Last week I was flying through the Chicago airport. I walked into a restroom to wash my hands. After I put soap on my hands, I looked for a handle to turn on the water so I could rinse. But, the faucet had no handle. I waved my hand under the spout and magically water began to pour. The water was motion-activated. In the same way, God is motion-activated. When we move, God begins to pour out His Spirit.
Yesterday my wife sent me to the supermarket to buy some groceries. As I approached the door, the motion detector above the door detected my movement and the door automatically opened. In the same way, movement opens the door of your destiny.
Your success is motion-activated. Until you move, doors remain closed, but once you start to move, God opens doors in response to your movement. Paul gave us a perfect example of this concept when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:12, ‘I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me.” Notice, Paul went to Troas, then he found that God had opened a door there. The door was opened by Paul’s action of going to Troas.
God is a God of action. He is a verb, not a noun. When you do something, God will do something. When you take action, He takes action on your behalf. The greatest obstacle to fulfilling God’s plan for your life is a lack of movement. If you start moving in the direction you already know you should go, you will begin to see miracles happen. Even if your movement is small, give God something to work with!
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
Are you sitting around or are you moving towards God’s destiny for your life? Some people sit around paralyzed with fear because they worry they might miss God’s perfect will. Let’s look at the life of Paul to see if he was a “sitter” or a “mover.” Many people have the impression that Paul was so close to God that he never moved without God’s specific guidance, but when we examine Paul’s life we discover that he was not sitting around waiting to hear God, instead he was actively moving. Acts 16:6-10 reads, “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
In this passage, Paul decided to take his evangelistic team to Asia but the Holy Spirit prevented them from going. Then Paul traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia until they came to the border of Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia but Jesus did not allow them to enter. Finally, God sent a vision of a man in Macedonia calling for Paul’s help.
Notice, Paul did not sit around wondering what God’s will was. He did not stay in one place trying to discover if there was something he had done wrong that was preventing him from going to Asia. No. Paul was traveling and ministering. He was taking action. As Paul was moving, God provided direction. Paul tried to enter Asia; the Holy Spirit said “No.” Paul tried to enter Bithynia; Jesus said “No.” Finally God the Father put him to sleep so he would stay still long enough to see the vision telling him to go to Macedonia. Paul was so busy moving around; the whole Trinity got involved in guiding him!
Often when people preach about knowing God’s will, the vision of the Macedonian man is used as an example of how God guides, but Paul was not just laying around waiting for God to give him a vision. He was actively moving to find a place to preach. Once Paul was moving, God was able to provide guidance by saying “no.” This is guidance by prohibition.
Once you start to move, unless God specifically says “no” then proceed as if it is a “yes.” God will respond to your movement, even if your movement is in the wrong direction. Always give God the power of veto, but unless He specifically stops you, proceed. Assume a green light unless you are specifically given a red light.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
1. God is in control. Some believe God is in control of everything that happens on the earth. This cannot be true because bad things frequently happen. Hurricanes, tornados, floods, tsunamis, wars, car accidents, and disease are not part of God’s nature. God is a good God, yet bad things still happen on earth, this proves that God is not in control. God also “wants all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4), yet people die unsaved every day. God’s will does not always come to pass. The teaching that God is in control is misleading.
2. Satan is in control. The second belief is just as wrong. It says that Satan is in control. This cannot be true because there are still pastors that are alive. If Satan was in control, do you think he would allow any pastor to continue to preach? If the devil was in control, there would be hell on earth.
3. I am in control. The third belief is that I am in control of what happens to me on this earth. My choices create my circumstances. God does not control your decisions. God has only predestined the consequences of your decisions. The decisions I make shape my destiny. If I make good decisions, God’s will for my life comes to pass. If I make poor decisions, then Satan’s will for my life becomes a reality. The only power that can trump the will of God is the decisions of man. The truth is that God’s will is seldom done on earth as it is in heaven. But, if the choice of a human trumps the will of the God, imagine what our choices can do to devastate the enemy.
