October 12 Knowing the Will of God

Knowing God's Will is Worth the Wait

Opening

In a sentence or two, how are you doing these days? What are you worried about? What are you excited about? 

Psalm 37.4 - 7.  (margin p.66)

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

 

Be still[1] before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their lives, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

 

• Look for the commands in these five verses?
• What are the promises in these five verses?
• Are commands and promises often tied together in scripture?  Can you think of other examples? 
  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 

• What exactly does it mean to delight in God? [2]
• Is it easy or hard to delight in God?  What causes you to delight in God?
  I hope you feel as I do-that you absolutely love being a Christian and absolutely love following Christ. It is such a blessed life. It is so good to follow God.
• Does it really mean He will give us everything our heart desires as we delight in Him?  That seems to be what it is saying.
• What does it mean to commit our ways to the Lord?[3]
• What does it mean to be still before God? Can you give an example?
• What damage does anger do? Who has a story?
  
• Day two raises a question, “What are we to do when God doesn't seem to answer?”[4]  Sometimes God delays His answer, and Charles Stanley says we should not deny that we have a problem, don't avoid the problem, don’t lie, don’t give in or give up and don’t move forward until you are sure God has given you the green light.
• Day three-bottom of page 70 “When you feel overwhelmed by your circumstances, prayer is the one way to change the direction of your mind and heart.  It places focus on ‘God, who is the only source of hope and truth”
• Handling unmet needs begins with prayer.  Then acknowledge your need and the burden you are carrying; claim God’s promise and seek God’s direction.  Be willing to wait and thank God in advance for His provision.

 Philippians 4.6 - 7.   

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank him for his answers. 7 If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. (TLB)

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (MSG)

 

Don't worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus. (Phillips NT)

• Why is it important to God that we not worry?
  
• Is it possible to live the John 10.10[5] abundant Christian life and be continually worrying?
  
• What are some steps we could take to cut our worrying in half?
  
•  Does anyone have a story about a time when you experienced the peace that passes all understanding-about a time when you experienced incredible peace and it didn't make any sense for you to have that peace?
  
•  Why is it wise to wait for God?  

1. To  receive God’s clear timing.
   
2. To allow God the proper time to prepare you for His answer.
3. To strengthen your faith in Him.
4. To allow God to sift through your motives to reveal you desires

Questions related to a decision you are considering: (page 73-74)

1. Is your proposed decision consistent with the Word of God?
2. Is this a wise decision?
3. Can I honestly ask ‘God to enable me to achieve this?
4. Do I have a genuine peace about this?
5. Does this fit who I am as a follower of Jesus?
6. Does this fit God’s overall plan for my life?
7. Will the decision honor God?

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[1]     Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  Psalm 27:14.

 [2]      The word translated "delight" comes from a root that means "to be brought up in luxury, to be pampered." It speaks of the abundance of the blessings we have in the Lord Himself, totally apart from what He gives us. To enjoy the blessings and ignore the Blesser is to practice idolatry. In Jesus Christ, we have all God's treasures, and we need no other. If we truly delight in the Lord, then the chief desire of our heart will be to know Him better so we can delight in Him even more, and the Lord will satisfy that desire! This is not a promise for people who want "things," but for those who want more of God in their lives.--Bible Exposition Commentary - Old Testament

[3]    The exhortation to "commit" one's way to the Lord is not a simple abandonment. It involves a full commitment to "roll away" or to "cast" one's feelings of anger, resentment, and jealousy on the Lord. - Expositors Bible Commentary

[4]      The story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus is example of a time when God delayed His answer.  John 11:1-16.

[5]      I am come that they may have life and have it to the full.