The WILL of GOD

In life we have to make several choices. We have to choose career options, universities, job opportunities, friends, life partners, business partners, etc. The choices that we make, determines the course of our life and hence bad choices affects our journey ahead. Our loved ones, specially parents, are concerned about the choices we make and tries to impose their WILL on us. We all know that God loves us very much, so is He concerned about our choices too? Does He have a WILL concerning our choices and does He impose it on us?

Let us look into the treasure book to find clues.

OPENING THE TREASURE BOOK

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

II Peter 3:9

And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:38‭-‬40

God is definitely concerned about all Humanity. He is not willing that anyone perishes but has given us a salvation plan that “whoever believes in the Son, Jesus has everlasting life“. All the choices we make in life eventually leads us into two major paths, (as we already learned in “Life – The bigger picture“) – the wider path to eternal perishing and the narrow path which is JESUS himself leading to eternal life. God has given us FREE WILL to choose between the two. And HIS WILL for us is that we choose ETERNAL LIFE. He WILLS that we believe in His son JESUS and has EVERLASTING LIFE. So he is patient and gives us many chances to get to the right path. Grabbing the opportunity and getting on the right track however is our choice. God does not force it on us.

God is concerned about the choices we make in life and has a WILL regarding our choices, but does not force it on us.

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

John 4:34

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Matthew 7:21‭

Food is one of our basic requirements to live in the physical world and without it we will starve to death. Jesus considered doing His father’s WILL as food – a basic requirement to live in the spiritual realm, without which perishing is a surety. Even if we are great achievers in the world we live and have worked for the kingdom of God, if we do not do the will of God, entry to heaven is denied. And the WILL of God is that ” We believe in Jesus who is the only way to eternal life.”

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

John 6:38‭

saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Luke 22:42

Jesus is the perfect man to have lived on Earth. He is the best example we can look upon. Jesus was more concerned about the WILL of His father rather than His own WILL. He came to live on Earth not in His own will but His father’s. He was mindful of the Will of His father for which He came to earth. We read in Luke 22:39-44 that, just before His crucifixion, He went with His disciples to pray in the garden of Gethsemane. He was in great agony knowing what He had to suffer and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground. Even at this point of extreme mental stress, He opted for His father’s will – “nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done”. It was definitely not easy for Him but still He chose to do His Father’s will.

Many a times we too will be in stressful situations which are not easy to get through. But those situations are not an excuse for us to stray away from the WILL of God. We too should be mindful of our Father’s WILL in all situations and walks of life.

Doing God’s will is food that sustain us in the spiritual realm. We should be mindful of doing God’s Will and not ours, no matter how tough our situations are.

God’s WILL concerning all of humanity is that we do not perish but believe in Jesus and have everlasting life. Jesus is the only narrow path that leads to everlasting life and any other path leads us to eternal perishing. We should keep ourselves from all evil and wicked ways that leads us to destruction but do good as our Father wills.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

His will for us is to rejoice always and not be worried about the issues of life. He also wills for us to always pray without ceasing, that is to communicate with Him 24×7. He wills that we are grateful for everything in life. He wills that we do good by being just, merciful, and humble. He also wills that we keep ourselves from all evil and wicked ways. These are His GENERIC WILLS concerning us.

He also has SPECIFIC WILLS for each of our lives. Like how Jesus was sent to save all human kind, David was sent to be a ruler over Israel, Paul to be an apostle, each of us are on earth with specific purposes. Jesus knew the specific will of God concerning Him and did everything according to this. How do we get to know the specific will of God concerning us to be able to function under His will? Let us look into the life of Elijah, the prophet.

In 1 Kings 17, we see God communicating with Elijah at different times. God told Elijah to tell the inhabitants of Gilead, that it will not dew or rain except at his word. After Elijah carried out His will the next word came to him, “Get away from here and hide by the Brook Cherith. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” Elijah did according to the word from God and carried out His will. After a while the brook dried up because of no rain and then again the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath and dwell there. I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to the widow at Zarephath as per the word and will of God. And it continues. At all phases, walks and situations in his life, Elijah got to know the specific Will of God concerning him. He was in a personal relationship with God and recognized His voice at all times. When He walked in His will and obeyed, the next word came to Him. So walking in an intimate relationship with God, doing His will at all times and being obedient helps us to know His specific WILL concerning us.

When we continue to live believing in Jesus and share a personal & intimate relationship with Him, obeying Him – the specific will of God concerning us for specific times will be revealed to us through His Holy spirit who lives inside of us.

Treasures uncovered

Prayer:

Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Psalms 143:10

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