My Will or Thy Will?

TURN to 2 SAMUEL 2

Intro: “Competing Desires & the Difficulty of the Christian life”

ALL HUMANS STRUGGLE W/ COMPETING DESIRES...

SCRIPTURE READING: DESIRES of FLESH VS. SPIRIT… IN COMPETITION— KEEPING US FROM DOING WHAT WE WANT to DO!

PAUL (ROMANS 7) SHOWS,, TIMES WE DO WHAT WE DON’T WANT,, & DON’T DO WHAT WE DO WANT

------------------------

TENSION in LIFE---IF IN CHRIST—NEW CREATION— BORN AGAIN

NEW DESIRES BEING SHAPED BY SPIRIT of GOD...

THIS = PROCESS: TAKES TIME.

>>> WE LONG FOR the NEW CREATION W/O. SIN…BUT WE AREN’T THERE YET. <<<

-------------------------

ANYONE,, WHO’S BEEN a CHRISTIAN,, ANY LENGTH of TIME…HAS EXPERIENCED THIS DIFFICULTY.

WE WANT GOD’S WILL… ON PAPER

BUT @ TIMES WE WANT WHAT WE WANT TOO.

SOMETIMES OUR DESIRES LINE UP W/ GOD’S

SOMETIMES THEY DON’T.

QUESTION IS: “WHO WILL BE YOUR MASTER?”

SUBMIT YOUR LIFE to CHRIST as LORD?

TRUST HIS WAY = BEST?

DEVOTING LIFE to HIS SERVICE?

IS GOD’S WILL the ULTIMATE PRIORITY?? OR DO WE LIVE FOR SELF?

CHRISTIAN LIFE BEGINS: “CHRIST = LORD”

BUT IT CONTINUES ALONG SAME LINES.

NEW SHERIFF in TOWN. HE’S the BOSS.

DENYING SELF...

TAKING UP CROSS...

FOLLOWING JESUS...

WE CAN’T DO OUR OWN THING in a GOD-HONORING WAY…WE MUST FOLLOW HIS LEAD & PLAN FOR US.

TO HONOR GOD = SEEKING HIS WILL & OBEYING.

>>> SEEKING GUIDANCE & DIRECTION THROUGH WORD & PRAYER <<<

OBEYING HIS INSTRUCTION & GUIDANCE,, EVEN WHEN WE DON’T FIND IT EASY

TEXT TODAY ILLUSTRATES THIS WELL...

(T) KEEP THESE THINGS in MIND as WE DIVE INTO our TEXT TODAY...

🐢🐢🐢 --- 40 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Recap: “Prideful Rejoicing or Humble Mourning?”

RECAP:

CLOSED OUT 1 SAM.

FOCUS = ON DAVID NOW.

GOD ESTABLISHING DAVID

DAVIDIC REIGN = TYPE of CHRIST’S REIGN

LAST WK:

DAVID GETS NEWS of SAUL’S DEATH...

>>> DAVID DIDN’T REJOICE W/ BAD NEWS,, BUT MOURNED LOSS of SAUL & JONATHAN <<<

INSTEAD of DONNING the CROWN…DAVID TORE HIS CLOTHES

INSTEAD of PROCLAIMING a FEAST… DAVID PROCLAIMED a FAST

------------------

DAVID PROVES: MAN after GOD’S OWN HEART...

RECEIVING the KINGDOM HUMBLY...

DIDN’T CELEBRATE SAUL’S DESTRUCTION… EVEN THOUGH HE WAS HIS WORST ENEMY...

-------------------

WE SHOULD DESIRE SALVATION of UNGODLY…B4 THEIR DESTRUCTION

LOVE OUR ENEMIES

PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US

**LIVE DIFFERENT FROM REST of WORLD...

AS RECIPIENTS of GRACE…WE SHOULD REMEMBER WE’RE NO BETTER THAN THEM…

ALL GOOD in US COMES FROM GOD...

WHEN BAD COMES to OTHERS,, THEY DON’T DESERVE IT MORE THAN WE DO...

(T) NOW LOOK W/ ME @ CH. 2 of 2 SAM… AS WE SEE the NEXT EPISODE in the LIFE of KING DAVID...

🐢🐢🐢 --- 37 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Text (1 Samuel 2:1-32 ESV)

Setting: David Becomes King Over Judah (v1-4a)

2 Samuel 2:1–32 (ESV)

1 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.”

