Most Christians I know have asked the age old question, "What's God's will for my life?" Early on in my Christian life I desperately wanted to know God's will and for some reason felt that I was missing it. After having such an overnight, dramatic conversion I concluded that God's will also had to be found through a similar epiphany experience. While I still welcome and seek to find God and experience Him in new ways, I have come to believe that finding His will happens more gradually and subtly as we follow Him daily.
I have read literature and heard sermons on finding God's will that has been helpful. But too often I find that God's will becomes a forumla that we are trying to crack. The line of thinking typically goes something like this, "If you read your Bible enough, pray enough and make a list of all the pros and cons to every decision, you will find God's will."
I agree that reading God's Word daily, praying without ceasing and making wise choices will help us to find God's will, but I'm convinced that God is more interested in our relationship with Him than in us doing certain things to find His will.
This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24, NIV)
God's will is for us to know Him. You can know the name of every President past and present, but have never met any one of them. In the same way, you can know about God, that He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, yet not know Him personally. Finding God's will for your life starts by coming to know Him personally through salvation.
Knowing God doesn't stop at salvation though, in fact it's just the beginning. God wants us to continually "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". (2 Peter 3:18) As we come to know Him more intimately, we also come to know His will for our lives. God is not looking for us to crack a formula, but to develop a relationship. May it be at the end of our lives that we share the testimony of Enoch and Noah who "walked with God". (Genesis 5:24, Genesis 6:9)
Of course our greatest example of knowing God and walking in His will comes from Jesus Christ. Throughout the Scriptures we see that Jesus was "led by the Spirit" (Matthew 4:1l, Luke 4:1), spoke and did what the Father showed Him to do (John 8:38) and willingly laid down his will for that of the Father (Matthew 26:42).
Today as believers in Christ we have been given the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the person of the Holy Spirit who "will guide you into all truth", speak to you (John 16:13), give you the words you need to speak (Luke 12:12) and lead you in the ways of God. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14)
I am determined and convinved that God's will can be found by simply following the Holy Spirit one day at a time, one moment at a time. As we learn more about Him through the Word of God and grow in our relationship with Him on a daily basis, through prayer and fellowship with Him, we will find ourselves in the will of God.
So what is God's will for your life?
It's very simple. Do the next thing that the Holy Spirit would have you to do.
Amen.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Refreshment for the Weary Soul
We live in a world that can tear us down and beat us up. At times the battle of life seems like an uphill fight and we become fatigued and feel like giving up. But there is hope! God's Word has given the solution to overcoming weariness and finding strength and refreshment to live.
The typical Western solution to weariness is found in taking vacations. "I need a vacation" is a common phrase I hear in the office and one I've muttered myself. Finding a break from work is a great start to overcoming weariness. In fact, God's original work plan instructed humanity to take one day of rest for every six days of work. (Exodus 23:12) I believe that the Sabbath day is God's on-going vacation plan for humanity to find rest each week.
Jesus corrected the understanding of his contemporaries who thought the Sabbath day was about keeping rules. Instead Jesus taught that the Sabbath was a day God had given to man for rest. (Mark 2:27) I have found that practicing the Sabbath day has been one of the best preventative means of avoiding weariness. Apart from church attendance and prayer, my Sabbath includes abstaining from the computer and e-mail for a day and taking a nap in the afternoon.
Even more practical than taking naps and taking time off, the Bible speaks about the importance of nutrition to overcoming a weary soul. When David and his people became weary, they nourished themselves with good, wholesome and healthy foods. (2 Samuel 17:27-29) Elijah is another a perfect example, he fell asleep and an angel of the Lord woke him up twice instructing him to eat. "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for you."(1 Kings 19:7). Now that's my kind of angel!
While good food and rest are essential, the solution to weariness goes even deeper. Weariness is the feeling of being fatigued not only in our body, but in our mind, emotions and spirit. Therefore the remedy for overcoming weariness needs to meet the inner needs of our heart as much as rest for our body. No food or rest can solve the need for quality time spent with God.
God himself never becomes weary. He never tires or needs rest. "Have you not known? have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary?" (Isaiah 40:28) God is the everlasting source of strength and life. Spending time in God's presence will recharge our internal battery. "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)
Jesus made a statement that would be outlandish for anyone other than God when we said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, NIV) Taking time to come to Jesus and giving him our burdens will bring refreshment to the weariest of souls.
