Most of us have wondered what the will of God is for our lives. Am I correct on my assumption?
Yes, you can know God’s will for your life! Knowing His will for your life is not only possible. God put it in His Book. I’ll show you later the scripture so you can etch it in your very soul.
My blog tagline is; Choices Made ~ Make Us. We have a choice to make in everything we do and even the small decisions make us the persons we become. Beginning to know God’s will for us is the starting point. As we know Christ died and rose again for our salvation we can know His will. Keep reading since there are good choices for you to make in your walk with Jesus.
He who wanders in the woods of uncertainty will be lost.
“Jonah saw God’s will as punishment. Jesus saw God’s will as nourishment.” – Warren Wiersbe
The WILL of God for our lives is not some mystical path we are to follow.
Yes, Scripture gives us an identifiable starting point(s) to walk out His will for our lives.
To follow God’s will for our lives is to find:
1. His purpose
2. His desire
3. God’s choice for all to have eternal life.
Scriptures resonate with God’s will for our lives.
1. God’s purpose:
“…My [Jesus], purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life”. John 10:10 (NLT)
2. God’s desire:
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Ps. 37:4 (NLT)
3. God’s choice:
“… Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.” Acts 15:7 (NKJ)
But you say, “I still don’t get what God’s will is for MY life?” “Is it possible for the scripture to give me a starting point?”
YES! The word declares a clear-cut three-point jump start to fit into His will for our lives.
This morning I read this.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I Thessalonians 5:16–18. (NKJ)
(It would be good to read this whole passage, from verse 14 to verse 24 of this chapter.)
Wonder no more. This scripture defines God’s will for your life. The last part of verse 18 is revealing.
“..this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Here is a bonus thought about walking in God’s will for your life.
Think about how we appreciate being with those who are joyful. People who consider prayer their life-line to God. It is always good to sit around a table with a thankful bunch. Let us BE those people.
Put into practice these three.
1. Rejoice always.
2. Continue in prayer
3. Keep a thankful attitude.
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“Rule #1: Take one more step
Rule #2: When you don’t think you can take one more step, refer to Rule #1.”
– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Now we know what God’s will is for our lives.
At the very least we now have the starting point(s) for the abundant life Jesus has for us.
My call to action, (CTA) is:
1. When it is difficult to rejoice always, do it anyway.
2. Lift your prayers to God. He hears and understands.
3. When trouble comes knocking at your door, be thankful for what you do have.
Are past repented sins harpooning your walk with God? Read this.
Do you have a deeper insight into this? Include your comment below.
I appreciate your comments.
Thank you for reading.
Richard
In my pastoral ministry, I uncovered two disturbing thoughts. These beliefs hold Christians back from enjoying peace with God. One is the thought God had not quite forgiven them of repented sin. The other unholy thought is God’s mercy does not extend to them.
(You can read at the bottom of this post what I wrote on SIN.)
This article will dispel any thought on the availability of God’s mercy to the believer.
Let us take a look at GOD’S MERCY.
To us who have sinned there remains God’s mercy. His [God’s] mercy is an uncommon kind of mercy. Most of the time our mercy is contingent our emotional feelings at the time of the offense.
Dictionary.com defines mercy as Compassion or forgiveness when shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.
In contrast to men’s mercy, God’s mercy is not an emotional response to an offense. His mercy remains constant. God’s mercy does not change with the tide of emotion. It remains constant.
God’s mercy is like the shoreline of the ocean. When we are bobbing up and down in the waves of uncertainty, the shore remains secure. His mercy anchors our soul on His beach.
Warning!
There is one caveat though.
We must admit our need for His mercy. His mercy is stable, secure and unchangeable. We are the ones in need of mercy.
So, read on for this life-affirming news I have for you.
“God is more willing to pardon than to punish. Mercy does more multiply in Him than sin in us. Mercy is His nature.” — Thomas Watson
It is God’s very nature to have mercy. He is the personification of mercy itself.
Five powerful scriptures assuring us of God’s mercies
1. Thank God, we are not burned up in the fiery wrath of God’s judgment everytime we fail Him.
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22–23 (KJV)
We have compassion when a loved one dies or is ill but then as time moves on, our compassions diminish. Yet, God’s mercy and compassion never dwindle over time. No, His unfailing concern for us remains constant. Every morning new mercies are available.
2. We have the sure mercies of David
And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ Acts 13:34 (NKJV)
King David sinned, we know this from reading his story. But he always returned to the shoreline of God’s mercy. This truth assures us to know God’s mercy remains for us this day.
3. Our God is GOOD!
For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalms 100:5 NKJV
We serve a GOOD GOD. One who has an endless supply of mercy. His mercy remains true and steadfast even though many generations have come and gone.
4. Our God has an unlimited supply of tender mercies.
Photo by Igor Rodrigues on Unsplash
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psalms 51:1 (KJV)
God through His Son, Jesus assures us He has an unlimited supply of mercies available for us. His mercies are tender. This is a strong kind of tender. Even though our transgressions are grave. They are dirty and filthy, His tenderness is more powerful! Powerful enough to erase our repented sin forever.
