How to Know God's Will for Your LifeSample

The secret things belong to God.

When we are seeking to fulfill God’s will and purpose for our lives in the long term, he will usually give us a strong conviction about it. So in the rough and tumble of life, in our goings and comings, in our gains and losses, deep down we will know that God is in control and that he is accomplishing his purpose.

Even in our failings (intentional sin) and our fallings (unintentional sin), we may still, like Christian in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress¸ be walking within God’s will.

It is important to hold on to this truth. It is the King’s highway, a highway of holiness, where even fools cannot lose their way (Isaiah 35:8). We may stumble, trip, fall, skip or skid, but the wonderful truth is that none of these can remove us from the path. As Bunyan’s hero finds, even roaring lions cannot drag us off, because they are actually chained and held back.

None of this is in any way to excuse sin; but it is to uphold joyfully the saving and keeping power of Christ, in spite of sin. John Newton called this amazing grace.

It is in the short-term that we often find ourselves faced with dilemmas and frustrations. In spite of everything we attempt in our efforts to discern God’s will for us, sometimes we still find ourselves unsure about what to do. In these cases, we just need to do what seems to be the right thing and leave the rest with God. If there are two ‘rights’, then either one is probably OK. Remember, God’s primary purpose is for us to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Moses said to the Israelites, ‘The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law’ (Deuteronomy 29:29).

Fundamentally, this statement still applies today. God does not reveal everything to us. There are many secret things that belong to him and no matter what we say or do, they will remain that way regardless. We can only deal with what is revealed.

Paul boldly affirms, ‘Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!’ And, quoting the prophet Isaiah, he asks, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor?’ (Romans 11:33-34).

In other words, there are things we may never know. At the end of the day, we just need to trust him and, like Jesus, simply say, ‘I come to do your will, O God.’

And when we think about it, that is more than enough.

What next?

·Still worried? Jesus said, ‘Don’t let your heart be worried. Don’t let it be afraid’ (John 14:27). Relax and entrust your life to him.

·Memorise Deuteronomy 29:29a (with the reference).

·Gather all the texts you have memorised and keep going over them in the days ahead until you know them all really well.