Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I’ll answer you, and will tell you about great and hidden things that you don’t know.’
To understand the will of God, we must call unto Him with an open heart. “There are two kinds of people in this world: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done’, and those to whom God says, ‘All right then, have it your way’” – CS Lewis. Many struggle incessantly to understand the will of God for their lives, yet fail. Questions about selecting our life partner, career moves or a capital purchase never stops daunting us as we wade through the sea of life. CS Lewis, the Irish-born scholar, novelist, author and Christian apologetic elegantly separated in the above quote, the two groups who endeavour to discover God’s will. The first lot surrender to His will but another larger group push through their bequest until God says, ‘All right then, have it your way!’
Assimilating the will of God is like unpacking a neatly wrapped Christmas gift. Many don’t hear from God as their mind is swathed with anxiety and heart is sheathed with antagonism. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Purity before petition and surrender before seeking His will are inevitable to understand the will of God in any matter. The scabbard of selfishness, the scum of unforgiveness and shroud of covetousness will hide the will of God. Without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14b). Submission, surrender and seeking is the simple methodology to decipher the perplexing mystery of God’s will.
Three broad categories of God’s Will:
- Perfect: It is the Sovereign and perfect will of God that everyone must come under His saving grace. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4). This is why Jesus clearly instructed us – love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44). We need not seek the will of God to pray for those who posted slanderous, sarcastic, malign attacks about us on FaceBook or to bless the boss who declined our promotion. It is the perfect will of God that everyone born on the earth must escape the final judgement and damnation. God’s ‘perfect will’ is explicit in His Word.
- Prescribed: The instruction to choose wisdom over lethargy and righteousness over complacency is prescribed will of God. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:15&18). God’s stipulated will is not to be high on spirits but to be filled in the Holy Spirit. God’s ‘prescribed will’ is elucidated in His Word.
- Permissible: Third category is where God permits the adamant who refuse to surrender but expect God to accommodate their agenda. Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please (Isaiah 58:3a). Fasting yet pleasing our flesh and pleading for our selfish prayers to be answered will only earn the permissible will of God without divine blessing. ‘Permissible will’ is our personal plan, not God’s will.
Surrender will elevate us into God’s perfect and submission will expound His prescribed will.
Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Prayer: Sovereign King, I surrender to your perfect timeline and your prescribed blueprint for my life. Let thy will be done. Amen.
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