2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron.

4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

TEXT BEGINS AFTER MOURNING DEATHS of SAUL & JONATHAN

WITH SAUL GONE—DAVID HAS GREEN LIGHT.

------------------

DAVID WAS ANOINTED to BE KING—WHILE STILL a SHEPHERD BOY...B4 a NATIONAL HERO

SINCE THEN,, DAVID’S CAPABILITY = CONFIRMED AGAIN & AGAIN...

MILITARY CHAMPION

GETS FOLLOWING of REJECTS

DURING THIS TIME...GOD’S PROMISE to DAVID = REITERATED

SAMUEL

JONATHAN

ABIGAIL

SAUL

NOW,, WHAT STANDS BETWEEN HIM & KINGDOM?? NOTHING.

---------------------------

&& AFTER ALL THIS…DAVID STILL PRAYS ABOUT THIS!!

DAVID KNOWS the “WHAT”: RULING ISRAEL

BUT DAVID DOESN’T KNOW: “THE HOW, or WHEN”

DAVID KNEW the DESTINATION…BUT HE DIDN’T KNOW the ROUTE!

------------------------------------

REMEMBER,, DAVID WALKED BY FAITH,, LONG TIME...

PATIENTLY AWAITING GOD’S PROMISE...

DAVID HAD MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES to FAST-TRACK KINGSHIP,, ELIMINATING SAUL,,,…& DIDN’T TAKE THEM.

------------------------------------

NOW…EVEN THOUGH IT’S INCREDIBLY CLEAR: DAVID STILL PRAYS ABOUT IT.

ANSWER/CONCLUSION:

DAVID, GO UP

SPECIFICALLY, GO to HEBRON.

----------------------------------

DAVID & FAMILY,, & ARMY,, & FAMILIES,, ALL PACK UP & LEAVE...

DAVID is ANOINTED in HEBRON AS KING of JUDAH!

>>> NO LONGER in EXILE in PHILISTINE LAND <<<

ZIKLAG = LEFT BEHIND—NO NEED to REBUILD...

DAVID CAN NOW LIVE COMFORTABLY in ISRAEL AGAIN...

TIME is COMING FOR PROMISE to BE FULFILLED…

TIME of GREAT JOY

GOD = FAITHFUL

DAVID STEPPING INTO HIS CALL FROM GOD

(T) And so, W/ THIS 1ST BIG MOVE, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? LOOK W/ ME @ 2ND HALF of VS. 4. The text says,

🐢🐢🐢 --- 31 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Greater Setting: The Reward for Jabesh-Gilead (v4b-7)

When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,”

5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him.

6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing.

7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

DAVID HEARS of GOOD THINGS MEN of JABESH-GILEAD HAVE DONE FOR SAUL...

BACKGROUND:

REMEMBER THEY RESCUED the BODIES of SAUL & SONS FROM PUBLIC PHILISTINE DISPLAY

----------------------

DAVID BLESSES THESE MEN

>> AGAIN DAVID DOESN’T CELEBRATE SAUL’S DEATH <<<

THE MEN WHO REPAY SAUL in DEATH,, HONORED BY DAVID

&& RECEIVE INVITATION to JOIN UNDER DAVID’S KINGSHIP W/ SAUL GONE...

GOOD STRATEGIC MOVE,, SEEKING to UNITE ISRAEL...

(T) So, THINGS HAVE BEGUN WELL FOR DAVID.

HE GOES to HEBRON...

KING DAVID SOUNDS GREAT!

ANOINTED

. BLESSES MEN of JABESH-GILEAD.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 8

🐢🐢🐢 --- 28 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Inciting Incident: The Crowning of Ish-bosheth (v8-11)

8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim,

9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel.

10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

NOTICE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DAVID’S APPROACH & ABNER/ISH-BOSHETH’S...

(Q) HOW MANY of 2ND GROUP SOUGHT GOD?? —NONE

DAVID ANOINTED BY MEN of JUDAH (RELIGIOUS CEREMONY/CONSECRATION)

ISH-BOSHETH JUST “MADE” KING.

>>> GOD DOESN’T SEEM to BE INVOLVED AT ALL <<<

------------------------------

CONSIDER: BACKGROUNDS...

DAVID

CHOSEN BY GOD

ANOINTED BY SAMUEL (& NOW PEOPLE of HEBRON)

STILL SOUGHT GOD...