Your decisions decide your destiny. Your decisions decide your wealth. Your decisions decide your health. Your decisions decide your relationships. You decide who you marry. You choose where you will live and how much money you will make. Your life is exactly the way you want it to be. Your choices have brought you to where you are today. If you truly wanted your life to change, it would. Do you really want your life to be better? There is only one way for that to happen. Take action and move. Notice I didn’t say more Bible reading. Or prayer. Or going to church. Or waiting for God to open a door. Or having an anointed preacher lay hands on you. All these things are fine and they can’t hurt, but they alone will not change your circumstances. Change can only come when you put action to your decisions.
Your ability to put action to your choices is the most powerful commodity in the universe. Do not wait around until God decides to bless you, take action so God can bless you. God does not bless your waiting, he blesses your steps. Your Faith decides divine timing. When you discover the faith to take a step, God begins to move. Many say they have ‘faith’ but they do not really have faith because they never take action. James 2:17 says, ‘…Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’ Action equals movement. We know that faith comes by hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17), but recently God told me that miracles come by doing God’s Word. Faith without action is dead. James 1:22 says, ‘Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says’ Doing requires moving. We must put what we believe into action in our lives.
Many people say they believe God’s Word; few actually put God’s Word into practice in their daily lives. Let me give you an example. Your pastor mentions Luke 6:38, ‘Give and it will be given to you.’ Everyone cheers, claps their hands, and shouts ‘Hallelujah.’ Then the offering plate is passed. Instead of putting the verse into action, many keep a death grip on their wallet or purse. Why? Because they say they believe this verse, but they really don’t. If they really believed, they would give every time the opportunity presented itself because they know they cannot out give God.
Your movement reveals what you truly believe. God has a plan for this world. But His plan is dependent upon humans who have been given free choice. Our choices determine whether or not we participate in His plan. God’s plan is set, but the people who implement it are fluid. Your life is part of God’s perfect plan. But, God is not the One who makes that plan come to pass in your life. Your choices decide if God’s plan will be manifested in your life. God allows us to make our own decisions. As we make decisions, He walks beside us as a Friend and a Guide. As a Friend, He offers advice. As a Guide, He points us in the right direction. The voice of the Holy Spirit shapes and guides our decisions, but your decisions decide your destiny.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
God celebrates your choices, as long as they line up with God’s revealed will as found in the Bible.
God gave Adam and Eve a great gift. It was the gift of free choice. We are not robots. We have the ability to make our own choices. God is excited to go along with many of our choices.
The good God has planned for you is not limited by one choice. Your wrong or imperfect choices can still produce good outcomes because according to Romans 8:28, “God works all things together for our good.” You were not born to make right or wrong decisions.
You were created to make decisions, then to make those decisions the right ones. God gave us dominion on this earth. When we take dominion, God backs our choices, as long as those choices are within God’s will as revealed in God’s Word. God celebrates your choices so much that all of heaven will back your decisions. When you choose to head in a particular direction, God starts sending angels to prepare your way. But the angels do not move until you take the first step.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
Are you expecting God to give you a road map or a compass heading for your life?
A road map contains specific directions to a specific destination. If we sit around asking for God to give us a map we will wait around for years. Waiting for God to give you a detailed map for your entire life is unrealistic. God is more likely to give us a compass heading to follow rather than a map. Each of us is given an inner compass which reveals God’s will for our lives. The direction this inner compass is pointing is revealed by our innate talents, interests and gifts.
Your strengths and dominant focus reveal your calling. For example, if a teenage girl enjoys spending time with children, this is an indication she might be called to be a teacher, a mother, or a children’s minister. Or, if you are always thinking about how to make money, you might be called to be an entrepreneur or businessman. I always had a passion for the lost and was successful at public speaking so this was a good indication that when I decided to become an evangelist, I was headed in the right direction. If I tried to become a worship leader, I would fail because I have no musical talent. Recognizing this fact saves me the trouble of wondering if God has called me to be a music leader.
When God called Abraham, God did not give him detailed instructions; instead God just said to leave the city of Ur. God promised to show him his ultimate destination on the way. God gave Abraham the first step, but not the full picture of where he was going. God does not tell us what to do until we begin to move. However, if we start to move we will hear the next step, and then the next, and so on. In order to discover God’s plan for your life, do not sit in a locked room praying until you have a complete vision of where you are going. Start moving in the direction of your greatest interest. Once you start to move, God will guide your steps. God is drawn to movement.
