Book 2 of Musings Knowing God's Will

There are three signs of God's will: what we are doing is not contrary to the Scripture;

we have a deeply settled joy and peace; the circumstances are in agreement. When one of these three is not in evidence we need to go to the Lord to find out why.

It is not easy to find God's will, even when we want to know it.

I have found the following three criteria to be helpful:

What we are doing or plan to do must not be contrary to the New Testament.

When we think about what we are doing or plan to do, there must be a deeply settled joy and peace. Sometimes we are driven by fear, duty, our ambition, by what other people think we should do. If we do not feel good about it, if there is dread or fear present, it probably is not the Lord's will.

Of course there are times when we dread doing something we truly believe is the Lord's will for us. After we have prayed, the Lord will give us grace to forge ahead. But sooner or later there will be peace and joy.

The third evidence we should look for is the agreement of the circumstances. It is true that God may lead us in a path that seems to go against our present circumstances. But if we keep praying, we may notice that little by little our environment begins to agree with what we are hearing from God.

You remember that Eliezer agreed that the girl God had chosen would water his ten camels. Rebekah did just that.

If there are a number of circumstances that God must change if His will is to be clear, watch out for that tenth camel. Sometimes nine camels will be watered immediately. There are occasions when everything will fall into place except one circumstance. It just won't yield. Don't force it. It may be that tenth camel is God's way of delaying or preventing your action.

Did you ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? Do you remember how you took up a piece that almost fit, but not quite? Do you recall the temptation to force it just a little, thinking maybe the manufacturer of the puzzle had made a mistake?

So it is when you are waiting for that last item to fall into place. Don't force it. God moves in a broad, objective manner. The stars in their courses fight for Sisera, so to speak. Wait until circumstances demonstrate the will of God.

There are exception to this, but be very careful when you find yourself forcing people and circumstances.

When a believer get off the track, it usually because of some subjective experience he or she has had, some inner word or feeling, or a prophetic utterance in his own mind and heart. God is objective in His dealings. The physical world responds to God's will. Noah opened the door and the animals came over the hill where other people could see them. This is the way it is when God moves.

God does not direct you to do something that is contrary to the New Testament. You always are welcome to test the spirits. God will never reprove you for questioning a voice or spirit, because the Bible commands you to test the spirits, God will not rebuke you for this nor will He be offended. You will need to know this in the days to come.

I like to think of God's will as a huge truck. You can kick the tires. It is real, solid, substantial. Too many of God's people are like wizards. They love the supernatural and peep and mutter. There is a desire to be a witch, to show one's spiritual power by offering words of knowledge.

In our church we discourage the giving of words of knowledge except when other spiritual people are present, usually elders. Pentecostal people slide into witchcraft if they are not careful. The faith, prosperity, speaking creative words, and imaging doctrines are too close to witchcraft.

The most desirable of all states of being to which an individual can attain is that of rest in God's will. How we have to fight to enter God's perfect will! It is a continual battle.

Satan, our flesh and soul, our desire for preeminence and success, the Antichrist world spirit-all struggle to distract us from doing God's perfect will.

Some are teaching that to say "Your will be done" when we pray for the sick is to show lack of faith, or to prevent the speaking of a creative word. Such are incorrect. Every prayer must be presented as "Your will be done." Do we want something that is not God's will? Do we really want God to heal someone when it is not His will?

We are never to "step out in faith" unless directed to do so by the Lord.

The only way we can find God's will is by denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following the Lord Jesus. We must present our body to God as a living sacrifice. When we do not take up our personal cross, Satan can deceive us. Our personal cross is our protection against deception. We are deceived when we try to strive to be happy and without problems in the present world. We are in the safest place when we rejoice with trembling.

Our goal is to arrive at the state where God's greatest desire for us is our greatest desire. To live in such a condition is to dwell in the power of Christ's resurrection, and also to share His sufferings. Day by day we pray that we may be in that perfect will, that perfect rest of God.

All of our religious activities, all that we do in church, are for the purpose of bringing us into God's perfect will.

"All there is, is now," the Lord said to me on one occasion. Those who feel they could never do God's perfect will need to think about the "now."

Can you do God's will right this minute? Of course you can, if you pray for strength and wisdom.

Five minutes from now there will be another "now." You will find that when you get there, Divine grace will be present to enable you to do God's will.

But how about tomorrow? Tomorrow is another "now." When you arrive, Jesus will be there to enable you to do God's perfect will.

And so on, and on, and on from one "now" to the next.

Satan discourages us by urging us to look at tomorrow. But there is no grace for tomorrow, only for "now." If you will live in the "now," you will find that you always can do God's perfect will.

Doing God's will is entirely possible for every believer. You can do it. You must do it if you expect to have God's blessing on your life. Why should you suffer all sorts of problems and pains when you could be rejoicing in the Lord?

Also, you will die some day. If you expect to be greeted by a joyful Christ you must do God's will.

"But," some may object, "I won't be happy if I do God's will."

Do you think those who rebel against God are happy?

There were three crosses on the hill. God was crucified. The saved man was crucified. The unsaved man was crucified. Everyone is crucified because the present world is under the Divine curse. So if you are going to suffer anyway, why not let your sufferings drive you into Christ so you will receive profit from them?

God's commandments are not grievous. It is a joy to live in God's will. Otherwise we always have that nagging feeling in the back of our mind, wondering what would happen were we to die suddenly without an opportunity to make things right.

Why not live in God's wonderful will at all times. Then you will have the best possible life on earth-and Heaven too!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)