God’s perfect will…
How do we get there?
How do we know when we are there?
How do we know we are hearing God?
How do we know we’re focusing on the areas that He wants us to focus on?
The bible has many encouragements to draw close to God
The Psalms are filled with exhortations of seeking God
Paul has directives and life’s experiences that he has shared
The disciples were excellent examples, for the most part
John the Baptist
All the prophets of old
Daniel who refused to bow to another god
Moses who led God’s people out of Egypt to the Promised Land
David, knowing God was with him,
went up against Goliath who was mocking God
He slung one smooth stone and it sunk into the giant’s head
David just knew
Sometimes we just know, other times, we need to hear from the Lord
The important thing is staying close to Jesus,
following Him to the best of our knowledge and our ability
We have the entire bible, which is His word, which is Jesus
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. John 1:1
The more we know what He has commanded us in His word,
the easier it is to know what He expects of us
God has ways of redirecting us
He redirected Jonah when he was swallowed by the whale
He redirected Balak when He spoke to him through the Donkey
He redirected Saul when He blinded him on the way to Damascus
If our heart is to obey and follow the Lord,
God will redirect us and discipline us as need be,
to keep us on the straight and narrow road,
so that we won’t fail and we will make it to the end of the race, a Victor
If we love the truth, Jesus will make sure that we find the truth,
if not, He will send a deceiving spirit to us
It is extremely important to love the truth,
be humble before His word, don’t change it, don’t excuse it, just love it
Let the love of His word rule in your hearts and minds
Casting down those vain imaginations
that exalt themselves above the knowledge of the Lord
Humility before the Lord and an earnest desire to follow His ways
will bring you to the place where you can accept His plan for your life
That cross we carry is sometimes heavy,
let the Lord lighten your burden
and know that as we desire His will,
He will make His perfect will clear to us by His Holy Spirit
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Scriptural References:
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind,
to do those things which are not convenient;
Romans 1:28
And ye have forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto children,
My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord,
nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Hebrews 12:5-6
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:
for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
James 1:12
Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10:5
Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come,
He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself;
but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak:
and He will shew you things to come. John 16:13