Spending time with God must also include time in God's Word, the Bible. Nothing will refresh us more than a timely word in due season. A word in season can help encourage a person who is feeling weary to have hope. If you are weary, seek God for a word of encouragement and if you know others who are feeling weary, seek to encourage them. (Isaiah 50:4) A timely word from God is able to revive us, strengthen us, comfort us and give us joy. (Psalm 119:25, 28, 50, 107, Proverbs 12:25)
Weariness should not be taken lightly. The feelings of weariness can make us sick of living and even desirous of death, just ask Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Job (Job 3:16-17, 6:8,9, 10:1) or Jonah (Jonah 4:8) If you are feeling weary today, find time to rest, eat well and get alone with God in prayer and in reading His word. Ignoring, or denying the feelings of weariness and plowing forward can be disastrous.
Weariness can also makes us more vulnerable and susceptible to the enemy's attacks which may come in the form of discouragement in our hearts or in the guise of a "good friend". (1 Peter 5:8, Deuteronomy 25:18, Job 16:7, Job 22:7) We must be cautious of the company we surround ourselves with when we feel weary and find good friends who will lift us up and encourage us.
Ultimately, we must determine to never quit doing good and serving the Lord knowing that the work we do is not in vain. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) (2 Thessalonians 3:13) If we do not give up or lose heart, there will come a day when our labors are rewarded and we get to hear the words of our Savior say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
The typical Western solution to weariness is found in taking vacations. "I need a vacation" is a common phrase I hear in the office and one I've muttered myself. Finding a break from work is a great start to overcoming weariness. In fact, God's original work plan instructed humanity to take one day of rest for every six days of work. (Exodus 23:12) I believe that the Sabbath day is God's on-going vacation plan for humanity to find rest each week.
Jesus corrected the understanding of his contemporaries who thought the Sabbath day was about keeping rules. Instead Jesus taught that the Sabbath was a day God had given to man for rest. (Mark 2:27) I have found that practicing the Sabbath day has been one of the best preventative means of avoiding weariness. Apart from church attendance and prayer, my Sabbath includes abstaining from the computer and e-mail for a day and taking a nap in the afternoon.
Even more practical than taking naps and taking time off, the Bible speaks about the importance of nutrition to overcoming a weary soul. When David and his people became weary, they nourished themselves with good, wholesome and healthy foods. (2 Samuel 17:27-29) Elijah is another a perfect example, he fell asleep and an angel of the Lord woke him up twice instructing him to eat. "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for you."(1 Kings 19:7). Now that's my kind of angel!
While good food and rest are essential, the solution to weariness goes even deeper. Weariness is the feeling of being fatigued not only in our body, but in our mind, emotions and spirit. Therefore the remedy for overcoming weariness needs to meet the inner needs of our heart as much as rest for our body. No food or rest can solve the need for quality time spent with God.
God himself never becomes weary. He never tires or needs rest. "Have you not known? have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary?" (Isaiah 40:28) God is the everlasting source of strength and life. Spending time in God's presence will recharge our internal battery. "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)
Jesus made a statement that would be outlandish for anyone other than God when we said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, NIV) Taking time to come to Jesus and giving him our burdens will bring refreshment to the weariest of souls.
Spending time with God must also include time in God's Word, the Bible. Nothing will refresh us more than a timely word in due season. A word in season can help encourage a person who is feeling weary to have hope. If you are weary, seek God for a word of encouragement and if you know others who are feeling weary, seek to encourage them. (Isaiah 50:4) A timely word from God is able to revive us, strengthen us, comfort us and give us joy. (Psalm 119:25, 28, 50, 107, Proverbs 12:25)
Weariness should not be taken lightly. The feelings of weariness can make us sick of living and even desirous of death, just ask Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Job (Job 3:16-17, 6:8,9, 10:1) or Jonah (Jonah 4:8) If you are feeling weary today, find time to rest, eat well and get alone with God in prayer and in reading His word. Ignoring, or denying the feelings of weariness and plowing forward can be disastrous.
Weariness can also makes us more vulnerable and susceptible to the enemy's attacks which may come in the form of discouragement in our hearts or in the guise of a "good friend". (1 Peter 5:8, Deuteronomy 25:18, Job 16:7, Job 22:7) We must be cautious of the company we surround ourselves with when we feel weary and find good friends who will lift us up and encourage us.
Ultimately, we must determine to never quit doing good and serving the Lord knowing that the work we do is not in vain. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) (2 Thessalonians 3:13) If we do not give up or lose heart, there will come a day when our labors are rewarded and we get to hear the words of our Savior say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
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