Let’s look at what the Bible says.” Psalm 37:23,“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delighteth in his way.” Notice it says, ‘The steps of a good man are ordered.’ Once we start taking steps, God is able to show us where to go. God cannot order our steps if we are standing still. You drive and God gives directions, but there are no directions until you start driving. A parked car never goes anywhere even if it is on the right road. Will Rogers said, ‘Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.’ Reinhard Bonnke says, ‘People who forever SEEK the will of God are overrun by those who DO the will of God!’ In other words, do not wait for A-Z to be revealed. Step out with A-B and God will reveal B-Z as you move.”
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
There is a general will of God and a specific will of God.
The general will of God is like a circle. The specific will of God is like a small dot within that circle. The Bible reveals the general will of God; our actions help us find the specific will of God for our lives.
The difference between the general and the specific aspects of God’s will has produced two different theories as to how we should go about discovering God’s will. The “Dot” theory believes that in every case there is one specific action God wants us to take. One person we are supposed to marry. One place we are supposed to go to college. One mission trip we must go on. One color of socks God wants us to wear today. People who always wait for the “dot” to be revealed are usually “sitters.”
The “Circle” theory believes there are a variety of actions that please God. There are boundaries (revealed by God’s written Word) but within that circle there are a variety of choices that God celebrates. For example, the Bible says we should not marry unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14) but within the circle of potential spouses who are born-again and love God there might be many who would please both God and you.
People who are willing to make choices within the circle of God’s will are usually “movers.” New believers are often “dot” Christians. When my youngest brother was ten years old, I had to tell him, “David, don’t run out onto the street.” He needed very specific instructions. But now that he is in college, I don’t worry about him chasing after cars. Why? Because I can trust him to make wise decisions. A baby must be told not to touch a hot stove, but an adult knows better. Similarly, a baby believer often needs specific instructions about how to live the Christian life. A mature Christian generally does not need detailed instructions because they have learned enough about the character and nature of God to know what is right and wrong.
Mature Christians have learned to follow the advice of St. Augustine who said, “Love God and do as you please.” If you really love God, you want to do what pleases Him. You should, “Love God with all your heart and do whatever else you want.” As long as you are in the “circle” of what God wants, there are many choices within that circle that please God equally. When we are within the general will of God, we have great freedom with our specific actions. As you walk in the general will of God, you will discover the specific will of God for your life. The way the specific will of God is revealed is through your actions. As you move, God is able to guide you to the specific point He wants you at.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
There are two kinds of Christians: the sitters and the movers.
“Let’s talk about ‘The Sitters’ first. Their motto is, ‘I do not move without God’s guidance.’ Those who hold to this philosophy wait and pray until God shows a way. They rarely move without a clear sign or instruction from God. Those who follow this viewpoint sound very holy and proper. They often say things like, ‘I am waiting on God. I am trusting God to take care of me. I do not want to miss God and go in the wrong direction. I have faith that God will provide.’ Year after year, they sit in the same place, doing the same thing, hoping and praying for God to move.”
I call the second group of people, ‘The Movers.’ They live their lives by a different mantra. If they had to put it into words they would say, ‘I expect God’s guidance when I move.’ They do not sit around waiting for a word from God; instead they begin obeying the commands God has already given them. They expect to receive guidance while they are in the process of moving.”
Here are some of the differences between sitters and movers:
* Sitters sit; movers move.
* Sitters listen to God’s voice; movers obey God’s voice.
* Sitters are quickly overtaken by movers.
* Sitters talk about doing great things for God; movers actually do great things for God.
* Sitters are still asking, “What should we do?” when movers announce, “Look at what we have done.”
* Sitters critique and complain; movers are too busy to attack others.
* Sitters point out problems; movers fix problems.
* Sitters say, “I am trusting God.” Movers say, “God is trusting me.”
