In my last post, “God Is Not Hiding His Will From You”. I wrote that if you are looking for God to help you decide should I marry this person or that person, should I buy a Honda or Tesla, should I wear the red tie or the black tie today, will I be blessed if I take this street to work today; then you are not going to get an answer.
If you want to know God’s will for you it's right in front of you in His word, the Bible. The Bible contains God’s “Revealed Will” and, from His “Revealed Will” we will respect His “Determined Will” and then we can discover His “Specific Will” (see my post “How can I know God's will for me?”. In the Bible you will find principles and wisdom and clear guidance on some things that will help you make decisions that please God.
How Do I Make Decisions that Please God
In a blog post, with the same title as this one, written in 2011 Tim Challies gives us three questions that we should ask ourselves when making a decision that will please God. That decision may be on accepting a new job of position, it may be deciding if and where to relocate, it may even be who to marry. Here's some of what Tim said in that post.
QUESTION #1 - What does the Bible say about it?
That’s a rather obvious question, but it’s one we sometimes miss. What does the Bible say about it? Is there a passage in the Bible that speaks directly to this issue or is there a principle that applies to it?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (HCSB) 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (HCSB) 12 You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Notice the emphasis on seeking with all your heart. As long as you can live without knowing God’s will for your life, you will. But when you seek with all your heart, you will find it.
Matthew 7:7 (HCSB) “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
What you are especially looking for here is one of two things: a clear command that you must do something, or a clear command that you must not do something.
Not every question immediately yields that yes or no. And for that reason we’ve got 2 more questions.
QUESTION #2 - What is the wisest choice?
Or what is the choice that will be most spiritually profitable? Which one seems to offer the greatest opportunities?
Of course after thinking through the wisdom of a decision you may find that you still have questions. Maybe you look to the Bible and you pray and you talk to friends and you look for counsel from your pastors and at the end of it all it doesn’t seem like either decision would be unwise. That brings you to the final question.
QUESTION #3 - What do you want to do?
Isn’t it amazing that we get to ask this question? What do you want to do? What desires has God given you? What makes you happy? What brings you joy? What excites you? Find that thing and go do it.
If you want to know God’s will for you it's right in front of you in His word, the Bible. The Bible contains God’s “Revealed Will” and, from His “Revealed Will” we will respect His “Determined Will” and then we can discover His “Specific Will” (see my post “How can I know God's will for me?”. In the Bible you will find principles and wisdom and clear guidance on some things that will help you make decisions that please God.
How Do I Make Decisions that Please God
In a blog post, with the same title as this one, written in 2011 Tim Challies gives us three questions that we should ask ourselves when making a decision that will please God. That decision may be on accepting a new job of position, it may be deciding if and where to relocate, it may even be who to marry. Here's some of what Tim said in that post.
QUESTION #1 - What does the Bible say about it?
That’s a rather obvious question, but it’s one we sometimes miss. What does the Bible say about it? Is there a passage in the Bible that speaks directly to this issue or is there a principle that applies to it?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (HCSB) 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (HCSB) 12 You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Notice the emphasis on seeking with all your heart. As long as you can live without knowing God’s will for your life, you will. But when you seek with all your heart, you will find it.
Matthew 7:7 (HCSB) “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
What you are especially looking for here is one of two things: a clear command that you must do something, or a clear command that you must not do something.
Not every question immediately yields that yes or no. And for that reason we’ve got 2 more questions.
QUESTION #2 - What is the wisest choice?
Or what is the choice that will be most spiritually profitable? Which one seems to offer the greatest opportunities?
Of course after thinking through the wisdom of a decision you may find that you still have questions. Maybe you look to the Bible and you pray and you talk to friends and you look for counsel from your pastors and at the end of it all it doesn’t seem like either decision would be unwise. That brings you to the final question.
QUESTION #3 - What do you want to do?
Isn’t it amazing that we get to ask this question? What do you want to do? What desires has God given you? What makes you happy? What brings you joy? What excites you? Find that thing and go do it.
