Posted on 3 Comments on Discerning God’s Will

Discerning God’s Will

Overview

Over the next five weeks, our journey together will cover discerning God’s will. Have you ever started something without thought or planning? Perhaps it was as simple as a meal or as great as a career change. I am sure we all have done this at least once or twice. As your walk with God improved over the years, have you ever ventured into something without considering His will? I’m sure we all have done this at least once or twice.

I am not an expert in discerning God’s will, but I do have extensive experience answering “yes” to the two questions posed. I will provide supportive quotes and personal anecdotes along the way as I also am still learning. Please share your experiences and lessons learned.

Our format will explore five additional questions:

  1. Is it God’s will for us to know God’s will.
  2. Is it possible to know God’s will.
  3. Why is it important for me to know and follow God’s will.
  4. Is God’s will unique and specific to me.
  5. How do I discover or recognize God’s will for me.

We will use the Bible for answers, as it is the true source of wisdom.

Context for Discerning God’s Will

There is a passage of Scripture that came to mind after I posed the first question during my study.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”–Isaiah 55:8, 9

In isolation or out of context, those texts give the impression that God is a secretive God, and He is trying to hide something. It then leads one to believe life to be filled with unpredictability and randomness. Two disturbing notions arise. Either our lives are chaotic and arbitrary as a pilotless boat at sea or one where God micromanages our days and we are puppets on a string.

Either view is equally dangerous!

A unique interpretation arises in the chapter’s complete context, and even more so in the book of Isaiah. We will just stay in chapter 55 for now.

Discerning God’s will through the prophet Isaiah

Isaiah was the prophet to Judah during the reigns of King Uzziah through to King Ammon. These were six mostly wicked kings of Judah. Judah, after King Solomon’s reign, was on a downward spiritual spiral with occasional sparks of hope. To be honest, the plunge started during King Solomon’s reign. God appointed Isaiah to give warning to God’s chosen people. It was a call to repentance from their idolatry and neglect of the True God.

Verse Exploration

In chapter 55, beginning in verse 1, he presented an invitation to the people. He invited them to seek God, drink of the Living Water, cast their lots with God, partner with God, and resume their original calling as the head and not the tail.

Isaiah appealed to their sense of spiritual economy in verse 2 in that they were wasting their substance. He appealed to their covenant status and their role as God’s ambassadors to the world in verses 3-5.

Then in verse 6, he challenged them to seek for God—they can find Him, call Him, He is near.

Verses 7-9 admonished them to put away their ways of thinking and doing and adopt God’s way of thinking and doing. God’s ways are much higher than the worldly ways of thinking and doing. This is how they were to be blessed (verses 10-13), by discerning God’s will and being in it.

Is it God’s will for us to know God’s will?

Yes, He (God) invited them to know the will of God!

Posted on 1 Comment on Christ Was Born—Now What?

Christ Was Born—Now What?

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” John 3:17.

The power of choice is real, yet pervasive.

A recent Twitter post disturbed me. It stated that while many are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, others are debating the date of his birth.

There is one group who chooses not to accept that Christ was born on December 25. They are possibly correct in that the only eyewitnesses we have are God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, Joseph, Mary, and the angels. The only evidence we have is that as documented by the gospel writers. The shepherds came after the fact and the so-called wise men were not in the same time period. I love the account as given in Luke chapter 2 and Linus presented it in such a heartwarming rendition in the Charlie Brown Christmas special, a holiday requisite.

There is yet a second group that chooses not to accept the deity of Christ, or the more commonly referred to Immaculate Conception, that is the Holy Spirit impregnating the Mary, a young virgin. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 714); “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:20).

Pregnancy and childbirth are miraculous events in and of themselves. Most people tout nine (9) months as the ideal for a full-term birth. However, in perinatology, the study of fetal and infant medical care, we recognize that nine-month pregnancy is actually four (4) weeks premature and that 40 weeks, or 10 months, is actually the expected course. One can only imagine what took place 2000+ years ago “as shepherds watched their flocks by night.” Suddenly, angels who had missed their commander for 10 months, burst on the scene saying (not singing, as recently pointed out by my uncle) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill unto men” (Luke 2:13, 14). What a night that must have been! Fast-forward 2000+ years and some have become rather reticent to proclaim this marvelous event.

Both of the aforementioned groups miss out on two important gifts during this season. There is the gift of appreciation for Christ’s birth and all that it entails—His simple, yet flawless life; His death on a cruel cross, accepting our punishment for sin; His resurrection; His ascension; His continual intercession on our behalf and His soon return to reclaim those who love Him. It is a package deal; it is good news!

The second gift is the wonderful opportunity to share this good news, especially during this Christmas season. Hearts are full of love, attuned to benevolence, and are fertile ground to receive the greatest gift, that of the miracle of Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1: 1, 14). This is Immanuel—“God with us” (Matthew 1:23)!

Thus, my prayer for us is that we will share Christ at Christmas. I pray we will focus more on the coming Christ, rather than on the coming crisis. I pray we would not only remember the first coming of Jesus, but look with expectation to His second. I pray that we would have peace and goodwill towards each other. I pray we will experience the true and intended blessings of the Christmas season.

Christ was born; oh come let us adore Him!