Finding the Will of God

Psalm 5:8; Prov 2:3-9 "Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn . . . . And if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as hidden treasure then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path."

If we are looking for the will of God in our lives, we must first seek the Lord! Although this statement may seem a bit elementary, it nonetheless is missed by most people looking for God's will. We must seek the Lord as seeking for hidden treasure.

I often have used an illustration to prove this important point. In my teaching I have asked people what they would do if someone walked into the class and told them that they had a chest full of priceless jewels buried in their back yard. Without hesitation, every person in the class said that they would leave immediately, grab a shovel, and start digging. Nothing would thwart their determination to dig up the chest to get the treasure. This is how we are to pursue God. We are to be consumed with a passionate pursuit of Our Lord above all other persons and things, and it is when we are intent at seeking Him first that He begins to reveal His truth and will for our lives.

The opposite is true as well When a person gives to God the leftovers of his life . . . when he doesn't seek the Lord first but inquires of the Lord only when it is expedient, God tends not to answer. For God to respond at the beckoned call of the person who sees Him as a cosmic bellhop to be summoned only when a need arises would be to reinforce a attitude of indifference to His Holiness. God will never contribute to any apathy that we may have toward Him; He will close the portals of heaven until we seek Him purposefully and intently. Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom before we are inclined to look toward heaven with unadulterated focus on the Lord. And though this downward spiral is a painful one, it nevertheless teaches us that our hope and purpose are found in God alone.

No one who has determined in his heart to seek the Lord first in his life has later regretted it. To the one who truly seeks the Lord, He in turn will provide knowledge and wisdom, victory and protection, intimacy and purpose.

Jeremiah 29:13 reinforces this profound truth: "You (oh man) will find me (God) when you seek me with all your heart." Let us strive with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength to pursue the Lord first in our lives!