ABNER & ISH-BOSHETH

NOT APPOINTED BY GOD

KNEW SAUL’S DYNASTY WAS REJECTED..

DAVID = CHOSEN

SAUL’S DESCENDANTS = SPECIFICALLY NOT CHOSEN.

----------------------------

ISRAEL’S MODEL:

NOT SEEKING GOD

REBELLING AGAINST HIS PLANS

REMEMBER,, THEY’RE APPOINTED the LEADER of A NATION...

THIS = BIG DEAL…NOT SOMETHING SMALL

------------------------

NORTHERN, ISRAEL = FLESHLY AMBITIONS of MAN...

SOUTHERN, JUDAH = FOLLOWING WILL of GOD...

-------------- 24 minutes left ----------

(Q) CHRISTIAN, HOW QUICK ARE YOU to SEEK GOD’S WILL,, ESP. REGARDING BIG DECISIONS?

IF WE AREN’T CAREFUL, WE CAN GIVE CONSIDERATION to 1 MILLION THINGS & NEGLECT to SEEK GOD.

SWITCHING JOBS,, QUESTIONS:

HOURS

SALARY

BENEFITS

BUT, WHAT DOES GOD THINK?

MARRYING SOMEONE

BEAUTIFUL/HANDSOME or NOT?

FUNNY or NOT?

GOOD PERSONALITY or NOT?

BUT WHAT DOES GOD THINK? ARE THEY a BELIEVER? DO THEY LOVE GOD?

NEED to PRAY & NEED to ASK:

(Q) WHAT DOES GOD’S WORD SAY ABOUT THIS?

DON’T NEED to GET “HOOKY-SPOOKY” ABOUT GOD’S WILL...

THERE’S a MEASURE of FREEDOM WITHIN BOUNDARIES GOD HAS SET

BUT WE SHOULD NOT NEGLECT to SEEK HIM & HIS WORD ON OUR LIVES & DECISIONS...

TAKE:

NEEDS

QUESTIONS

ASPIRATIONS

ALL THINGS

TO GOD in PRAYER

“OH WHAT PEACE WE OFTEN FORFEIT, OH WHAT NEEDLESS PAIN WE BEAR, ALL BECAUSE WE DO NOT CARRY, EVERYTHING to GOD in PRAYER!”

WE CAN TRUST,, GOD WILL GUIDE US,, THROUGH HIS WORD,, BY HIS PROVIDENCE,, THROUGH HIS PEOPLE,,

BUT WE BEST BE SURE to SEEK HIM...

---------------------

INSTEAD,, WE SEE BLATANT FAILURE of ABNER & NORTHERN ISRAEL

AVOID SEEKING GOD ENTIRELY

ACTING in REBELLION AGAINST HIM...

(T) And so, WITH DAVID as KING OVER JUDAH

& ISH-BOSHETH as KING OVER ISRAEL...

TWO SEPARATE PORTIONS of ONE NATION,,

WE CAN IMAGINE THIS WON’T END WELL...

LOOK W/ ME NOW @ VS. 12…TEXT SAYS...

🐢🐢🐢 --- 22 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Rising Action: The Battle of Gibeon (v12-17)

12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

15 Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16 And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.

17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

TENSION PRESENTED TODAY:

NORTH & SOUTH

DAVID/JUDAH & ABNER/ISRAEL

DESIRES of GOD & DESIRES of the FLESH

ABNER GOES on OFFENSIVE…(GEOGRAPHICALLY, THIS = OBVIOUS)

NOT AIMING to PROTECT ISRAEL FROM PHILISTINES

BUT to TAKE SOUTHERN PORTION & CONSOLIDATE REIGN...

NORTHERN KINGDOM HAS SETUP CAPITOL ACROSS JORDAN RIVER

GO SOUTH

VISIT DAVID

--------------

THEY ALL MEET @ POOL of GIBEON && ABNER PROPOSES COMPETITION

12 MEN REPRESENT EACH SIDE

TOTAL—24 MEN—LOSE THEIR LIVES

BATTLE BEGINS.... BUT DAVID & JUDAH WERE TRIUMPHANT.

--------------------------

NOT GOD’S PERFECT PLAN:

WILL of FLESH & AMBITION of MAN…VS. WILL of GOD...

WILL of GOD… GOD’S PLAN… GOD’S KINGDOM…TRIUMPHS...

