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Knowing God’s Will

David, a teenage shepherd boy, did not shrink from battle in the midst of the pressure because he knew God’s will and God’s heart!

Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.  The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. (1 Samuel 17:1-3)

And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.  Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. (22-24)

And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.  Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 33-37

David was a simple young man who was disregarded by his own when it came to fighting the giant. On the other hand, his older brothers were skilled and trained military men who were afraid of fighting Goliath. Their training did not supply them with courage, neither did it gain them the victory over the enemy. David’s brothers may have had the technical skills, but David had the courage to fight Goliath and win the battle. 

God trained David from the inside out. He was a courageous young man because he knew God’s will. David was sure that the uncircumcised Philistine (Goliath) could not defy the armies of God! He knew that it was God’s will for His people to win the battle over the ungodly. He was not intimidated by the size of the enemy nor did he feel inferior for his lack of military training.

We live in a world of degrees, certification, training, and expertise. It seems like everything requires years of study and developing a level of expertise. That mindset has also crept in the body of Christ, and some think that unless you have special theological training, you are not qualified to teach or preach the word of God. It’s unfortunate that some theologians have intellectual expertise in the word of God but not an encounter with the God of the Bible. Their learning has not been mixed with faith to be effective in their lives. Their heart is not awakened by the truth that makes them bold and courageous. 

David knew God’s will, and it gave him the conviction and the boldness to risk his life. His heart was connected to the Lord’s heart. He took God at His word and trusted God’s character. The will of God had come alive in David’s heart. He had interacted with the God of the Bible. It wasn’t just a head knowledge for David.  He had learned to commune with God in the secret place. When he was all alone shepherding the sheep, he had his conversations with the Lord. Therefore, he was courageous to act upon God’s will despite of being the only one willing to fight Goliath.

You may be required to show courage this week! Are you willing to stand alone and act upon what the Lord is leading you to do?

As God’s people, we are called to be courageous. Courage is the catalyst for change. It allows us to exercise faith and walk in uncertain places and see God come through.  Some people are naturally bold, but to be courageous spiritually, it takes more.

We have many examples of courageous people in the Bible. In the next few devotionals, I will share about God’s sources of courage and how courage allowed His people to face obstacles and fulfill God’s purpose!

God’s call and promise

Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.  And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

Gideon said to Him, “O my lord,  if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” 

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”  And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” Judges 6:11-16

Gideon had been faced with continual disappointments in life. His people had been in tough predicament for years. Discouragement over a long period of time has a way of impacting our identities and making us feel weak and inadequate.

In the midst of it all, the Lord met Gideon and began to speak to him about seeing him as a mighty man of valor. He told Gideon that they were going to defeat the Midanites. Gideon had doubts about himself and about God. He had felt forsaken by God and did not think that he could save Israel. The Lord encouraged him again by telling him that He was going to be with Gideon and that He saw him as a mighty man.

The good news is that the Lord sees our potential far better than we ever can. When God gives us His words of affirmation, they make us feel six inches taller. His promises embolden us and redefine us as capable and powerful! His word spoken over us establishes our identity.

The first thing that God asked Gideon to do was to tear down the altar made for Baal and replace it with an altar for God. The Israelites had to be realigned back to God. The Lord also realigns our relationship with Him. We cannot be courageous and double minded at the same time. We cannot have the love of the world and the love of God in our hearts and think that we can be powerful in His kingdom.

Gideon continued to do what God instructed him, and He saw God’s promise fulfilled. The very man who saw himself as the least in his family was able to gain the victory God promised. 

Paul had learned to be content in every circumstance of life. He had found the secret of being content. Paul’s writings show us how he developed contentment.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoicing was a lifestyle for Paul. He did not wait until he was in a corporate gathering to sing praises to the Lord. He also didn’t expect perfect circumstances to rejoice in God.

Paul exercised his will to rejoice in God continually, and he remained humble and open before the Lord. He did not ignore the realities of life but exalted His God above everything else. His rejoicing and thanksgiving were acts of faith that he exercised regularly. Rejoicing and thanksgiving disperse grumbling, fear, and anxiety. They also fan faith into flame! 

In the atmosphere of faith, our prayers and supplications are more closely aligned to the will of God. The peace of God rests on us and allows us to be able to hear His voice when He speaks to us.

in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Paul tells the believers that thanksgiving is the will of God for them. How many times have we prayed to know God’s will for our lives!? We should start by doing the things that we clearly know to be God’s will for us. In this case, the scripture tells us in everything we are to give thanks. We give thanks to God for His love, His character, and His goodness. We give thanks because He is worthy of praise, and we know that He has a plan for our lives. The Lord is ordering our steps.  