Six Secrets to Discerning God’s Guidance
The following are six secrets to discovering God’s guidance. All of them are from Acts 11:1-18, the account of Peter’s defense of his Gentile mission. He was called on the carpet by the elders of the church in Jerusalem for going to Caesarea and actually siting and eating with uncircumcised (Gentile) men. The first three verses are the charges against Peter and the remaining verses are Peter’s explanation and the church’s agreement with what he did.
Secret #1: Spend time in communion with God
Acts 11:5 (HCSB) “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a visionary state, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. (Emphasis mine)
Peter was taking time for prayer and meditation when God spoke to him. If we want to be in a position to hear God’s voice and receive His direction, we must spend time in prayer and meditation.
Secret #2: Receive a personal vision from God
Acts 11:5 (HCSB) “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a visionary state, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. (Emphasis mine)
I am not talking about a miraculous experience that Peter had, but the desire that God implanted in Peter’s heart.
Psalm 37:4 (HCSB) Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
Proverbs 29:18 (HCSB) Without revelation people run wild, but one who listens to instruction will be happy.
Through secrets one and two, God can give you a vision for what He wants you to do. If you use the next four secrets, you can then figure out how and when.
Secret #3: Look for opportunities given by God
Acts 11:11 (HCSB) At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were.
Secret #4: Listen to the voice of the Spirit of God
Acts 11:12 (HCSB) Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.
I saw something on the Internet that said “When God speaks, He doesn't stutter!”
Secret #5: Seek advice from men & women of God
Acts 11:12 (HCSB) Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house. (Emphasis mine)
Proverbs 11:14 (HCSB) Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.
Proverbs 15:22 (NLT) Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
Secret #6: Consider the testimony of the Word of God
Acts 11:16 (HCSB) Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
These six secrets are as applicable for us today as they were for Peter. The way God speaks is still the same. He speaks through His Son who is in us by His Spirit. God speaks through His Spirit through His word, the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and people.
There is one more post in this series God’s Will. The final post will be principles from God's Word that will help you discover God’s “Specific Will” for you.
The following are six secrets to discovering God’s guidance. All of them are from Acts 11:1-18, the account of Peter’s defense of his Gentile mission. He was called on the carpet by the elders of the church in Jerusalem for going to Caesarea and actually siting and eating with uncircumcised (Gentile) men. The first three verses are the charges against Peter and the remaining verses are Peter’s explanation and the church’s agreement with what he did.
Secret #1: Spend time in communion with God
Acts 11:5 (HCSB) “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a visionary state, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. (Emphasis mine)
Peter was taking time for prayer and meditation when God spoke to him. If we want to be in a position to hear God’s voice and receive His direction, we must spend time in prayer and meditation.
Secret #2: Receive a personal vision from God
Acts 11:5 (HCSB) “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a visionary state, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. (Emphasis mine)
I am not talking about a miraculous experience that Peter had, but the desire that God implanted in Peter’s heart.
Psalm 37:4 (HCSB) Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
Proverbs 29:18 (HCSB) Without revelation people run wild, but one who listens to instruction will be happy.
Through secrets one and two, God can give you a vision for what He wants you to do. If you use the next four secrets, you can then figure out how and when.
Secret #3: Look for opportunities given by God
Acts 11:11 (HCSB) At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were.
Secret #4: Listen to the voice of the Spirit of God
Acts 11:12 (HCSB) Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.
I saw something on the Internet that said “When God speaks, He doesn't stutter!”
Secret #5: Seek advice from men & women of God
Acts 11:12 (HCSB) Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house. (Emphasis mine)
Proverbs 11:14 (HCSB) Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.
Proverbs 15:22 (NLT) Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
Secret #6: Consider the testimony of the Word of God
Acts 11:16 (HCSB) Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
These six secrets are as applicable for us today as they were for Peter. The way God speaks is still the same. He speaks through His Son who is in us by His Spirit. God speaks through His Spirit through His word, the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and people.
There is one more post in this series God’s Will. The final post will be principles from God's Word that will help you discover God’s “Specific Will” for you.
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