I Corinthians 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
First John 2:17 says And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. The will of God is important. A few years ago at the Gulf War a survey was taken asking, if under certain conditions, men and women who are reservists should be called to serve. No matter the conditions–a young baby, both parents called, etc.–those surveyed said they should go because they signed up for it. They knew the risks and they should fulfill their commitment. Those same people were asked if a missionary should go to the field if they had young children. Should an evangelist be away from home several weeks a year to preach? Those surveyed said no. In effect they were saying the government has more right to our lives than God does. Patriotism is higher than God. Our devotion to God should be foremost in our lives, but it is not. Being in the Father’s will concerns Jesus; it should concern us.
What is the will of God? Matthew 6:10 says Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. God’s will in our lives means his will is done there as it is in heaven. Everything in heaven is done according to God’s will. He reigns supremely. When angels receive assignments they don’t ask for something else. God is concerned about what you are. He’s concerned about what you do. He’s concerned about where you do it. Every aspect of your life is of concern to God. Jonah was told to preach a specific message to the people of Nineveh. His wheels began to turn. He went the opposite direction of Nineveh. Just suppose the things hadn’t happened with the whale and he’d gone to Tarshish and preached. Suppose many were saved. Would that mean Jonah did God’s will? No! He was told to preach in Nineveh. It matters where we go to church. I believe God has me here. It matters where you work. It matters who you marry. God has a specific plan for each and every believer’s life.
It is God’s will for every person to be saved and not go to hell. Jesus made a way. The price has been paid. The will of God is for you to be saved today, if you’re not already saved. It is God’s will that we participate in the salvation of others. One way we do that is by supporting missions. We’ll have a part in every person saved. We’re also to be personal witnesses for God and win others on our own. It’s also the will of God for us to be joyful. No one wants to see a sad Christian. Be joyful. God wanted our joy to be full. It could be his will that you suffer. God’s will isn’t always pleasant. Our parents had us do things, for our own good, that weren’t always pleasant. We did them because they told us to. Did Jesus want to go to the cross? No, but he was willing to do God’s will. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh even when he finally went. Having a burden has nothing to do with doing God’s will. We do it because he tells us to do it. The will of God is continuous. There’s no retiring from God’s will and his work.
Earlier I mentioned that he who does the will of God abideth forever. Isn’t that reason enough? King Saul did almost everything God said but was rejected. So what should we do? Find the will of God. Let God plan your life. When you find it, do it to the best of your ability. Whom God calls, he equips. This world is not our home. Don’t get entangled in it. Do you need to call on God today? Need to start anew? Ask God to make his will known to you. Don’t be a Jonah. You’ll never be happy till you do the will of God. If you’re not saved, today is the day to be saved. Call on the Lord today.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 