Finding God's Will

Read Genesis 24:1-14

Probably the most asked question from believers in the world is, “What is God’s will?” Have you ever been in a place where you knew you were lost, but you couldn’t find the place you were on a map? When I was in college, several friends and I went to a wedding in Chicago. I had my car filled with geographically challenged people; they had no directional information except that we were in Chicago. The two other cars whose passengers knew where they were going decided to leave us in the dust. It wasn’t until we were well into Wisconsin that we figured out that we were lost.
It has been that way in our spiritual lives at times, as well. We keep walking, and it just seems that everyone and everything has passed you by. You find yourself buried in a corner giving God ultimatums for direction. There is a way for you to find what God desires of your life. The first principle for receiving God’s guidance is knowing God’s Word. We must have a thorough knowledge of God’s will and purposes to help direct our actions and decisions. That knowledge of God’s will comes primarily from God’s Word. God’s Word reveals God’s plan, principles and purposes. Knowledge of these is essential to even beginning to receive God’s guidance. It is Abraham’s knowledge of God’s word that leads him to make the first step in the right direction.
The second principle for receiving God’s guidance is commitment to God’s will. It is one thing to know what God’s will is through His Word and another thing completely to be committed to doing His will without compromise. One of the conditions under which Abraham received God’s providential guidance was his complete commitment to doing God’s will. This story reveals to us that God guides us when we are committed to His will and not our own, no matter how difficult it sometimes is to do.
The third principle for receiving God’s guidance is trusting in God’s Ways. Trust is absolutely essential if you are to be led by God because you will never maintain your commitment to obeying Him and waiting on Him unless you really trust in Him. You must trust that He will provide everything necessary to fulfill His will for your life in His own way. This is what Abraham did. He trusted God to providentially provide a wife for Isaac from outside of Canaan, even though that was extremely unlikely.
The fourth principle for receiving God’s guidance is to pray for God’s Wisdom. The servant did not just assume that he would recognize whom God had provided as a wife for Isaac. He prayed for guidance and wisdom. Do you desire God’s guidance? It is never too late to begin to learn His Word, commit to His will, trust His ways and pray for His wisdom. In fact, why not spend some time right now doing just that.

“I believe we must seek God's will, never presuming to identify it with our own program or power.”
- David E. Price