ABNER & NORTHERN ISRAEL REJECTING GOD’S PLAN… AS SUCH, GOD GRANTS VICTORY to DAVID & JUDAH

BEGINS to ESTABLISH DAVID as KING.

(T) And AS THIS BATTLE RAGES ON... WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 18 the text says,

🐢🐢🐢 --- 19 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

More Tension/Climax: The Death of Asahel (v18-23)

18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.

19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.”

21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”

23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.

THINGS GET OUT of CONTROL.... & MORE PERSONAL...

YOUNG MAN: ASAHEL,, BROTHER of JOAB,, PURSUING ABNER

AMBITION of MAN

PURSUING COMMANDER of NORTH,, ABNER,, & ABNER TRIES to TALK HIM DOWN...

SADLY ENOUGH,, EFFORTS FAILED,, AND WE SEE ASAHEL KILLED BY ABNER in SELF-DEFENSE...

(T) And THEN the TEXT SAYS in VS. 24...

🐢🐢🐢 --- 17 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Resolution: The Stand Between Abner & Joab (v24-28)

24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill.

26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?”

27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.”

28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.

CAN IMAGINE,, GREAT MILITARY MAN LIKE JOAB,, NOT THRILLED W/ DEATH of HIS BROTHER...

HOT PURSUIT of ABNER & ISRAEL

BATTLE ENDS @ NIGHTTIME

ISRAEL W/ HILL VANTAGE,, CALLS BATTLE OFF

JOAB ACQUIESCES,, THEY GO SEPARATE WAYS...

(T) And now, our TEXT is GOING to CLOSE TODAY in VS. 29-32 this morning. The text says,

🐢🐢🐢 --- 15 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Conclusion: The Departure of Abner & Joab (v29-32)

29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim.

30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel.

31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men.

32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.

ARMIES GO SEPARATE WAYS & HOME

GOOD NEWS: DAVID’S MEN = TRIUMPHANT,, GOD = ESTABLISHING HIS KING.

BAD NEWS: CAME W/ LOSS of LIFE,, NEARLY 400 MEN TOTAL

(T) And so, we can learn from this text today, the idea that,

🐢🐢🐢 --- 13 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Homiletical Idea:

As the people of God, we should endeavor above all else to do God’s will instead of following our own selfish ambitions.

MUST BE PEOPLE of PRAYER

PEOPLE of THE WORD

DESIRING to DO GOD’S WILL

SEEKING GOD’S DIRECTION

HERE to DO GOD’S WILL,, NOT HERE FOR HIM to SERVE US...

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Gospel: “My way, or God’s way?”

NO BETTER EXAMPLE,, LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF...

THINK: CHRIST’S PRAYER in GETHSEMANE

Matthew 26:39 (ESV)

39B “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

HE KNEW WHAT HE HAD to DO,, HE KNEW the TORTURE THAT WAS COMING on GOLGOTHA...

THERE’S EVEN a WRESTLING BETWEEN the DIVINE & HUMAN NATURES of CHRIST...

BUT CHRIST as THE ULTIMATE EXEMPLAR,, THE IMAGE of GOD,, THE SON of GOD FROM ETERNITY,, HE TRIUMPHED FINALLY.

HIS WILL WAS to DO the FATHER’S WILL, & HE DID THIS UNTIL THE END...

1ST ADAM DISOBEYED in a GARDEN

2ND ADAM OBEYED

------

1ST ADAM INSTITUTED DEATH

2ND ADAM INSTITUTED LIFE.

Romans 5:19 (ESV)

19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

N.T. CLEARLY TEACHES,, WE’VE ALL SINNED,

WE’VE ALL FOLLOWED SELFISH AMBITIONS,,

NONE of US HAVE GOTTEN it RIGHT 100%

>>> BUT JESUS DID. <<<

HE PERFECTLY DID the FATHER’S WILL: WE FAILED.

HE PERFECTLY OBEYED: WE DISOBEYED

HE SUFFERED the PENALTY,, THAT YOU & I DESERVED to SUFFER

SO WE COULD RECEIVE the CREDIT FOR HIS PERFECT LIFE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

---------------------------

YOU CAN BE SPARED FROM the UPCOMING JUDGMENT & WRATH of GOD,, AS a FREE GIFT BY GRACE.

