Day #61

I don’t want what I want, but what You want, Lord:)

For the past few days we have been studying about the attitudes we can possess as Christians toward God’s will (God ways). 

1.    Some of us totally ignore God’s will as we make our daily plans and decisions (see Day #59).

2.    Some of us know what God’s will is and we choose to disobey it (see Day #60).

Each of these attitudes is not pleasing to God and will only bring sorrow.  But… what about OBEYING the will of God?  How exactly, do we do that? 

Please read James 4:15 to find out.

The huge thing we need to get is that discovering THE WILL OF GOD for our lives is not like going to a vending machine and getting a soda.  THE WILL OF GOD is found only in a living relationship between you and Him.  This relationship is very personal and unique as God reveals Himself and His ways to us through reading His Word (the Bible). 

As we spend time with God daily through reading the Bible and talking to Him, we need to keep the following in mind.

First, we need to KNOW GOD’S WILL (see Acts 22:14).  This is really not difficult to find out.  Simply obeying what we are learning, as we are learning it, brings on more understanding of God’s ways.  Check out John 7:17.  This verse explains it all.  Willful obedience is what brings us spiritual knowledge... Godly wisdom… God smarts (which is what we call it in our house).

BTW- We can’t stop with just knowing SOME of God’s will.  God wants us to be “filled with the knowledge of His will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9).  It is a bad idea to want God’s will on some matters and ignore His will on other matters.

Next, God wants us to UNDERSTAND HIS WILL (see Ephesians 5:17).  Many little kids know what their parents expect of them, but rarely do they understand why those things are expected.   However, as a child of God, God wants us to not only know the “what,” but the “why” too.  Please read John 15:15.

         

Please read Psalm 103:7.  Neat verse… God allowed the Israelites know what He was doing, but He let Moses know why as well.

Next, God wants us to PROVE HIS WILL (see Romans 12:2).  He wants us to be tested in our learning and find out for ourselves if it is truth.  Proving His will requires working at it.  The more we obey, the easier it is to discover what God wants us to do.  Soon it will become second nature, like riding a bike.

         

Please read Matthew 11:29.  God wants you and Him working together, putting what you are learning into practice.

Finally, we must DO GOD’s WILL FROM THE HEART (see Ephesians 6:6).  Jonah knew what God wanted (His will), and after a spanking he did the will of God, but he did not do it from his heart.  Jonah actually gives it away in Jonah 4 that he was angry and did not love the Lord or the Ninevites.  He simply obeyed God to keep from getting another spanking!

         

Paul tells us a message on “giving” in the following verse, but it could actually be used quite well for LIVING GOD’s WILL FROM THE HEART: “not grudgingly, or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).  So, how about us?  Do we obey because we have too?  Do we obey grudgingly?  Take time and talk about this with God.

TARGET of the DAY

Please read John 4:34 and Psalm 40:8.

If we know, love, and obey the will of God, we will enjoy God’s blessing.  This does not mean life will be easier, but happier because to obey God will become our very food and the joy and delight in our heart. 

Take a moment outside alone and talk with Jesus about what you learned today.