Make the commitment to rejoice in God and give thanks throughout your day. At first, it will not be easy but continue doing it. Sometimes you will not feel like it but find reasons to rejoice and give thanks. Allow God to increase your faith and expand your vision.  As you begin this process, you will see contentment develop in your life. You’re also giving to the Lord room to work in extraordinary and supernatural ways. 

Paul reminded us that contentment does not come naturally, but it is a learned behavior and attitude. To remain content, we also need to maintain a certain lifestyle to guard the contentment we have gained.

Maintaining Contentment

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.Matthew 8:33

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Romans 14:17

When we were first saved, our new relationship with the Lord became the most important thing in our lives. We cherished the new found joy and peace,  and we could not imagine life without it.

God also began his sanctifying process.  We allowed Him to prune our lives of those things that hindered our walk with Christ. We also took on new habits and relationships. We studied the Word everyday, and we joined a church and began serving.

However, over time, things changed. Nowadays, we can be cynical of church and Christians. We can also take for granted what God has provided for us. We don’t necessarily want to let go of our relationship with the Lord, but there are a lot of other things that are important to us as well.

Tasks, activities, and demands of life seem to choke the joy out of our lives.  We don’t have the peace we used to have anymore.  When it comes to serving in the church, we cannot commit because our children are involved in competitive sports.We are even too busy to go to church because we are season ticket holders for our favorite team. Life is too busy, and we can’t remember the last time we studied our Bibles. We find ourselves talking more about truth than living the truth we have professed.

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. Matthew 13:22

When Jesus spoke about the condition of hearts, he gave the parable of the seed and the sower. In one of those environments, the cares of the world choked the life of the plant. Our lives are also continually challenged with various cares in the world. We should not ignore them, but we cannot give them power.

How did Paul handle the cares of this world? I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Hebrews 4:11

Contentment (According to Strong’s in Hebrew 2974): to begin, make a beginning, show willingness, undertake to do, be pleased, be determined, to resolve, to agree to, and to accept an invitation.

According to the above definition, contentment is associated with things being resolved. Some of us have a tendency not to reach a resolution in life. There are several reasons for unresolved issues:

Regrets

Unfortunately, some have lost relationships or opportunities in the past because they did not value them when they had them. They have regrets about the past, and they cannot get beyond it. This continues to cause turmoil in their hearts and minds and keeps them stuck in the past.

Paul admitted that he was the persecutor of the church before he knew Christ. Before knowing Christ, he was bent on ensuring that the Christians were imprisoned or persecuted. However, when Jesus met Him, he became a different man.

If we want to experience contentment in  life, we must take God at His word. We must repent and believe that God has completely forgiven us. That truth changes our hearts, minds, attitudes, and actions. God redeems situations in His time and in His way. Our part is to sow seeds of love, to obey His instructions, and to live right. This allows His process to work out in our lives. 

Contention

Some people are gifted with a sharp mind, but they do not know how to switch it off and relax. They have a tendency to first see the problems and not trust others. This causes continual contention, criticism, and arguments that affects their relationships and makes them lose contentment and peace in life. Spiritually, they may even consider themselves watchmen and feel an obligation to be suspicious of others.

Contention stifles growth and creates dissatisfaction in relationships. Humility is an antidote to contention. We need to be humble enough to realize that before we arrived, people were doing just fine without being scrutinized under our microscope. They don’t need our quality control to get in line in life. This does not mean that we don’t express our concerns, but it requires prayerfully to take the matter to the Lord and let him purify our hearts.  We also need to inquire if we are led by God or by fear. 

Perfectionism

Some people have a war in their heads. They argue in their minds about all sorts of things. They don’t have a resolution to things because they are looking for the perfect answer.  This keeps them in a state of anxiety. Uncertainty and stress causes discontentment in life because they don’t know when to be satisfied with a decision and/or an outcome.

Those who are perfectionist have a tendency not to ever be pleased with their work or with others’ work. There is always room for improvement. As a result, they are not able to move on and enjoy their accomplishments. This keeps people in a state of discontentment.

We need to learn to rejoice in the smaller steps taken rather than waiting to reach a certain goal. Paul encouraged all believers to rejoice continually. Don’t let the enemy rob you of the opportunity to rejoice until you reach the final outcome. God’s process can take a long time, and if we only rejoice when we reach the desired outcome, we will rarely be content in life. 

