How Can I Know the Will of God? - Part Three

In the last few posts, we've been discussing how to know the will of God.  To summarize what we've learned thus far, we must (1) Follow the guidelines of Scripture, and (2) Grow closer to God by prayer and Bible reading.  The more we know someone, the more we understand their desires.  Yes, one of the best ways to find out what God wants is to spend time with Him, but knowing God's will often requires all of these steps, not just the most convenient one.  And that includes step three which is to surrender to God's will.

How many times have you asked for God's will about something, but when He showed you, it wasn't what you wanted to hear, so you ignored it?  Maybe you've never done that, but I'm sorry to say that I have.  I prayed in earnest, expecting that God's ways would be my ways, that He would know how much I wanted my will to be His will and give in to my expectations.  But God doesn't work that way, and I'm glad He doesn't.  I'm so thankful He's not a puppet on a string that can be controlled by each of my passing fancies.  Who knows what kind of mess I would be in if God always let me have my way?  Yikes!

The fact of the matter is that God knows our hearts.  When we're seeking His will, He knows whether or not we're actually going to do it once He reveals it.  He knows if we're going to obey or pull a Jonah and run the other way.  He understands our hearts better than we do, and while we may think that we're seeking His will, often we're seeking for Him to agree with our will.  It's not the same thing.

If we really want to know God's will, we have to resign ourselves to the fact that the answer may not be what we were expecting or even what we want but that we will obey no matter what.  And let me tell you, this is not a one-time decision.  No, this is a battle that must be fought day after day.  "Thy will be done, Lord.  Thy will be done."  It's not about what we want or what we expect.  It's about what God wants and what He knows is best for us.  Although God's direction may seem terrifying at first, we'll soon discover that when we are in the center of God's will, we are the happiest people on earth.  There is true joy and contentment in doing God's perfect will, and it cannot be found elsewhere.

So, if you want that peace and contentment, it means giving up your desires and expectations and honestly saying, "Thy will be done, Lord."  Then, when God gives you the answer you were seeking, obey with a willing heart and a grateful spirit.

The chances are God won't reveal His will if He knows we're not going to follow it anyway.  He's waiting for us to be willing.  He's looking for our white flag of surrender.

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. - Psalm 37:5