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:
- Is it God’s will for us to know God’s will.
- Is it possible to know God’s will.
- Why is it important for me to know and follow God’s will.
- Is God’s will unique and specific to me.
- 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!