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Hebrews 4:11

Contentment (According to Strong’s; Hebrew 2974): to begin, make a beginning, show willingness, undertake to do, be pleased, be determined, to resolve, to agree to, and to accept an invitation.

In the last devotional, I shared about Paul’s passion and his uncompromising focus in sharing Christ. At the same time, he was not concerned about his lack or his plenty. He had learned to be content.

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, Philippians 1:15-18

Paul was also content in his work and ministry.  Paul’s desire was to preach Christ and Him crucified! He was not concerned about those who tried to outshine him and compete with His ministry. Paul’s passion gave him a narrow focus that allowed his criteria for contentment to be simple and uncomplicated.

In every environment, it is a matter of time before a pecking order is established. Sometimes, the leaders are aware of it and encourage it, and, at other times, it is done subtly and in a manipulative manner. Nonetheless, the affect is the same. People begin to lose sight of their mission, and they begin to focus on outshining others or being concerned about being outshone by others.  This was even true in Jesus’ circle.

The carnal nature is bent on selfish ambition and competition. If we feed it, there is always a new person that has to be competed against. Competition causes a political spirit that leads to division and cliques. An environment of competition is not conducive to contentment. 

Right now our government is plagued with competition and division. Each party wants to protect its interests and ensure that the other side is invalidated and looks evil. When these politicians began their political career 20-30 years ago, most likely, they came with the intent to serve America’s interests. However, after all these years, their focus has changed. There is a continual division, backbiting, and undermining each other’s work. If you read or watch the news, you will be saddened by everything that is going wrong. 

Paul in simplicity of his devotion for Christ and recognizing that all of that striving was rubbish compared to the surpassing knowledge of God, did not care what others were doing. As long as they were preaching Christ, he rejoiced in it whether their motive was pure or not. 

How do you relate to others? Do you have a tendency to compare yourself to others? Do others feel that you are competing with them? How do you handle those who compete with you? If we desire to be content, we need to renew our minds and habits in this area. 

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: Hebrews 4:11

Contentment is not a natural state but a supernatural one. Paul tells us that he had learned to be content; he had to work on developing contentment in his life.

Jesus did the work of Salvation on the cross, and we receive it as a free gift when we believe and respond to him. However, contentment is part of the sanctifying work of God in our lives. The system of this world and our old nature are bent on lack and dissatisfaction. We learn to grow in contentment by renewing our minds, reevaluating our value system, and reprioritizing what is important.

How do we learn to be content? What are the elements that lead us in that direction? This is the subject of the next few devotionals. 

Contentment (According to Strong’s in Hebrew 2974): to begin, make a beginning, show willingness, undertake to do, be pleased, be determined, to resolve, to agree to, and to accept an invitation.

The above definition paints a picture of a person who is soft, pliable, interested, and on point. The more we are willing to stay flexible in life, the easier it is for us to be content. Staying soft and pliable affects the quality of our relationships and allows us not to be in continual contention or disagreement. People who are flexible have learned to pick their battles carefully. These individuals are also decisive and focused individuals who know what is really important in life. 

Paul was a man passionate for Christ, but there were many things that were immaterial to him because  his focus was the Kingdom not his own wants or desires. He refused to compromise when it came to sharing Christ with others. On the other hand, when faced with where he was going to sleep or what he was going to eat, it did not matter to him.

We are blessed with so many options in the US, that sometimes it causes us to be very particular about everything including the type of coffee we drink and its right temperature. While this doesn’t sound like a big deal, all of these little things become conditions for contentment. They distract us and take away our focus from what is really important.

Are you majoring on the majors rather than being distracted by the minor things in life?

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3: 3-4 (NIV)

To live in love and faithfulness requires us to exercise our new nature. Our old nature is set on self-preservation that is rooted in fear. In self-preservation mode, we don’t think about being loving and faithful; we just want our interests protected. Self-interest does not invite the favor of God or man, and it brings about division and dissension between people.  Love and faithfulness belong to our new nature born out of the character of God who is loving and faithful. They are also two attributes of the fruit of the Spirit operating in our lives as stated in Galatians 5:22.

Joseph is a great example of someone who walked in love and faithfulness and had favor with God and with man.

