How Do I React When I Desire to Know Gods will

How Do I React When I Desire to Know God’s Will, and God Is Silent?

Sunday 7/8/07 p.m.

Acts 28:1-2, 9:1-16

Opening Illustration:

Fantasize of Paul on the island of Melita, staring into the burning embers one night. As Paul contemplates of his hardships, and the present situation, he begins to wonder what God is doing at this moment in his life. Paul reminisces back to the promise of God’s will on his life at the Damascus road experience. He strokes his beard, he looks up to the sky, and he asks God how this island, fits into the promise of speaking to Kings and rulers. Paul listens, and waits; listens and waits, but God is silent. So, Paul rises to gather more wood for the fire………….

How do I react when I desire to know God’s will, and God is silent?

To answer this question, let us turn to Paul’s first encounter with Christ, on the Damascus Road. Here on Melita is not the first time that Paul has sought to know God’s will for his life!                     Acts 9:1-16

I.          9:5 Acknowledge Jesus Christ as LORD!

            A. Our life really begins with a divine encounter with the master, Jesus Christ.

B. Regardless of what we are facing in discerning God’s will, it is never wrong to begin with the realization or reminder as to who is the Lord, and who is the servant.

II.        9:6 Lord what would you have me to do?

            A. Paul never quit asking this question! This is the secret to his guided life later on.

            B. The Lord prepares us for maturity with the “Pricks” of life.                                                                     Questions or situations which will not go away.

He is the only one who can resolve the issue.

III.       9:7-9 Patiently wait for God’s will.

A. He is gracious to love us to the end of our own resources so that we can listen to what He        says to us.

            B. Sometimes coming to the end of yourself, without an answer, is the best place to be.

Once I sat down to observe and help an ant. The ant was searching for food. I could see a crumb that he could not see, so I began to block his path until he ran across the crumb. The ant is scared of the large creature who is guiding it towards the cracker crumb. Without a doubt the ant thought the blocked path was a hardship. It may have been rebellious, angry, or wondering what the big creature was trying to do; whereas it was simply the move of a higher intelligence to guide it to something more beneficial than the end of it’s chosen path. Is it any different with God, who intervenes in our lives to direct us to a better path which is in accordance with His will?