TO CHEW ON: "For this reason we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Colossians 1:9
Charles Price, the speaker on the TV program Living Truth a while ago preached a series on God's will. In the first message he made the point that we tend to look at God's will for our lives as sort of spiritual GPS (Global Positioning System). He fantasized it going something like: "And so you get up in the morning and (hear), 'Go to the university and study this subject. See that girl over there; marry her. Go and get this job. Live at that address. Live happily ever after. Amen.'"
But it's not like that. Instead, Dr. Price said, "'What is the will of God for my life?' isn't even the best question. It is a valid question. But the first question is what is the will of God? Period. Not what is the will of God for me; what is the will of God for God? What is the big picture of what God is doing in the world of which I, as an individual, can have a part?"
So what is the will of God? Here is a quick look at some Bible verses that mention God's will:
Jesus spelled it out as: "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40).
Jesus prayed that God's will be done on earth (Matthew 6:10). Doing God the Father's will was the obsession of His life (John 4:34). Despite that, He struggled with it at least once (Mark 14:36) but did always subject Himself to the will of "the Father who sent Me." (John 5:30).
The psalmist spoke of God and His Spirit teaching him to do God's will (Psalm 143:10), of the impetus for doing it as coming from within, and obeying it as delightful (Psalm 40:8). Men like David did God's will by serving their generation (Acts 13:36).
For us it involves accepting Jesus' payment for our sins. That sets us free from the influence of "this present evil age"(Galatians 1:3-4). We know what God's will is through obedience and compliance with it (Romans 12:1-2). Actually doing it gives us a ticket into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21) and makes us part of God's family (Matthew 12:50).
Charles Price summed it up so beautifully:
"So if you want the will of God for your life, it is a lot deeper than a spiritual GPS; it’s a life that is surrendered. We are the objects of His love; therefore we can trust Him because He loves us.... We are the subjects of His lordship and therefore we obey Him. And these two things – obedience and trust – are the two essential ingredients of leading the Christian life" - Charles Price from "Living in the Will of God" message.
PRAYER: Dear God, I pray that I will be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that I may walk worthy of You, fully pleasing You, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Amen.
MORE: "Will of God" sermon series
Pastor Charles Price's series "Living in the Will of God" is available transcribed as pdf documents on the Living Truth website. Go HERE, click on "Living In The Will of God" series, download the zip file which, when opened, contains nine pdf sermon files. They are long, so you might want to save them on your computer for reading later.
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