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR NEED, THAT YOU’VE SINNED

COME INTO AGREEMENT W/ GOD

TURN to CHRIST FROM SIN

BELIEVE on CHRIST, TRUSTING in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR YOUR RIGHT-STANDING W/ GOD...

BELIEVING HE DIED in YOUR PLACE & WAS RAISED

YOU PROFESS HIM to BE LORD.

YOU CAN BE SAVED

**IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU STAND W/ the LORD,, TALK to US AFTER SERVICE...

(T) And now, in closing, I’d like to share a few takeaways with you all today.

🐢🐢🐢 --- 7 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

Takeaways:

LEARN ABOUT GOD?

1. WE SHOULD SEE INCREDIBLE FAITHFULNESS of GOD to BRING HIS WILL & WORD to PASS

AFTER LONG TIME,, DAVID COMING to REIGN

LEARN FOR US?

BE CAREFUL W/ AMBITION

AMBITION ALONE ISN’T SINFUL,,

DAVID ACTED W/ GODLY AMBITION

ABNER & ISH-BOSHETH ACTED W/ UNGODLY AMBITION

GODLY AMBITION = PURSUING GOD’S PURPOSES & PLAN

🐢🐢🐢 --- 5 minutes left ---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

App: Choose you this day--“Seeking God’s Will”

IN CLOSING:

WE HAVE to CHOOSE THIS DAY WHO WE WILL SERVE:

GOD of the BIBLE

GOD of SELF...

WE HAVE to ASK OURSELVES:

IS MY LIFE ABOUT DOING GOD’S WILL, OR MY OWN?

IS MY LIFE CHARACTERIZED BY “MY WILL” or “THY WILL?”

CHALLENGE: CHECK OUR HEART’S DISPOSITION TODAY

-------------------------------

CHRISTIAN LIFE BEGINS W/ JESUS as LORD

>>> BUT a PROFESSION of FAITH in CHRIST’S LORDSHIP ISN’T JUST the TICKET to GET US INTO the KINGDOM…IT’S ALSO WHAT CHARACTERIZES EVERYDAY LIFE in THE KINGDOM… <<<

IF CHRIST = LORD…THEN I AM NOT.

KINGDOM of GOD…BY DEFINITION…ISN’T ABOUT US...

-----------------------------

IF WE’RE HERE to DO HIS WILL…THEN WE SHOULD BE REGULARLY SEEKING HIS DIRECTION in OUR LIVES...

PRAY & ASK GOD FOR WISDOM & GUIDANCE

WE HAVE ACCESS to THE THRONE of GRACE!

GOD SAYS IF WE NEED WISDOM,, ASK!

OPEN GOD’S WORD FOR INSTRUCTION & GUIDANCE

CONSIDER the BLESSING of ACCESSIBILITY to GOD’S WORD!!

LIKE NO GENERATION B4,, WE HAVE It EVERYWHERE!!

OUR LANGUAGE… IN PRINT (VARIETY of TRANSLATIONS)

COMPUTERS/TABLETS/PHONES...

GOD’S GIVEN US THESE TOOLS/PRIVILEGES to KNOW HIS WILL,, WE HAVE to USE THEM...

DON’T LEAN on A SHOVEL & PRAY FOR a HOLE!

-----------------------

ENCOURAGE: IF YOU’RE ACTIVELY SEEKING GOD’S WILL, YOU WON’T MISS IT...

>>> HE’S NOT TRYING to HIDE HIS DESIRES FROM YOU… <<<

IF YOU’RE LIVING in ACCORDANCE WITH HIS WORD & REVEALED WILL in SCRIPTURE...

IF YOU’RE SEEKING HIM in PRAYER & ASKING FOR HIS GUIDANCE,,

THEN YOU CAN BE CONFIDENT YOU’RE WALKING in HIS WILL

THROUGH HIS PROVIDENCE,, THE MINISTRY of THE SPIRIT,, & THE WORD of GOD,, HE’LL KEEP YOU on THE RIGHT PATH...

>>> GOD is MORE INVOLVED in YOUR LIFE THAN YOU’LL EVER REALIZE <<<

WE JUST HAVE to DO OUR PART to SEEK HIM

AVOIDING SELFISH AMBITIONS

HAVE A HEART to DO HIS WILL

(T) AS WE TURN to COMMUNION,, TAKE a MINUTE,, PREPARE YOUR HEART,, AND CONSIDER,, HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN DEVOTED to “MY WILL” or “THY WILL?”

CLOSE in PRAYER