriptures; and, as a consequence, this means they will have to pay the cost of sacrificing some of their time and interest in other things, and diligently search His Word,
if they expect Him to speak to them through it.
In these instances in which Christians with whom I have counseled are bewildered and confused, and are unable to ascertain God's will about some matter, I have found almost invariably that their predicament is the inevitable consequence of not knowing what the Word of God teaches concerning their problem or need. Again and again I have seen Christians pray for a revelation of God's will, or come to me for guidance about some matter, the solution to which is already revealed in God's Word. It is useless to ask God for guidance on matters where He has clearly unfolded His will, if through negligence, or for some other reason, an individual has not bothered to ascertain what He has had to say on the subject.
If, for example, a Christian woman wishes to marry an unbeliever, hoping to convert him after marriage, she could pray for months for a revelation of God's will in the matter without receiving it, for God is never going to answer such a request as to whether or not this marriage should take place. Why? Simply because He has already revealed His will on this matter in His Word (2 Cor. 6:14). Neither is God going to give that individual the Holy Spirit who prays as some do whom I have heard, saying, "Lord, if the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for me, and if it is your will that I should have it, then somehow show me this fact and I will accept it." God has already revealed in His Word the promise of the Holy Spirit, and states clearly that the baptism will be given to those who, in faith, ask for it (Lk. 11:13).
Again, many Christians are confused concerning God's will in the matter of sickness. Since they are not firmly grounded in what the Word of God teaches on the subject of healing, then they are unsettled in their minds, believing that it is not always God's will to heal the sick, and that there are some exceptions to His promise that "the prayer of faith shall heal the sick" (Jam. 5:15).
Because they do not know God's Word as they should on this question, then they do not always know what God's will is in the event of sickness, especially in case of serious illness, and have, therefore, committed themselves to praying the faithless prayer in such instances, "O Lord, if it be thy will I ask that I might be healed somehow, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done." Such apparent resignation to God's will may sound pious, but it most certainly is not scriptural, inasmuch as God has already revealed His will about the matter of sickness in His Word in dozens of passages, such as Mark 16:18, saying, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Edited. Shared.
To be Continued.
God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.
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