Wake Up to God's Will for Your LifeSample

If I Encounter Resistance, Am I Out of God’s Will?  

We’ve all heard clichés such as, “Where God guides, He provides.” And while there is an element of truth in trite adages such as this, they can often give the false impression that if someone is in God’s will, everything will be easy. This misunderstanding can cause a person to constantly question God’s call and will. What happens when the bank account is empty and challenges arise on every side? Do we then conclude that God is not with us? Should we turn back or quit when the going gets rough?

Following the call of God does not guarantee that we will not encounter difficulties and hardships. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble” (NIV). Paul said, in 2 Timothy 3:12, that everyone who lives a godly life will suffer. But in the midst of the suffering there is peace, and every difficulty we encounter shapes our character and brings us closer to God.  

When you have been through the crisis of faith and experienced God’s provision and power, when He has brought you up out of the miry pit and set your feet on the rock, when He has proven His faithfulness to you over and over again, you will emerge from the wilderness knowing and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit that is within you.

The Scriptures are full of stories about “wilderness” experiences great men and women of God endured. The accounts of their hardships and difficulties are not simply incidental digressions. They are central elements of their stories because God used the wilderness to transform these ordinary people into heroes of the faith.

Being in God’s will does not mean there will never be setbacks or that we will be immune to difficulty. But even in the midst of the wilderness, God will spread His wings over us and keep circling around us, as an eagle flutters over her young. He will keep us as the apple of His eye, and He will never allow us to drown (Deut. 32:10-11).