A common question asked by men and women of faith is “How can I know God’s will for my life?”
Every day we are faced with situations and issues that demand a decision be made. From simple to complex, consciously and subconsciously, the brain is constantly processing information, deciding and implementing a response to the information we feed into it. But the response is not always clear, and can be extremely frustrating when we find ourselves stuck in a rut, clueless as to our next move, and God seems to be away from the phone. How quickly we learn that having “the mind of Christ” Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 2:16 is not the see all, solve all, cure all virtue we may have heard someone say it was.
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
Secret (hidden) things and revealed things. That is, things known only to God and things God has made known to all. Things you can know, and things you cannot know.
Now, should you be looking for insight into God’s plans for your life and future, that verse is to you both good news and not so good. Not so good (it may seem) when you’re anxious and God says, “that’s not for you to know right now”. But good in that you’re not left completely in the dark. God has given his children a flashlight, and a compass: his Word and his Spirit. Psalm 119:105 tells us the Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light for the path we walk along. And in John 16:13, we find we are given the Holy Spirit, who is ever present to keep us moving in the right direction — our faithful guide.
Dear reader, sometimes to gain God’s perspective on a matter, to find his direction and know his will, is to pray, spend time in his Word, and tune in to the voice of the Holy Spirit. It is applying the divine directive to “ask, seek and knock”, in faith, believing you will receive what you ask, find that for which you look and have the door to your need opened when you knock (see Matthew 7:7).
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
— Proverbs 3:5–6 NLT