Several years ago, I asked a pastor if we could hold a special series of evangelistic meetings in his church. He said, ‘Let me pray about it.’ Now years later, he is still praying about it and wondering why his church has not grown.” “I held a meeting with another pastor and six new families started coming to his church. The next year we held another evangelistic outreach and again his church grew. What was the difference between these pastors? While one was praying, the other was doing. One pastor prayed, ‘God save the lost.’ The second pastor was giving away hotdogs to people in the park on a Saturday morning and demonstrating the love of Christ in a tangible way. The second pastor is a mover. As he takes action, he trusts God to bless his actions.”
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
We can plan what we are going to do, but once we start moving, God will direct our steps.” Proverbs 16:9, “‘In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” God wants to direct our movement or steps. God cannot steer a parked car. God will use your movement, even movement in the wrong direction. If you start taking steps, God will guide you into the right direction.
Once you begin to move, then God reveals His will for your life step by step. Your miracle is in your movement! When you start to move, God begins to move on your behalf. Are you waiting on God, or is God waiting on you? Almost any movement should do. Just point your life in the general direction (the compass heading) you think you should be going. Then take a step.
Many churches say they want a New Testament church. What was the distinguishing characteristic of the church in the Book of Acts? A clue is found in the name of the book! The apostles acted. It is not called the ‘Book of Intentions.’ Yes, they prayed and waited for the Holy Spirit, but that is only the first chapter. Once they were filled with God’s power, they began to move. If you act, God will move, but if you do not act, God cannot move. Jesus says, “You are My hands, you are My feet, you are My voice, take Me to the ends of the earth!’”
Some people want to hear the thundering roar of God’s voice, see a choir of angels, get singed by a burning bush, and receive a note written by the finger of God and delivered by the archangel Gabriel before they move. If you could hear God’s voice right now, you would probably hear Him shouting, ‘Do something!’ If an angel knocked on your door, he might say, ‘Do something.’” Two-thirds of God’s Name is ‘Go.’ Two-thirds of God’s Name backwards is ‘Do.’ So, if you want to be like God, then ‘Go Do.’ The supernatural is when God adds His ‘Super’ to our ‘Natural.’ God has already done all the ‘Super’ He is going to do. Now we must do in the natural what we are supposed to do. God has done His part; now we must do our part, by taking action.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
Do you believe God allows us free choice concerning the person we are supposed to marry? Do you think there is one perfect spouse for me or do you think that there are many different girls I could choose to marry that God would approve of?
Once I was interested in girl. I felt God say, ‘She is not My best plan for your life but if you pursue her, she will be yours.’ In other words, God gave me permission to have a relationship with her if I wanted to do so, but God did not feel she was the best. She was not outside of God’s moral will (I can date whomever I choose as long as she is a believer) but she was outside God’s advice. I did not end up marrying her either.”
“So how did you finally decide to marry Jessica?”
“When I met Jessica, she fit me and my life calling perfectly and I fit hers. She was already experienced on the mission field. She loved God; she loved people, and she loved me. During our courtship, I only had green lights and confirmations that we were right for each other. I never felt a yellow light or check in my spirit that something was amiss. A year later, I took action and proposed. I know God celebrated my decision to marry Jessica. We ended up being perfect for one another.”
Jessica’s Story in Her Own Words
“I graduated from a Bible school that taught every believer is called to obey the Great Commission to ‘go into all the world and preach the Gospel.’ I was taught that any believer could go to the mission field for a time even without a prophetic word that said ‘Thus sayeth the Lord, go’ because Jesus commanded all believers to go. When an opportunity came for me to go on a one-year trip to India, I did not feel called to be a missionary. But one night I responded to an altar call for those who were 100% dedicated to doing the will of God.
While I was kneeling at the front of the church, I heard God whisper to me, ‘Do you believe in the Great Commission?’
‘Of course I do,’ I responded. Then I heard Him say, ‘Do you believe in the Great Commission enough to go and do something about it?’ That night, out of simple obedience to God and His Word, I made a commitment to go to the mission field for one year.
My first few months in India were miserable. I just wanted to finish my twelve months and go home. But I vividly remember the night God called me to be a missionary. I was laying on a thin mattress on a concrete floor in southern India. The electricity had just gone off and the overhead fan no longer moved the hot, humid air in the tiny room. Laying in the darkness, soaking my pillow with sweat, I counted over sixty mosquito bites on my body. God gently spoke to my heart in the darkness, ‘Jessica, this is the life I have called you to.’
