Finding God's Will? Pt 9

Some Christians disagree with this principle. Why? They believe that walking by faith is opposed to walking by sight, and they want to walk by faith. So, walking by taking heed to one’s circumstances is a failure to walk by faith.

This is true up to a point.

When is it right for a believer to ignore circumstances and instead trust God?

Hebrews 11:17–19 ESV

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

When biblical commands or promises appear to contradict circumstances, then we owe loyalty to whatever God says.

When our circumstances mean that taking God at His word will costs us everything, then we ought to obey God anyway.

If we are not careful, we can sometimes forget that the Christian life is a life of faith. God does lead us to make sacrifices for the furtherance of the gospel and for the wellbeing of our fellow believers. The will of God is not always for us to do the thing that will result in the greatest personal profit and advancement.

So when we talk about paying attention to circumstances, that does not mean that we should always do the thing that most obviously advances our own interests. Examples?

We must walk by faith, but what must be the object of our Christian faith?

We cannot rightly place our faith in anything except what God has said.

If we know what God has said, however, then do we have to ask about His will? No we only have to do what He has told us.

We only wonder how God is leading us when we don’t know any biblical revelation that would make our decision for us.

So is it right to say “I’m walking by faith” when we have no divine revelation to basis our decision on?

Is it right to assert our own will and then act as if we had a promise from God?

Our own impressions and decisions are not proper objects of faith. If we insist upon following our own will in spite of circumstances that render it unattainable, then we cannot claim to be exercising faith!

Example: I believe God is leading me to take over as the primary church accompanist from now on. What is the problem? But, I really feel like this is what God wants me to do, so I am going to walk by faith!

What is my faith being place in? A feeling! Can I place my faith in my own personal feelings and claim to be walking by faith? Should my circumstances then aid me in making my decision. Being willing to play the piano is not enough. It would take years of practice that, at this point in my life, is not reasonably attainable.

My circumstances ought to tell me that God is not leading me to make such a decision. If I do volunteer to be an accompanist and persist in that decision, then my perseverance is not an act of faith but of arrogance!

Paying attention to circumstances is simply a matter of common sense.

Do we have any examples of this in the Scriptures?

Acts 27:9–10 ESV

9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”

Paul used common sense- don’t sail from Fair Havens until spring!

Acts 27:21 ESV

21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss.

He even reminded them that they should have listened to reason!

Circumstances should indeed be taken into account when seeking God’s leading. Simply heeding our circumstances can prevent some very bad decisions.

Illustration: Jared and Rachel trailer

God expects us to exercise sound judgement. Sound judgement requires us to take account of circumstances. When we are seeking God’s direction for decisions in our lives, our circumstances are among the factors that God expects us to consider.

Now, having said that, we must also add that circumstances may not determine our choices. Many of our best decisions will lead us into difficult circumstances. Example: John Paton.

We need to weigh circumstances with a bit of skill and discernment. We need not take every opportunity that we are offered. We will walk past many open doors without going through them. By the same token, not every closed door is bolted shut. Some may open when we rattle the handle or turn the lock, and others may open latter on.

Sometimes circumstances may not make our decision for us, but we should always examine the circumstances and take them into account.

Application Questions:

What role do you think that “closed doors” and “open doors” should play in making decisions?

Should you go through every open door? Is that even possible?

What might God be saying when He closes a door?

Account For Your Inclinations

Some Christians think that ignoring circumstances is a mark of spirituality. The Bible, however, never rebukes us for taking circumstances into account.

When is the only time Christians ought to turn their backs upon circumstances? When we possess direct, divine revelation.

Some Christians also criticize another factor that helps us to find God’s leading. Considering our inclinations. What does that mean?

When we are trying to discern the Lord’s direction, we should also consider our inclinations. We should ask, “What would I really like to do?”

Too often, what do we assume following God’s leading will feel and look like in our lives?

We assume it will be an ugly, repugnant thing that we would prefer to avoid if possible.

Of course, God sometimes leads us into difficult places.

Would Jeremiah have chosen to be thrown into a well?

Would Daniel have chose to be placed in a lion’s den?

In those cases, however, obedience to God’s revealed will clearly at stake.

When God directs us into unpleasant circumstances, He usually does it in ways that are unmistakable and even unavoidable.

However, God does not usually lead us in ways that thwart our inclinations. In fact, Jesus promised rest for our souls. He told us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

David taught that when we delight in the Lord, He gives us the desires of our hearts.

Psalm 37:4 ESV

4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

God typically leads us to want the things that He wants to give us. Normally, doing God’s will is a joy, something that we can look forward to with cheerful anticipation.

Now, contrast these biblical ideas of God’s leading with the phrase, “I surrendered to the Lord’s will.”

What does the phrase “I surrendered to the Lord’s will” imply about following God’s will?

It makes it sound as if the only way that God can get us to obey is to batter us until we surrender to Him in defeat.

This kind of thing can happen, but is it the normal experience for the Christians?

Why not?

Is God capable of shaping our desires? Scripture?

Philippians 2:13 ESV

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:13 HCSB

13 For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.

So if God is capable of shaping our desires, would it seem reasonable to think that He will incline us to want what He wants for us? The answer is an obvious yes, yet some Christians seem to assume that God that works in the exact opposite way.

Yet, God prepares us for what He wants us to do. He equips us for the things to which He calls us.

If we are seeking Him and delighting in Him, He inclines us toward the things that He sees as our greatest good. We should expect to find ourselves wanting the kind of things that God wants for us.

Sometimes we might be afraid of situations that God is directing us towards. Why?

Simply because we have never experienced them and they seem intimidating to us. Facing challenges like that is part of maturing. It is also part of finding God’s leading. Once we try the things that we fear, we often discover that they delight us—provided that we don’t close ourselves off to that possibility.

If we are willing to experience the unfamiliar, God will use those experiences to create new loves within us. He may then use those loves to lead us.

Examples: People that love the cold God may send to the Midwest, people that love the heat, God may be preparing to send to Arizona.

I love small town Wisconsin. I love fishing and hunting. God, for now, has allowed me to live and serve Him here. I love being near family, etc…

No lie of the devil has been more effective than the notion that God’s will is some ugly, horrible thing that we would never really want to choose.

Think about it: would a kind and gracious God really treat us that way? Would He make His will a punitive thing? Doesn’t it make sense that He would create in us the desire to do the kind of thing He wants us to do?

Example: when I was a kid my best friend’s mom told me that I would make a good minister one day. At the time I laughed at the thought. But, over the years God changed my heart and my desires so that it is exactly what I want to do. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Please don’t misunderstand: I am not suggesting that sadness and hardships are never God’s will. Just read Hebrews 11:35-40. The author speaks of faithful people who endured lack of shelter, food, clothing, mocking, beating, imprisonment, torture, and death.

When the will of God is hard and unpleasant, however, it usually arrives in ways that leave us no choice. Either God brings us directly unto difficult conditions, or else He confronts us with choices that involve clear biblical principles. Under those circumstances God has already made His will known in Scripture. And we can trust Him that even in those situations He is always working things out for our good and His glory.

I am talking about times when we really do have to make a choice and we don’t know what is should be. We are seeking God’s leading. Under those conditions, one of the things that we should consider is our own inclinations and desires. These may well be among the components that God uses to lead us while we follow Him.

Application Questions:

Are there times when God’s will appears unpleasant to you? Why do you suppose it seems that way?

Can you think of legitimate pursuits that you wish were God’s will for you but that you don’t believer are? What makes you thing they are not?