Tuesday June 25, 2013

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

 

“Pastor, I don’t know God’s will for my life.” I’ve heard that cry many, many times over the last 2 decades. So many Christians don’t know God’s will for their life and are desperately seeking direction and guidance. Perhaps you are one of them.

 

Scripturally, there are many ways to understand God’s will. There is his immutable will. That will of God is His unchanging will which will come to pass. For example, it is God’s will that Jesus be Lord and Judge and that He will judge the living and the dead. This will happen no matter what you and I do or don’t do.

 

Then there is God’s moral will. This is what God would have us believe and how He would have us act. In any and in every situation God’s will is that we believe and act in ways that conform to His character. God’s moral will is never that we sin or indulge ourselves.

 

Finally, there is God’s will for our individual lives and circumstances. While we may not have a degree of ‘revelation’ from God about which job to take or which person to marry, we do have considerable teaching about God’s will in many different circumstances. It is, for example, God’s will that we  be sanctified. This means that God wants and wills for us to be different, to be holy and separate from the world in everything we do. Likewise, it is God’s will that we avoid sexual immorality. It is God’s will that we control our bodily desires and that we do not give into these desires. It is God’s will that we live holy and honourably in a way that befits our new centre - Christ Jesus.

 

In some sense a lot of the decisions in life are simplified when we consider God’s moral will and His individual will as revealed in Scripture. Which ever choice we make, God wants us to walk down that road in accord with His Word and His character.

 

Sometimes when a believer says ‘Pastor, I don’t know God’s will for my life’ they might be asking, ‘How do I know which pathway will cause me the most happiness?’, or ‘Which direction will lead to the least amount of pain?’ This is the wrong question. The right question is, ’How can I please God regardless of the pathway I walk down?’

 

A life lived in conformity to the will of God is a powerful life indeed.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

 

Supplication:

V Pray for the work of Mustard Seed Orphanage in Myanmar as they seek to care for children, the lame and the outcast of society. Pray that God would raise the daily funds and supplies they need so that they can focus on preaching the Word and making disciples. Pray that many would come to know Christ personally through their work.

V Pray similarly for the work of Shiloh church ministries.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Have there been times when you didn’t know God’s will for your life? What did you do and what happened?

2. How do you normally go about finding God’s will for your life?