God’s will.

          What does that mean? How do we know what God’s will is for our lives or the life of our church? Does God actually talk to you? How is God’s will communicated to an individual or a church?

          God’s will.

          God told Noah to build a boat and gather his family and all the animals and put them all on the boat, and the world was saved. God told Abram to gather all he had and his family and begin to travel and he did and the Jewish nation was born. God caused a bush to burn without being consumed and from that bush he told Moses what he needed to do and Moses began his forty year career of saving the Jews. These men, and many more, took God at His Word and stepped out and did incredible things. They went in God’s will. BUT, God TALKED to them. They carried on conversations. Yes, they did God’s will, but it was pretty definite. God used language and He talked to them. That would be so much easier! Why doesn’t God pick out a prophet and tell him direct?

          God’s will.

          The way God has it set up now, how can you even know?

          Could it be that God is talking to us, but we do not hear?

          ‘Prophesy’ means speak or write words under the divine influence of God. One who does so is a ‘Prophet.’ It does not mean to see the future. Sometimes the Lord gave a future insight to the prophet, but it wasn’t about that at all. Noah was a mighty prophet. They mocked him, they ignored him, they thought he was crazy. Abraham was a mighty man of God. But he made mistakes and had times of stumbling. Moses was, arguably, the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. Following him, the people were fed every day and they were cared for. As soon as he was out of sight up the mountain where the people could see the glory of God, the people turned from God to an idol. Elijah was another great prophet. He called fire from heaven and then made it rain after a great time of drought. They tried to kill him. Isaiah was a prophet on par with Moses. Historical documents show that he was sawn in half. Paul was the greatest prophet of the New Testament. He was stoned, beaten and then killed. These men, and others as well, were great and mighty men of God. They proclaimed the Word of God! People didn’t listen.

          To know God’s will, start listening.

          But, to whom do we listen? We listened to Billy Graham, now look at us. We listened to Charles Stanley, that didn’t make much difference. The great preachers come and go and we seem to stay on the same path to destruction. HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WILL OF GOD?????

          First, God provided the greatest prophet of all. The Bible is the very Word of God. We read, He speaks. There are some very good English translations and there are some very bad English translations. The goal is to find a good translation and then read it. Every day. Not just the few verses that appear in your devotional. The actual Word of God. OK, will I find God’s will for my life in the Bible? Probably not. But just as important, you will find out what is not God’s will. If you think God is leading you in a certain direction, but then you read in the Word that what you are thinking does not agree with the Bible, you need to reexamine your thinking. The Lord does not need to speak to us vocally. He left us His Words in a book.

          Second, the Lord gave us the greatest privilege of all. We can talk to the Lord any time, any place. Prayer is an amazing thing. We like to say ‘God answered my prayer’ if things work out. God answers the prayer of a believer, regardless of how it works out. Marsha was pregnant. We had, over the years, several miscarriages. But this one looked like she might carry to term. The people in our church in Miami were praying earnestly that it would all work out. We were praying earnestly that it would work out. The time drew closer, and then the time arrived! And it didn’t work out. Tears. Agony of soul. At church a few days after we lost little Olivia, one of the ladies came up to me and asked me why God hadn’t answered all the prayers. They had all exercised their faith and prayed hard. Why did God turn away? I was young in the ministry. I had some theological training, but I certainly did not have the experience that this lady had in her time in the church. This lady had come to Christ two decades before I was born. But it was so simple to me. God had answered all those prayers. His answer was no. He had something else planned.

          OK, so if I read the Bible and pray, then God will reveal His plan to me?

          No.

          WHAT? WHAT MORE CAN I DO?

          People tend to read and pray in the same manner. Most people who read and pray daily spend little more than fifteen minutes doing both. We are too busy, it is too time consuming, we get bogged down. Much, much better to listen to Christian music or watch a video. That feels good!

          Maybe an attitude change.

          2 Chronicles 7:13-15---When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,  if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.  Why don’t we have time to pray? Why does it seem hard to read? Because we really believe that the things we have to do are more important than the things God has for us to do. We need to be humble before the Lord. We need to seek His way and His will. And there is one other thing.

          Isaiah 40:27-31---27Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? ²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. ³⁰ Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; ³¹ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.   We tend to really like that passage because it tells us to wait on the Lord. But, the word ‘wait’ means to collect, or work. Like a waiter or a waitress. It is not telling us to sit back and do nothing, but rather to be busy with the Lord’s work. Then our strength will be renewed. We can Spiritually soar like eagles, we can Spiritually run or we can Spiritually walk with strength.

          God’s will? How can we know it?

          Read the Word. Study to show yourself approved. Pray. Even when you don’t feel it, pray. Humble yourself before the mighty King. No one deserved praise more than David, but before he could really be used, he had to humble himself before the Lord. And do not sit back and wait for the Lord to reveal His plan. Get up off your backside and start serving Him like a good waiter or waitress.

          And then, you will begin to know God’s will. Guaranteed!