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 There's nothing like a bit of God's Word to create purpose in your life that lasts the entire day and beyond. We encourage members to Read, Carry and Share the Word of God. Written by Mike Brooks, Deacon of Community at South Shores Church, this devotional study can be viewed online or received by E-mail. You can start from Day 1 at any time. Messages are sent automatically every weekday (Monday through Friday). On weekends we encourage you to be creative and study on your own in any area of Scripture where God leads you. Just subscribe to receive them, using the link below. You may unsubscribe at any time. If you're unable to access your E-mail at any time, simply log in and visit this page to see what we sent you on that day.
Below is the Pocket Devotion for today.
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Day 231: The Search for God's Will (part 1): His Will is the Process
Acts 16:6
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.
Thoughts for Today:
One of my best friends wrote the following to me recently in response to my devotional message, Day 168 "Be Careful of What You Ask For":
"This is a good one. I pray about it, look for confirmation, and consult with others, only to feel like the place I'm in is not working out the way I think it should. It's so hard to know for sure that it is the will of God and not my own will that is guiding my decisions. I've struggled with this for years and unfortunately I think this will be a life long struggle for me. I hope trying counts because I really do try hard, and when I think I've got it down I only end up second guessing myself. Ugh!"
Today's devotion is for my friend and the rest of us for that matter, who struggle to know God's will. Let me begin by asking a question, "Why do you want to know God's will?" For my friend I know it is because he loves the Lord and is completely devoted to making Him the Lord of his life. But is that the whole story or is there something more added into the equation? What other reasons do you have for wanting to know and do God's will? Be honest.
For me, I think that somehow if I can find out and do exactly what God wants, then I will be in the "sweet spot" of His will, completely blessed in unimaginable ways. Of course I have in my mind and my imagination exactly what those blessings would look like. What if God's intended blessing isn't the same blessing I would like of a happy marriage, a big house, healthy intelligent kids, nice cars, a successful business, freedom from debt, money in the bank, family vacations, and the respect of my peers. What if instead God has a completely different blessing in mind for me? Have you also noticed how I have converted the word "will" to "blessing"? You might also have figured out why I have done so -- it's because we are usually less interested in God's will than we are in His blessing -- it is a subtle but critical distinction. Will is something we have to continue to do; blessing is the goal, the reward, and the end point. We humans and especially men are less process oriented and more focused on the end result -- in this case -- the blessing rather than the road being as much a part of the goal as the goal itself.
In our passage today, Paul is frustrated because he wants to preach the Word in Asia. He thinks that what he wants to do is the Lord's will; he thinks Asia is the best place to use his giftedness; he thinks that is where he is needed the most and the location that the Lord has placed on his heart to serve. Yet he is kept from doing so "by the Holy Spirit." I hope you find that as revealing and interesting as I do because within this verse lies the beginning to the answer of my friend's question. Paul, like my friend loved the Lord before all else, but that didn't make him any less bull-headed, stubborn, or willful. The Lord had a different road in mind and another goal for Paul, so Paul was kept from preaching the Word in Asia. I'm sure Paul, (just like you and I) bloodied himself on the shards of his own will before the Lord finally got through to him. Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3 as Paul continues to work through the process.
Questions to Ponder:
What is my point in all of this? Very simply: God's will is the road you are on so relax and enjoy it even if it gets a little bumpy at times. You may very well be creating right now one of your most treasured and happiest future moments.
The question for you is this: "What change in attitude would you need to make for that to occur?" Is the Holy Spirit keeping you from getting to the destination you think is the Lord's will? Are you continuing to spin trying to figure out what is your will versus what it the Lord's will? Are you more concerned about the blessing rather than simply enjoying the ride? If you this sounds like you -- I have a very light yet deep piece of advice -- relax -- most of the fun in life is the struggle in getting there -- that is indeed the blessing we are all so earnestly seeking.
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