What is God's Will?

“From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD” Genesis 13:4

“How do you know if it is God’s will or not?” I have found myself asking this question more times then I would care to mention. Recently, I have been in circles where many are inquiring the same thing. Maybe this frequency has more to do with the New Year and the desire to do something novel and fresh with God rather then a pandemic insecurity in the body of Christ.

The reality is that underlying my confusion lie a whole host of bigger questions that are being masked. Like, What if I fail? What if I miss God? What if I am wasting my time? The answers, if I was to be blatantly honest, would all be rooted in pride. Basically, I don’t want to appear foolish or, God forbid, less spiritual. Quite frankly, deep down I am afraid that I just won’t measure up. I won’t measure up to God’s expectations, to man’s expectations or my own misdirected expectations. God doesn’t look at it this way. I have supplanted God’s view point to man’s.

Take the account of Abram in Genesis 12. Abram had been called out by God and by faith he left his country, his people and even his father and followed God. Romans 4 tells us that Abram’s faith in following God, even though he didn’t know where he was going, was what made him righteous in God’s eyes. God was very pleased with Abram.

Continuing in Genesis 12, we find Abram traveling to the land of the Canaanites where he stops at a point between Bethel and Ai. He pitches his tent and settles for a while. There he builds an altar to the LORD and called on His name. He was right on track.

Then things take a bit of a turn. Midway in Chapter 12 we learn that there was a famine in the land and Abram decides to go down to Egypt presumably to get food (no indication that God told him to). While there, he gets himself into a mess of trouble. He is so fearful for his life that he basically barters his wife as security to the Pharaoh of Egypt deceiving him into thinking she was his sister. It would appear that Abram missed God. God rescues them by inflicting serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household and Pharaoh then sends Abram and his wife away. So Abram leaves Egypt and with wealth. Apparently he did well while he lived in Egypt in spite of his mistakes.

By the time we get to Genesis 13:4, we find Abram exactly where he was when he started between Bethel and Ai and somewhat more prosperous at least financially. I can’t imagine his marital relationship was doing so well. What we learn from this account was that Abram ventured out with faith in God. He still didn’t know where he was going but God did. God’s covering of protection was over him not because of what he was doing but because of his faith which was securely resting in God.

Hebrews 11:6 reads “without faith it is impossible to please God”. I think that compulsion to know the will of God isn’t really resting in my faith in God and His ability to protect and preserve me. I think it rests in my own self protective mindset. I don’t want to appear foolish or less then what I think a super Christian should look like. Well since Abram who is the father of our faith made mistakes maybe I need to re-think what super spiritual looks like. Maybe I need to start asking myself different questions?

Do I trust God enough that I would walk by faith and not by sight and know deep in my heart that He is pleased by that faith?

Can I believe that when I step out in faith that God is pleased even if I fail?

Can I rest in knowing that He is more excited by my steps of faith then He is by my fear of failure?

Can I believe that the steps of faith I am taking are what God is keeping track of and not my failed or successful endeavors?

Can I get my old mindset of self-preservation aside so I can give God an opportunity to be glorified?

As I think about Abram, I am encouraged to see that the worst thing that happened to him was that he ended up where he started. Yes he did have more material wealth because of it but don’t I also gain a wealth of sorts from my failures. I believe that I have learned more from my disappointments in my life then the victories. I need to change the way I look at success and failure. I need to look at it the way God does. Every attempt I make in faith pleases His heart and because of that I am in His will. I am thinking that should be reward enough.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (emphasis mine)