I did not know whether to laugh or to cry. All I knew was that God wanted me to work on the mission field for the rest of my life. I felt relieved to finally know my lifetime calling regardless of what it was or the hardships I was bound to face.
The next morning I jumped out of bed and walked to a nearby Internet café to e-mail my headquarters and make a commitment to return to India for a second year. I stepped out onto the mission field with nothing but a simple desire to obey God’s Word. But, once I arrived in India, God gave me a clear direction that would last the rest of my life.”
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
We can plan what we are going to do, but once we start moving, God will direct our steps.” Proverbs 16:9, “‘In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” God wants to direct our movement or steps. God cannot steer a parked car. God will use your movement, even movement in the wrong direction.
If you start taking steps, God will guide you into the right direction. Once you begin to move, then God reveals His will for your life step by step. Your miracle is in your movement! When you start to move, God begins to move on your behalf. Are you waiting on God, or is God waiting on you? Almost any movement should do. Just point your life in the general direction (the compass heading) you think you should be going. Then take a step.
Many churches say they want a New Testament church. What was the distinguishing characteristic of the church in the Book of Acts? A clue is found in the name of the book! The apostles acted. It is not called the ‘Book of Intentions.’ Yes, they prayed and waited for the Holy Spirit, but that is only the first chapter. Once they were filled with God’s power, they began to move. If you act, God will move, but if you do not act, God cannot move. Jesus says, “You are My hands, you are My feet, you are My voice, take Me to the ends of the earth!’”
Some people want to hear the thundering roar of God’s voice, see a choir of angels, get singed by a burning bush, and receive a note written by the finger of God and delivered by the archangel Gabriel before they move. If you could hear God’s voice right now, you would probably hear Him shouting, ‘Do something!’ If an angel knocked on your door, he might say, ‘Do something.’” Two-thirds of God’s Name is ‘Go.’ Two-thirds of God’s Name backwards is ‘Do.’ So, if you want to be like God, then ‘Go Do.’ The supernatural is when God adds His ‘Super’ to our ‘Natural.’ God has already done all the ‘Super’ He is going to do. Now we must do in the natural what we are supposed to do. God has done His part; now we must do our part, by taking action.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
If you had to purchase a new car, how would you decide what color to buy? Would you wait for God to speak to you in a booming voice, “BUY the BLUE car.” Let me tell you how I would make that decision. If buying the blue car is Option A and buying the red car is Option B, I do not think God would have a preference either way.
Sometimes we sit and agonize over whether we should choose Option A or Option B. But, the blessing of God is not on “A” or “B,” the blessing is on ME. As long as my decision does not go against God’s general will as revealed in the Bible, God will bless no matter which option I choose.” Recently, our team was trying to decide if God wanted us to do a crusade in a big city in Brazil or in a nearby smaller city. We prayed for guidance, but never heard a definitive word from God. Finally, we decided to do the crusade in the big city because we recognized that God would bless us no matter where we decided to do the crusade.
So, when you are wondering if Option A or Option B is better, it is not ‘A’ or ‘B,’ it’s ‘U.’ Whatever you decide, God blesses. Walk in the freedom you have in Christ. God has given us boundaries, but within those boundaries we have great freedom. Even if there is no guarantee of success, move. Be willing to take a risk. Take a step into the unknown. If you do not know what direction to go, just generally align your life to be for what God is for and against what God is against. Just do something; anything that you think would make God happy. If God says ‘no’ then take a step in another direction. If not, then continue forward and expect God to give you success.”
