So What IS God's Will?

So What IS God's Will?

By David Brenneman 

It's been a whirlwind last 5 days for my Wife and I. 

It's roots beginning many months ago but culminating in a conversation with my former Pastor and friend on Wednesday.  

The question asked of him was how do you know if you should take a leap of faith?

I guess the better question is: What is God's will?

My friend took me to 1 Thessalonians 4:3. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification".

My current Bible reading plan has me in 1 Thessalonians as well. Certainly God's timing. 

This morning I found another nugget.  Another thing of note in what is God's Will.

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." Chapter 5 verse 18.

In these two places you find great instructions on knowing God's Will.  You find easy to explain ways to know that leave no room for doubt.

In my friend's explanation to me on the first verse, he showed how simple, not how difficult, God has made it to know. 

In hind sight it's easy for me to see just how difficult I have made it in my life to understand and know what to do and when to do it. 

My Sanctification.  What is that?  The definition you find is:

noun: sanctification; plural noun: sanctifications

1. the action of making or declaring something holy.

   "the sanctification of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ"

   • the action or process of being freed from sin or purified.

     "the process of sanctification takes deliberate action on our part"

   
   

God's intent is to make us more like Christ Jesus today than we were yesterday. We read this in Ephesians 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

We see what we are to do and who's behind our sanctification.  We see what's happening in our lives. Our sanctification, our process of being freed from sin. 

We have struggled for over 20 years to find a church that felt like home. Where we could belong.  In those 20 plus years God's taken me full circle, just as He did with the Isrealites for 40. He's changed me and my way of thinking. He's removed many things from me in His Spiritual surgeries. Now we are at that place of needing to know what's next. 

That day I called and we talked began a whirlwind of God’s activity in our lives. We decided our sanctification wasn't happening here and could where we felt lead to go. 

In 24 hours a company called from that city to ask if I was still interested in working for them.  Another 24 and the offer that was to have taken days was already on the table. 

Easy to see what God's Will was.  We were moving.

I look back on the last few months and can see where my thankfulness to my Savior and my God has increased.  Then I find that passage this morning in chapter 5.  

To be honest this last 5 days has been mind blowing. I have said the same as King David to my Savior before, even though I know the answer.  I am humbled by His very personal interest in the lives of my Wife and I. 

1 Chronicles 17:16 "Then King David came in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?"

While knowing intellectually, the experience of My Jesus in my life is sometimes overwhelming.  I have related to others of the faith where I struggle with the size of the blessings that God bestows.  

I am in no way school taught in what I know of God’s Word. Unless you consider the school of life.  We look forward to our soon to be church family where we are going.  

My God is oh so good to me.  He must believe in me in what He's done in me, to take me where He has. He's drawn all of you into reading what He's given me to write each day. He's been faithful to keep bringing and I have been faithful in writing whatever has been given to me to write. It's gone into places in this world that are beyond my imagination. In over 50 to 60 countries without one ounce of effort on my part to promote it.

Is there anything more in knowing God’s Will? Always.  Obedience is the more likely one we sometimes try to avoid because of the temptations of the world.  It's not optional.  We like to think that it is, abusing what forgiveness we receive in Christ to keep on being disobedient. 

Is there more?  My Dear Reader, always.  We see that praising God is part of God's Will.  There's always more.  We may be scared of the transition but we will never regret the decision. You think that Peter wasn't scared of the transition of a solid boat bottom and what he knew about deep water?  What does the Bible say? While his eyes were on Jesus, he walked on the water to Him. When his eyes were not on Jesus he sank. Big takeaway is don't take your eyes off of Jesus. 

There's always more. Do not at all expect the world to understand your obedience to God. They live to obey the god of this world, Satan.  They are in darkness and cannot comprehend the light.  We are to be lights in the world that are seen by mankind in that they glorify the God of Heaven. 

Sanctification, Thanksgiving, Praising God, Obedience.  At least 4 things to look at for God’s Will.  Hopefully you too will seek to know God’s Will for your life.