Discerning God’s Will: Standing Firm Mature and Fully Assured

In discerning God’s will Elisabeth Elliot once stated – “Discipline your emotions and do the next right thing.” Good advice. And I would also add, do so with all your heart. God loves wholehearted devotion and willing minds from His children. A heart that desires to serve Him out of love not slavish servitude. This demonstrates we believe He knows what is the very best for our lives as “that which will elevate the soul must be more excellent than the soul” as Swinnock once wrote. God sanctifies and enables us, equipping us to do things too hard for us to do – and He is a Master at that. We want to be where He wants us as His will is good and pleasing and perfect – even though often extraordinarily difficult. The life of power and purpose and peace is always with Him.    

Time is fleeing and the judgment of our works is close at hand – no matter what our age. And “it is only time, but it flies right by and today is sweeter than you know” the song goes. And, I might add, more important than we know. Time is a terrible things to squander – we cannot make more of it. God desires for us to make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. And there is much work to be done. Sometimes it can be quite overwhelming. That’s where Elisabeth Elliot’s words come in. What has God placed in front of us now. This moment. We are to discipline our emotions and do it for His glory and for our good – whatever He has called us to do. He is faithful, able and willing to cause us to stand. In our weakness, He is strong. Gideon, a scaredy cat turned mighty warrior in Scripture is a case in point. It is not about our strength, it is all about His. God will always be found more than we need, desire or imagine – infinitely more. 

Moses writes in Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIV): “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” Indeed, that it is safest place to rest with our heads placed between His all powerful shoulders. It also does us well to remember that God’s Word is His will as He will never go against it – it never changes and it stands firm in the heavens. A good grasp of it – not simply as few choice verses memorized – enables and equips to fight the good fight of faith and walk in His ways.