Seeking God's Will

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV)

Seeking God’s Will

One of the most common struggles among Christians is trying to discern the will of God in their life. Central to this desire is the understanding that God is good and has a plan for their life. So, Christians want to walk in step with that plan as they make decisions. They want to seek God’s guidance as they make important decisions about their future. Yet, many Christians struggle in knowing whether they are making a decision that is “in the will of God.” Most often, they feel like they are in a fog, unsure about where to go. 

The Will of God

Often, when looking up answers on how to discern the will of God, you will find articles that make distinctions regarding the phrase “the will of God.” The Bible uses the phrase “will of God,” in two ways. Deuteronomy 29:29 helps us understand this distinction—the revealed things and the secret things. 

Revealed Will of God

One way the Bible uses the “will of God” is to describe the things that please God—his revealed will. That would include everything in Scripture. Scripture is a book breathed out by God to provide us with instruction on how to live a life pleasing to God (2 Tim 3:16-17). If we are living a life that is pleasing to God, we are living in the will of God. This is why Paul writes in Romans 12:2 that we are to discern what is good, acceptable, and perfect in this life—which is describing the will of God. As it says in Deuteronomy 29:29, these revealed things belong to us so that we will follow them. 

Secret Will of God

Another way the “will of God” is used in scripture is to describe God’s hidden will—his plan for creation from before the foundations of the earth. This is the way Ephesians 1:11 uses the “will of God”—God working all things according to his will. Yet, as we see in Deuteronomy 29:29, “the secret things belong to the LORD.” It is not for us to know the secret will of God—his plans for us from before the foundations of the earth. 

Helpful/Unhelpful Distinctions

I believe it is extremely important for us to understand these distinctions. We need to know these things to seek God’s will rightly. As we seek to discern God’s will, it’s important to know that we cannot pry our way into God’s secret will for our lives—that belongs to God. We cannot try to manipulate things in order to “see our future.” The secret things belong to God, but the revealed things belong to us. 

However, I have found that most articles end on this note. Most wrap up saying something like, “If you want to live in the will of God, do what pleases Him and follow the teachings of the Bible.” Yes, I believe that is true and helpful. 

Yet, HOW do we do that? How do we follow the teaching of the Bible as we make decisions about who we will marry, where we will work, where we will live? How do we make sure we are pleasing God when we make these decisions? 

I hope to answer these questions in the next series of blog posts. So stay tuned…