The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.  So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. Genesis 39: 2-4

In studying the life of Joseph, we see that his relationship with God remained intact regardless of the circumstances. Because of his assurance of the love of God, he did not retaliate or quit. Joseph had faith in the love and faithfulness of God. Therefore, he remained faithful to God’s purpose in his life.

Joesph was consistent in fulfilling his assignments despite facing betrayals and accusation from his family and his master’s wife. He was also able to be loving towards his brothers when he reunited with them years later. He even blessed them by giving them a fertile field to occupy. Joseph knew God was with him and that the Lord was faithful to him. This gave him the strength to be loving and faithful towards God and towards man, and it gained the favor of God and man.

Joesph had a beautiful relationship with his earthly father, Jacob, that must have helped him in relating to the Lord properly. Some of us have not had that kind of a relationship with our earthly father. However, we have something that Joesph did not have; we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and counselor. Salvation has given us a new nature, and we need to continually let go of the past and allow God to paint a picture of how a father is supposed to look like. 

Having faith in God’s love and faithfulness is the very thing that allows us to overcome. We guard our hearts by keeping those truths around our neck and writing them on the tablets of our hearts. If we remain in God’s love by believing that He is for us, it keeps us stable and firm. This assurance is the foundation that helps to establish us as a loving and faithful person. 

If you are challenged by a situation right now, meditate on the above scripture and embrace the love of God and His faithfulness. Allow the goodness and the love of God to comfort you and strengthen you. Don’t let anything else distract you and just focus on Him. 

Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4 (NKJV)

I have been reading my Bible in New International Version (NIV) lately. The above verse is translated as follows:

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3: 3-4 (NIV)

The NIV translates “truth” into “faithfulness”, which is another meaning for that word according to the root Hebrew word as indicated below.

Definition of truth: (Hebrew H 571): firmness, faithfulness, sureness, reliability, stability, continuance.

In the past, I have tried to be loving and faithful, and at times, I have failed because my heart was not in a right relationship with the Lord. Sometimes, I did a poor job being loving and faithful, and at other times, I did it grudgingly.

Depending on how we interpret and apply the above scripture, it can lead some of us to try to do it in our own strength and self-effort. This eventually gets very exhausting and discouraging. When we find ourselves working hard at being loving and faithful, we should dig a little deeper by examining the foundation that this scripture is built upon. 

I used to think that the above scripture tells me that it’s my responsibility to be loving and faithful, and this would win the favor of God and man. Today, the Lord gave me a deeper understanding of this scripture. He revealed to me that in order for me to be able to live out this verse, I need to always remember God’s love and faithfulness towards me. I should wear them around my neck and never allow those truths to leave my heart. That gives me the foundation, the backbone, and the confidence to love and be faithful towards God and others. 

If we just seek after having favor with God and with man, we miss the point. Having the favor of God and man is the byproduct of our heart condition before God. There are many who seek the favor of man, but their hearts are bent on self-interest and selfish ambition. The above verse shows us the foundation and the process that takes us there. I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”  But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. John 2: 18-21

Sometimes God’s immediately requires a paradigm shift. Jesus was telling His disciples about the true temple of God and that he was going to get crucified and be resurrected. However, the Jews focused on a building.

Some of the things we struggle with require a change of perspective. As long as we are stuck in our way of looking at it, there doesn’t seem to be a way out. If we can take our eyes off of the natural realm, we find that God can change our hearts and deliver us in a moment’s notice.

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. John 5: 5-9

The man at the pool had been in his condition for a long time, and he didn’t see a way out. In addition, he didn’t think he had anyone to help him with his condition. He saw himself a victim of his circumstances. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, He was calling the man to evaluate his thoughts and his attitude towards getting well. He was re-infusing him with hope!

We cannot forget that Jesus is still in the business of doing miracles that sets people free and changes their lives. On Monday, when I published the first part of this devotional, I was tormented by the past, and it was causing great anxiety in me. Some of those issues were from 30-40 years ago. While I was at the gym that morning, I felt led to pray, and I rebuked and cast out the spirit of abandonment. Within minutes, I felt like a different  person. The torment was over, and God had restored peace in my heart. My husband later confirmed that my countenance had completely changed. Just an hour prior, I didn’t even know the way out of those thoughts and emotions. God did what humanly was not possible through logic and passing of time.

We need to begin believing in God’s immediate work and not just rely on our logic. The sooner we surrender ourselves to God’s miraculous power, the sooner we give room for God to move in His way. May the Lord re-infuse you with hope for the work He can do in your life immediately!