Discernment, Encouragement, God's Plan, Guidance, Love, Obedience, Prayer, Relationship to Christ, Submission, Trust, Truth, Unity, Wisdom

Understanding the Will of God in Our Lives

Many ask, “What is God’s Will for me?”  It can be a difficult question to answer, but God’s Word gives us some ideas on how to find the answer to that question. Our Bible Journaling verse for today says, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17 ESV)  God’s general Will is clearly set out in Scripture.  The Apostle Paul, in chapter 5 of Ephesians, talks about how we can be imitators of Christ.  How are we to do that?  Paul tells us we are to use God as our model, the One who is our example.  To do this he says we are to understand God’s will, not just for our lives, but in all things.

On their website, Ligonier Ministries describes understanding God’s Will. “Understanding the will of the Lord, then, means that we emphasize the church’s need to be united in truth and love. It means that we discern our role in fostering this union. Those who are foolish, the characteristic that marks out those who misunderstand God’s will (Eph. 5:17), seek to divide the body and engage in the impure acts that Paul warns us against in this epistle (4:17–6:20). Wise people who love the Lord’s will, on the other hand, promote Christian unity and submit to the principles for sanctified living found in Ephesians and in all of Scripture.”

For myself, understanding the specific Will of God for my life has had me scratching my head at times.  There have been times when I think, “Is this what God wants me to do, or is this just my own selfish desire popping up?”  How are we to know what God’s Will is for us, not only individually, but as Christians overall?  The Billy Graham Library website gives six ways of determining what is God’s Will.  “First, commit your decision to God.  Make it a matter of regular prayer, asking God to guide you, and make His Will known to you.”  Before we decide ANYTHING, we should bring it to God first.  Ask Him to help us to discern what His Will is for us. “Second, read the Scriptures.”  If what we think we are being led to do doesn’t line up with Scripture, then it isn’t God’s Will, because God will never lead us to do anything contrary to His Word. “Third, understand your circumstances.”  God works not only in our lives but in the lives of those around us.  It could very well be that His Will involves someone else as well, and He may use the circumstances surrounding our situation with others to accomplish His Will in our lives. “Fourth, seek godly advice.”  Seek out Christians who are filled with godly wisdom, or have been in a situation as we are currently in. They can guide us in determining God’s Will for us. “Fifth, trust the Holy Spirit’s guidance.” We must listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit inside us to guide us.  When we feel that nudging, listen to it  (Isaiah 30:21)  Lastly, “trust God for the outcome.” Once you are certain of God’s leading, don’t be hesitant.  Walk in the way He is leading you. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “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.” (KJV) Trust what He is telling you! He loves you and wants you to succeed in doing things His way, and to know His Will.

The other side of our Bible Journaling verse is, that if we do NOT do these things, we are being foolish. Those who don’t understand God’s Will, Paul says, are foolish. The Enduring Word website says, “Understand what the will of the Lord is: This is what real wisdom is. It is the contrast to being unwise. Our main understanding of the will of the Lord comes from a good knowledge of His word.”  Knowing God’s Will involves knowing God, and the best way to know Him is to read His Word, follow its precepts, and be imitators of God so that our hearts are in line with His.  It is then we can be assured that we are following His Will.

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Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

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