FINDING THE WILL OF GOD

"I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." -Psalm 40:8

How would you describe the process by which you find and do God's will
in your life? For some, finding God's will is like playing bumper cars.
We keep going in one direction until we bump into an obstacle, turn, and
go in another direction. It is a constant process of elimination,
failure, or success. Is this the way God would have us find His will?
No. There is much more relationship between hearing God's voice and
living within the mystery of His omnipotence in our lives. Perhaps this
process is more like water in a streambed. The water is constantly
flowing to a final destination. As it presses against the streambed, it
gently points the water toward its final destination. There are no
abrupt head-on collisions, simply slight modifications of direction.
Occasionally, we come to a sharp turn in the contours of our life. For
those times, God allows us to stretch our normal response to change. A
popular Bible study says that we cannot go with God and stay where we
are. Finding and doing God's will always require change. What changes
are necessary in your life to join God in what He is already doing?
There is a direct connection between finding and doing God's will and
having God's law in our heart. A friend once complained that he did not
know what God wanted of him in his life. My immediate response was, "How
much time do you spend with God in Bible study, prayer, and meditation
on Scripture?" "Only a few minutes a day," he replied. How can we expect
to hear and discern God's voice if we don't spend focused time with Him?
If you have a spouse, how did you get to know him or her before you were
married? You spent time together. You got to know everything about each
other. Our walk with God is no different. It isn't enough to have a
desire to follow God; we must put our energy into getting to know Him.
His will for us flows out of our relationship, it is not an end in
itself. Commit yourself to seeking Him more in your life by spending
more time with Him. "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great
and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jer. 33:3).