5. The enduring mercies of God.
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever. I Chronicles 16:34 (KJV)
When we have nothing to thank God for, think again. The shoreline of God’s mercies remains secure. When misfortune, illness, poverty, or friends leave us, it is good to remember. God’s mercy remains, relentless and intact. He is a good God, always willing to redeem us with His mercy.
5 Great Responses When You Are Looking For Answers
We have all been there. Lost our job. The marriage went kaput. Best friend(s) left us. What could go wrong, did!
Be careful not to react.
Instead, put structure into a response to the difficult and trying circumstances you face. The Psalmist, King David reminds us not to lose heart but to ‘be of good courage.’
I would have lost heart unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalms 27: 13,14
Over the years of loss, pain, and difficulties I have gained different perspectives on trudging through the muck of despair.
5 Great Responses When You Are Looking For Answers
Refocus capturing a positive attitude by looking at the BIG picture.
Realize what you still have, not what was lost.
Recognize you cannot control the uncontrollable.
Reduce unnecessary stresses by learning to say ‘no.’
Regain and keep your sense of humor.
“You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make.
Forget your past.
Who are you now?
Who have you decided to become?
Make this decision consciously.
Make it carefully.
Make it powerfully.” Anthony Robbins
When in this challenging transition time it is good to consider your past HABITS, your previous ATTITUDE, and your past BEHAVIORS.
Here is a question for you.
Did any of the big three; habits, attitude and behaviors plummet you into the difficulty you are experiencing now?
I must make a confession, I don’t get a ‘high five’ on all 5 of these all the time. My wife had to pull the covers off me one morning when I didn’t want to face the day. She said; “Get up, the sun is up and we are going to make it!” Thank the good Lord for a great wife.
Let’s take a look at each one.
When the company I worked at for 22 years closed, I was despondent at first but soon realized my life was not over. Grabbed ahold of my optimism and began my pursuit of other employment.
2. What I had was more significant than my loss. My wife, my children, and my faith carried me through. A HABIT of mine was to stash some cash in uncertain times, so we had a cushion to tide us over troubled waters.
3. No matter how much I grieved the job loss, I could not change it. I had no control over the company’s decision to close. No amount of my complaining would alter this severe loss. But what I did have power over was my ATTITUDE. Instead of a closed fist, I opened my hands to new possibilities.
4. I had many opportunities which I had to say the word, NO. It was a learning curve to go through rejecting ‘not so good opportunities’ for better options. Not good for me to be with negative people, so I opened myself up to two friends who had positive outlooks on life.
My BEHAVIOR in the job loss was happiness over discontentment. Cheerfulness will redeem your day. The Bible instructs us, cheerfulness is like a medicine. Instead of brokenness, bend your spirit to God’s will. He knows the way through your difficulty.
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Psalm 17:22
The mantra for my posts is: ‘Choices Made, Make Us.’
You now have the opportunity for change to take place in your life. Whatever difficult circumstance you are experiencing you have a choice. Five options. Which of the five will you work on first? The five choices made ALL the difference in my situation. The five will break the chain of loss and despair, it is up to you to make the decision.
My prayer,
Lord, open eyes and hearts to see the wonderful things You have in store for each reader. Even in the hopeless situations, You have promised to never leave nor forsake us. Encourage this reader to put their trust in Your hands. In Jesus name. Amen
The shocking workday calamity did not have to happen. These workers had been given the assignment to work in a specific area. Something outside their work area attracted them. Thereupon, the shocking workday calamity hit the downward spiral changing their world forever!
Here it is in Genesis chapter three, verse thirteen:
Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” (my emphasis)
Working in an unauthorized, off-limits area, they ate the forbidden fruit giving birth to the chaos of sin.
“What have you done?” God asks this question to Eve and Adam.
This examination question is as relevant today as it was at the beginning of time.
The original questions God asked records how sin entered humanity. God’s first question; “where are you?” deals with our emotions. His second question; “who told you?” deals with our reasoning ability. The third question, “What have you done?” points to our will. These three soul issues, which are; our emotions, our intellect, and our will guide us through our day to day routines of life.
The shocking workday calamity happens with disastrous results when we take our eyes off our usual ‘work’ assignments.
These three questions are fundamental to me today. The questions form the basis of my walk with the Lord and interactions I have with family and friends. Where am I?, who am I listening to?, and what am I doing?
Three simple questions.
The simple, straight-forward questions are the hardest to answer.
So, what should I do to answer these questions?
Repent to God of my sin and ask forgiveness of my family and friends for wrongs done to them.
Respect the boundaries God has positioned for me to live my life.
Reach for new opportunities to grow in knowledge and wisdom.
Realizing what you have done in your past, what will you do to change your tomorrows? It is in the power of your will.
“Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top—it is the willpower to that, is the most important. This will power rises from your heart.” – Junko Tabei (First woman on Mt. Everest)
God stands before you, asking what you have done? It is not a question of condemnation but opportunity. Today is the day for a new direction in your life. The right to acknowledge your missteps and chart a different course. You can make the changes necessary; I know you can because you are a good person.
Gabriel-Sanchez – Unsplash
Believe me: The sun will rise again and you will follow a new path.
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