Many people find it hard to make decisions, they say “But I don’t want to miss God.” God says, “I’m so big, you can’t miss Me! God told us ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel’ (Mark 16:15). Once we start moving in that direction, He will influence our choice of where to go, but for the most part, He is just happy when we go. It is hard to be out of God’s will if you go to the mission field and start telling people about Jesus. People often wait to be called by God and never go. They say, ‘I am waiting to receive my call from God.’ In reality, you are already called. As T.L. Osborn says, ‘The need is the call.’ When you see a need, you are probably the one called to fill that need.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
Some people stop doing anything for fear that they would do the wrong thing. But I think we should take action and move, even if we might make a mistake. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” The next verse, Psalm 37:24 says, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.” Notice that it does not say we will never fall. What it does say is that if we fall, God will pick us back up. Falling is never a period on the end of our sentence, only a comma. You wonder, ‘But what if I make the wrong choice and head in the wrong direction?’
The Bible promises, ‘We know that all things work together for good to them that love God who are called according to His purpose’ (Romans 8:28). Even if you make the wrong choice, God will turn it into something good, because He is a good God.” Failure is not necessarily an indication you are out of God’s will. Thomas Edison failed over ten thousand times when he was inventing the electric light bulb. When asked why he kept trying after so many failures he replied, ‘I knew I would eventually run out of ways it would not work.’ Some fail once and think they are outside God’s will, but sometimes we need to keep trying until we succeed. If you fall down, get back up. You don’t drown by falling into water; you drown by staying there. Because we live in an imperfect world, bad things can still happen even when we are in the center of God’s will for our lives. But God will cause good to come from negative situations.
When Paul was thrown into prison, God used him to minister to the prison guards. He said ‘…I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…’ (Philippians 1:12 NKJV). When his own brothers sold Joseph as a slave into Egypt, God used him to save his whole family during a time of famine. Joseph explained, ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives’ (Genesis 50:20 NIV).”
You are not where you need to be, but thank God you are not where you used to be. If you were perfect, you would not need a Savior. God is not surprised at your mistakes and imperfections. He knows everything; your faults don’t faze Him. I’m not perfect either. I have made mistakes, been distracted, and lost my focus at times; but God still loves me and chooses to use me. Self-doubt is a weapon from the pit of hell. Be bold! Make decisions. When you decide not to decide, you’ve made a decision at that moment. It is better to move and be wrong than to never move at all. God would rather have an imperfect performance than a perfect heart that never moves. Often we are so scared we will get it wrong, that we do nothing. You can be sure that while we are doing nothing, the devil is doing something.”
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
Some think being in God’s will is like walking across a tightly-strung tightrope over a deep crevasse. They start at one end of the rope and gingerly take tiny balanced steps until they reach the other side. Even a slight deviation to the right or left can lead to a nasty plunge as they cautiously proceed step-by-step across the rope.
But, I think that being in God’s will is more like being a player on a football field. The ultimate goal is to get the football into the end zone on the other side of the field. There are many different plays and ways of getting the ball there. Some run the ball, other players pass the ball, and some kick a field goal. All these methods of getting the ball to the other end of the field make the coach happy, as long as the goal is achieved.
There are many paths and many plays that get you to where you need to be. God the Father has put us on a winning team and given us the best equipment and training. His Playbook is full of winning strategies, and He sits in His skybox cheering us on. The angels and saints are in the stands cheering at the top of their lungs. The opposing team is weak and puny. Our star quarterback, Jesus, has already defeated them. After soundly trouncing the opposition, Jesus was pulled out of the game to go sit next the team owner. Now it is our turn to play. The score is ten thousands points ahead in our favor and we are just playing out the clock.
You and I are not walking a narrow tightrope of faith where disaster looms with each tiny misstep. The tightrope is like the dot; it represents only one pathway to our destiny. Instead, we are on a wide football field running plays. Our Coach, the Holy Spirit, is calling out encouragement. We are calling audibles, picking our plays as we go. If one play fails, we just get up and try another. Our team has permanent possession of the ball. The field represents the circle of God’s will. As long as we stay in the game and do not leave the field, then our heavenly Coach is happy with us.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
Is it better to wait on the Lord or to move on the Lord’s behalf?
