Tag: Christian Living

Follow God’s Will – Review

Is the Will of God Specific to Me? First, let’s review. Last week, we reviewed four biblical fathers as examples of why it is important to know and do God’s will (https://robert-a-l-blake.com/why-is-it-important-for-me-to-follow-gods-will/).

1. Deacon Philip, in Acts 9, produced the first known convert to Christianity in Ethiopia. This was because of his obedience to God’s will.
2. The first son of the father in Matthew 21:28-32 was unwilling, but showed love to his father by doing his will.
3. King David showed that although we may have a heart for God, we can generate confusion in our lives by not doing God’s will.
4. Finally, Moses almost lost his life by not doing God’s will in an apparently minor matter; thus, showing us that compliance with God’s instructions is a serious matter.

Is the Will of God Specific To Me? – Overview

One of several verses that my mother quoted to me while I was growing up is Ecclesiastes 3:1. She used to paraphrase it as “There is a time and place for everything under the sun.” The context was usually a reprimand rather than commendation, as I was quite a handful growing up. Paul reflects on this verse in I Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient:”. 

On Saturday, June 17, 2023, Dr. Sherwin Jack preached a sermon entitled “The Other Storm” for the second Sabbath of the South Central Conference’s camp meeting (https://www.youtube.com/live/uW5olEy4BTg?feature=share&t=10826). It centered on the conversion of the demoniac in Mark 5, who afterwards requested to follow Jesus. It was an innocent yet noble request, considering that he had spent a considerable period of his life bound in slavery to the devil. Jesus’ reply was shocking, as it had been typical of Him to invite people to yield their lives to a Greater Power. Jesus’ refusal was actually an opportunity, a catalyst if you would, for the formerly possessed man to evangelize his hometown. Dr. Jack suggested that Jesus always answers our request in one of four ways: 1. Yes, 2. No, 3. Not yet, or 4. Not you.

Now that we have set the framework for our discussion, let’s look at the topic. “Is God’s will specific to me?”

There is usually an instruction or directive given to everyone under a leader’s purview to carry out a certain task or assignment. This occurs at church, school, or in any organized body of individuals. Often, this is deliberate and serves the greater good for the mission of the organization. Sometimes, it leads to the concept of “group think” and stifles an individual’s creativity, motivation, or even purpose. God’s will for our lives is our overarching theme. We use the terms God’s will or purpose for our lives interchangeably.

Joseph’s Misfortune, God’s Providence

The Bible is a ready reservoir of real-life examples that show and model ways to approach life’s challenges. Joseph is one of my favorite Bible characters. As a former leader, I studied his life in retrospect and applied many principles that either served me or shielded me during my tenure. Despite his misfortunes, by God’s providence, he excelled and saved a nation, his family. We see in that God’s specific will for him. It wasn’t happenstance. Out of 12 brothers that God could have chosen from and used, he chose Joseph.

My misfortunes, God’s Providence

Of course, I don’t see myself as Joseph, but recently I had a discussion with a friend of mine as we reviewed my career to date. I spent many years in the Capital region where I trained and subsequently found blessing to work. During that time, I worked in many health care systems, sometimes simultaneously. While serving in real time, I had had a foreboding sentiment that something was wrong with my credibility and stability. Whereas my parents had remained in their respective jobs for decades, I was changing jobs every handful of years!

As I reflected recently, it had been God’s providence. I met many individuals from different backgrounds, religious affiliations, and ethnic groups, which enriched my career and informed my ministry. Although I was not perfect, this was a specific task that God had assigned to me, albeit unbeknownst to me.

Queen Esther’s Assignment

Another biblical heroine of mine is Esther. As an orphaned young woman minding her own business as part of a captive nation, she suddenly found herself in a rapid ascent to power. When charged with duty, she questioned her purpose. Her guardian, Mordecai, told her that this was a mission specifically assigned to her. “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Gifts in the Body of Christ

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul, as David in last week’s study, initially misunderstood his assignment. Consumed with zeal for God, or so he thought, he sought to persecute the infantile Christian church. He had trained extensively, as had Moses, but misused his gifts. After an abrupt and dramatic redirection by Jesus Christ Himself, he harnessed his zeal as a soldier for Jesus Christ.

Paul described, as seen in our text, that everyone is specifically called for God’s purposes. No one, as Paul outlines in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4:8-12, is without a gift in the body of Christ. However, as a good friend and ministry mentor of mine, Dr. Iulian Sava, relates, “God gives us gifts as seeds, not the whole fruit. We have to nurture it.” Thus, as Ecclesiastes points out, there is a season and a purpose for the unveiling and use of these gifts.

Jesus Christ and His Specific Mission

Finally, there is the ultimate example of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not just show up on the scene at a random time, place, and for an arbitrary assignment. The Old Testament extensively prophesied His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. These were not just given as broad events, but specific times and in minute details. The New Testament Gospels often referred to those passages. His mission was clear as conveyed to His earthly parents by the angel Gabriel and affirmed by anointed individuals such as Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:34-38).

Jesus Christ Himself was fully aware of His mission. Even as a child, as He said to His earthly parents that chided Him for being “lost”, asking them “How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49)? He related His purpose publicly in Luke 4:18-19 as He quoted Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” This was no random mission! God’s will for Him was so specific that no one else in heaven or earth could fulfill it.

Hebrews makes this very clear in chapters 1:1-2:11, 9:28, and 10:5-9. I call your attention to Hebrews 1:4 and 2:9, which have particular meaning and support this premise. “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than the.,” “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Again, these passages echo the psalmist who spoke prophetically about the coming Messiah in Psalm 40:7, 8, our anchor text last week, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.”

Summary

Yes, God has a specific purpose for each of us that fits perfectly within His will. We will discuss “How to discover God’s will for me” next week during our last post.

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