Finding God’s Will For Our Lives Part #3

Thus saith the Lord

Prov 3:6 – “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

 In this short 12 word verse, we find one of the most precious promises of the Bible… the promise for the Lord’s leadership and guidance in our lives.   But in this same verse, we find one of the most difficult aspects of the Christians life… following the path the Lord desires for our life. 



 

One of the my most frequently asked questions is “How can I find God’s will for my life?”   In the next 6 blog entries we will be seeing what God’s word teaches us about this important subject…

1. What is God’s will ?


2. Not my will, but thine be done.


3. Thus saith the Lord


4. Oh what a feeling


5. Open and shut doors


6. Summary of the study

In part number 3 of our study lets look at… “Thus saith the Lord”

THE SCRIPTURE:

Ps 19:8 - The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes.

Ps 119:105 - NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Prov 6:23 - For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life:

2Tim 3:16-17 - All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

THE STUDY:

King David and his son, King Solomon, understood the important role of God’s Word in our decision making processes… 

1. In Psalm 19:8, David makes it plain that the Word of the Lord “enlightens” the believer’s eyes.  The word “enlightens” refers to “the break of day”.  In other words, without the Bible, we are living our life in darkness (much like the darkness of a cloudy nighttime).  But when we use the Bible in our day to day walk, it is like dawn (when the sun appears and enlightens everything around us) making it easy for us to see clearly and make wise decisions.

2. In Psalms 119:105 – David makes the same point about God’s Word using the example of a lamp and light that enlightens the paths of life that we are to take.  Again, we see how the Word enlightens us as we make our daily decisions, helping us to understand clearly the will of the Lord.

3. In Proverbs 6:23 – David’s son, Solomon, also exhibited the importance of God’s Word as a guide for his life.  He said that “the commandment is a lamp and the law is light” basically restating what his father has stated previously. But then he went on to say “reproofs of instruction are the way of life”, again, referring to the Word of God (reproofs of instruction), he said that they are the path that we are to follow in life.

In all of these Old Testament passages the importance of God’s Word in our decision making processes is clearly on display…. However, one of the most important verses on this subject is found in the New Testament, written by the Apostle Paul….

In 2 Tim 3:16-17, we find Paul declaring that the Scriptures are of utmost importance in our decision making, because they are the very word of God handed down to man…

1. “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God” – here “inspiration” is made up of two Greek root words, one is the word for “God”, the other is a word for “blow” or “breathe”.  This teaches us that the Bible was given to man by God breathing or blowing it to them.  Just like when we speak, we gently blow out, in the same way the Lord literally spoke the words which are recorded in the Bible.  The Scriptures are, literally, the perfect, complete, reliable, words spoken by God to man.

1. Paul goes further explaining that these words can benefit man in the following ways
   
   
   
   1. For doctrine – teaching, to impart knowledge or facts
   
   
   2. for reproof – evidence, to convince the knowledge is true
   
   
   3. for correction – to straighten, to restore to proper position
   
   
   4. for instruction in righteousness: - tutor, to learn to be aligned with commands of God  The result of endoctrination, conviction, restoration and education in the truth…
   
   
   
   

                                  i.    perfect – spiritually mature

                                 ii.    throughly furnished unto all good works – completely equipped to perform any work that is pleasing to God.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION

For those who are saved…

Please, especially take note of what Paul said at the end of 2 Timothy 3:16-17. In this section of Scripture…. “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”  Paul made the statement that God spoke His Word to man, was so that His followers may be spiritually mature, and entirely equipped to perform all works that are pleasing to God.  

In other words, His Word was given to those who are saved so that we can, through the Spirit, recognize and then take the paths that He has chosen for us to take in life… by following these paths we perform the ministries (good works) that He has desired for our lives.

Paul, through the inspiration of Almighty God, says that the Word is all that is needed for the Christian to follow God’s will, and live a life that is pleasing to Him.  Paul did not say “the Scriptures plus good feelings”, nor did he say “the Scriptures plus a miraculous sign from heaven (like a lightning bolt striking a fore ordained object)”, nor did he say “the Scriptures plus other men’s approval”.   Absolutely not, Paul made it plain that the Scriptures alone would mature and completely equip a Christian to lead a life that was pleasing to God.

Not only are we to be sure that our desires are in submission to the Lord’s will for our lives (part #2). But also, we are to give our full attention to His Word as the road map guiding us in the many choices of our lives.  

In our search for God’s Will to be shown to us in our lives….

Prayer Principle #3 -  We must pray for understanding and application of His Word, through the Spirit, concerning the Lord’s leadership in our lives.

For those who are not saved….

The Lord’s will for the life of those who have never trusted in Christ is clearly declared in 1Tim 2:3-6 …

For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

For more information about salvation and the forgiveness of sins, please refer to my blog page found here: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

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To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at  http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

 If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.    I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.

Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com

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 May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”

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