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Discovering God's Will

How do I discern the will of God for my life?
What role does Scripture have in finding God's will?

Discerning God's Will
     God understands our need to make intelligent decisions about very practical concerns. He wants us to keep the big picture in mind and concentrate on our relationship with Him, but He is a God of the details as well.


     He told Abraham where to move. He'll help you know if you should be in Topeka or Nashville. He gave Moses a new job description. He'll guide you as you make a mid-life career change.


     I seriously doubt God will use visions, dreams, or some sort of supernatural phenomenon to communicate His plan. That was His method long ago, but we have a better way today of knowing what the mind of Christ is for the decisions we must make.

The Scriptures

     The Bible is the cornerstone for knowing God's guidance. Any quest for guidance apart from the light of God's Word is perilous.

     The Scripture is God's revelation to men. It is the progressive unfolding of His wisdom and ways. For instance, how would we know the plan of salvation apart from the Bible?

     The psalmist wrote: "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105) He realized that as he meditated on the Scriptures he would "have more insight than all [his] teachers." (Psalm 119:99)

     The Scriptures tell what God's moral will is. They tell us what to do and what not to. It is God's will that we maintain a grateful heart (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and live in a holy manner. (1 Thessalonians 4:3) Conversely, it is not God's will that we grumble and complain or engage in immoral thoughts or actions.

     These things are plain, but often we overlook the very basics of Scripture in seeking to know God's will. It's pointless to ask God if we should be involved in church on Sunday or spend fifty-two weekends a year at the lake. (Hebrews 10:24)

     The principles of God are also rooted in the Bible. They provide spiritual parameters which at some point we will intersect in our decision-making.

     We may be in a serious quandary over whether or not to purchase an automobile. The Bible doesn't have any information on Chevrolets or Fords, but it has a lot say that is pertinent. God's principles on debt, savings, and contentment all factor into the answer.

     The Scriptures are also where God's promises are revealed. Some are conditional, dependent on our obedience; others simply tell us what God will do if we trust Him.

     Philippians 4:19 assures me that God will meet my needs. I don't always know how or when, but I can count on the resources of God for the demands of modern living. That is an incredible promise that settles and sustains me.

     One of the best suggestions I can make is to spend time daily meditating on God's Word. Your mind will be renewed in this exercise and the principles and promises will become part of your new way of thinking.

When you need to know God's will in a matter, you have a tremendous advantage for you can recall much of what God has said in His Word.

This also prevents what someone has called the "lucky dip method" of opening the Scripture and looking for a verse to guide you. That's terribly unorthodox and incompatible with spiritual maturity. It may work sometimes, but don't count on it.