“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!” — Psalms 143:10 ESV
“I just wish that I knew God’s will for my life.” If I had a nickel for every time I heard this, or a dime for every time I said it…. It seems to be the issue at the forefront of the mind of every believer that desires to grow in Jesus; and well it should be. Nevertheless, so many people seem to still be looking for the answer years later. Or are they?
Do we believe that God’s Word is true? Do we believe that He answers prayer? Do we believe that He still speaks to us today? Whether the answer is “yes” or “no” we have a problem… If we are still searching blindly for God’s will.
If we don’t believe those things, then we have a straw house built on the sand. It’s not that our faith is not on a firm foundation, but rather that we have no faith. We profess one thing, for whatever reason, but our lives tell the truth.
If we do believe those things, then there’s obviously a breakdown in communication! For God is desirous for us to know His will, even more so than we who seek it. It is like that game we all played as children. One person says something in the ear of another, and the message gets passed from one to another until it has been heard by all. Then the message that was told to the last person is repeated and compared to the original message; it is never the same message.
When I was first married my uncle died. My wife added me and the rest of his family to the church prayer chain. “Tim Krause’s uncle died.” It sounds simple enough. Please bear in mind that I had been on staff at this church not long before. By the time the message circled back to us the prayer warriors were wondering why we were praying for Tom Cruise.
When we are looking to others to show us the will of God, be it our pastor, small-group leader, family member or friend, how can we possibly trust the answer we receive? Luke 11:9-10 tells us, “ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened (ESV). It is the Father that we need to ask!
Children ask a lot of questions, and they don’t always wait for an answer. When we mature we know better. Even heathens ask questions of God; as Christians, our distinctive should be that we listen for, and expect an answer. And we must always be prepared for whatever answer our Lord gives — yes, no, or not now. We need to cultivate our listening skills if we want to learn to hear God’s voice.
Tomorrow we’ll look at how we can learn to hear from God and discover His will for our lives.
Skipping Stones 