It's a good time to talk about guidance.
I pray that God really blesses you with an amazing 2016, lots of growth!.. yes, more amazing that any year preceding! Personally, I wish at this time of the year I was handed a leather-bound day-timer with a list of items for me to do in the new year, yes, for each of the 365 days ahead.
How can I know the will of God? We wonder, does God still speak today? Is He interested in me as an individual? Does He indeed have a master plan for my life? If so, how do I discover it? There is a way to be, new inside, and there are indeed things that we can do to be sure of knowing His will.
At times I feel like, Man!.. there are to many voices in the world vying to be heard these days. There is the voice of the masses, there is the voice our own conscience. There is the voice of our close friends that influences us, and of loved relatives. There is the voices of the devil and of his fallen-angel-buds. Not interested in hearing any of them. And of course, there is the good voice of God.
Learning to know which is which is important. God has said that we can know His will and His way (see Genesis 18:17; Isaiah 30:21).
Jesus said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15 NKJV).
Learning to know which is which is important. God has said that we can know His will and His way (see Genesis 18:17; Isaiah 30:21).
Jesus said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15 NKJV).
Do we engage in selective hearing? I’ve done that before, especially with my two brothers. And sadly at times I’ve been like that with God at times too. God, thanks for the Bible and for Jesus. Please do beyond, far more than we can even imagine. Help us to know You better, to love You more, to hear You with a willingness to do what You say. We commit this new year to You and trust that You will use us to help our friends and their's as well.
It is not that we don’t know God's will at times. but it is that we don’t always like His will. But the Bible says…
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. —James 4:17
In Romans 12:1–2, we find some prerequisites for God’s guidance:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV
We can in that last passage see what we need to stop doing: Don’t be conformed to this world. Too many allow this to happen. This passage has a conditional promise in it, and a great one it is! The promise is that you can know the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The conditions.. are: one, you and I each must present ourself to Him as a living sacrifice; two, yes.... you and I must not be conformed to this world's system; and three, you and I must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
I do like that order. It does not say.. Hey, you can know God’s will and then decide whether or not it’s good.. whether you desire to offer yourself to Him. No, first, you repent and then you opt to trust Him–you fully surrender to Christ.
I do like that order. It does not say.. Hey, you can know God’s will and then decide whether or not it’s good.. whether you desire to offer yourself to Him. No, first, you repent and then you opt to trust Him–you fully surrender to Christ.
Sometimes, clearly knowing the will of God will be easy, but sometimes it will be more challenging. Remember, God’s Spirit will always work through God’s Word.
Don’t just wait for impressions. Study the Bible, and His Spirit will lead you through His Word to understand it in its proper context.
Don’t just wait for impressions. Study the Bible, and His Spirit will lead you through His Word to understand it in its proper context.
Obedience to revealed truth guarantees guidance in matters unrevealed to you.
Sometimes we cry out to God, “Lord, I know that you’re up there. Please show me Your will—just speak to me right now okay,” when all the while, we are holding the answer in our hands. God’s will is revealed in the pages of Scripture.
God has revealed His plan and His purpose, but we must study the Scripture to know what it is.
King David prayed, “Teach me to do Your will” (Psalm 143:10). Notice what David did not say. Like, “Teach me to fully get it quicker…to understand your will.” Rather, he said, “Teach me to do Your will.” This carries the assumption that it is not a matter of information as much as it is of obedience. Sometimes I think the problem is not that we don’t know the will of God; but it is that we don’t prefer or even like the will of God.
King David prayed, “Teach me to do Your will” (Psalm 143:10). Notice what David did not say. Like, “Teach me to fully get it quicker…to understand your will.” Rather, he said, “Teach me to do Your will.” This carries the assumption that it is not a matter of information as much as it is of obedience. Sometimes I think the problem is not that we don’t know the will of God; but it is that we don’t prefer or even like the will of God.
Ordinarily God won’t show you His will until you’re first willing to actually go do it. God deeply loves you and He is willing to guide you. He has many ways to guide you and he is more than able to do that. Much of the time God guides you through the day when you’re simply doing the next indicated thing that’s the no-brainer obvious best option for all.
The will of God is very clear, clearer than we normally think it would be. Your personal comfort isn’t always God’s top priority when He’s guiding you. In the future you’ll be glad it wasn’t. Have you asked Him in faith to guide you? How specific or often do you inquire of Him? Sometimes we don’t have guidance because we fear that He will give us an answer that we don’t really want to hear. Fear not.
With leaders on both sides of the equation doin’ their own thing for bucks and other crazy ideological reasons, fear of terror is now sweeping the globe. With shootings like every other day and this still.. horrible economy you need God’s guidance. There’s no better place to be then in the center of his will for you!
The Holy Spirit can daily help us know the Father’s will so that we can each thrive in life.. in the midst of this Last Days chaos and confusion around us. You can indeed see how God’s Spirit will give you power and discernment when others have no idea which way we as a people should go. The Spirit will equip you. Where do we start? Here in the Word!
It’s God’s will for you to turn from sin and be in Christ because He SO wants to help. He desires for you to be able to Hear Him regarding the best way for you.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened… — Matthew 7:7-8
Here's a great New Years verse for you.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creature; the old things passed away; behold, NEW things have come. Now all these things are from God.. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Read more - facebook.com/shareJesus