Those who want to wait on the Lord might point to the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10? Martha was stressed running around and preparing food for Jesus. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus spending time with Him. Martha was upset and asked Jesus to make Mary help in the kitchen. Instead, Jesus rebuked Martha and complimented Mary. Doesn’t Jesus speak more highly of the sitter in this story than the mover?” Does God want us to be still or to do His will? Does God want us to stay still waiting for His presence, or does God want us to take His power to the world?“
In the story of Mary and Martha, Martha was rebuked for being too busy to sit at the feet of Jesus. Because of this, some people have taught that it is much better to sit in the presence of Jesus then it is to be busy doing the work of the ministry. This mentality has paralyzed some Christians and prevented them from taking action. Some people are seventy or eighty years old, still seeking the will of God. They have not accomplished much of anything. It is true that there is a time and a place for soaking in the presence of God. But while we are soaking, we must not forget that Jesus gave us a job to complete here on earth. Right before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told His disciples to go to the upper room and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, they were all filled with power from the Holy Spirit. Until they were filled, they waited. After they were filled, the wait was over and it was time for them to go. As one preacher said, ‘Until you are filled, don’t go; after you are filled, don’t stay.’
Often people make spiritual excuses for sitting still. They say, ‘I’m waiting on the Lord’ or ‘I don’t go because I am waiting for the Lord to reveal His will.’ ‘Ever since the day of Pentecost, we never again wait for the Lord, the Lord waits for us.’ I’m not saying we should not pray. Even Jesus went off by Himself every day to speak with His Father. However, we should pray as we move instead of using prayer as an excuse for not moving.
Oswald Chambers said, ‘See that you do not use the trick of prayer to cover up what you know you ought to do.’ Our praying, our listening to God, and our moving is a continuous process. As we move, we pray, then listen to God, then move again. Contrast the story of Mary and Martha with this this story in Mark 5. After Jesus cured the demon-possessed man, he begged Jesus for the opportunity to follow Him and sit at His feet. However, Jesus did not permit him, but instead commanded the man to go tell all his friends about his miracle. So, the man departed and proclaimed in the area of Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. The word ‘Decapolis’ means ‘ten cities.’ The man who had been demon-possessed traveled from city to city, telling people about Jesus.
Later in Mark 7:31 when Jesus visited this region, He was able to perform great miracles because the faith of the people had been prepared by the testimony of the man who was set free from demons.” Psalm 46:10 says ‘Be still and know that I am God?’ But, did you ever read the second half of that verse? “It says, ‘I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.’ How will God be exalted among the nations unless we take action and go proclaim His glory in all the nations of the earth? There is a place for sitting at the feet of Jesus and for being still in His presence, but the purpose for this time is to prepare us for taking action!” There are three types of people in the world. Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder, ‘What just happened?’” I do not want to sit around waiting for things to happen, I want to make them happen. What kind of person do you want to be?”
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
God’s will for your life is hidden within the pages of His Word. If you obey God’s Word, you will be fulfilling His will for your life. It is never God’s will for us to do something contrary to His Word. If your course of action is against God’s Word, then it is against God’s will for your life. According to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, lying, killing, and committing adultery are clearly outside of God’s will. Obviously, if you do any of these things, you are outside of God’s will. Nothing that is against God’s Word can ever be God’s will. Period.
The simplest way to discover God’s will is to ask, “What does God’s Word tell me to do?” Many people ask, “I understand the Bible reveals God’s will, but how do I know what God wants me to do today? I know I should not sin, but how do I know how to choose which mission trip I should go on? As you obey the general will of God for your life as revealed in the Bible, you will discover the specific will of God for your life. You will never discover God’s hidden will for your life until you first do God’s known will. God’s Word is the beginning point for knowing God’s will. Usually those who do not obey His Word find it difficult to hear His voice.”
Some people was so paralyzed by fear of missing God’s will, that even simple decisions became difficult for him to make. “How do I know if I should go to the grocery store first or fill up my gas tank?” “What do I do when God’s Word does not specifically address my current situation? After all, there is no commandment that says, ‘Daniel, thou shalt marry Jessica.’ So, how was I supposed to know whether I should marry my girlfriend Jessica? Within the confines of God’s Word, God gives us great freedom. The Bible reveals God’s moral will but in relation to the area of volitional will (our personal choices) we are allowed freedom of choice.
You can Discover God’s Will for Your Life – Read Daniel King’s book on How to Fulfill God’s Will for Your Life:
