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God’s Will

Posted in Faith, tagged #godswill, #knowthewordknowgod, #redemption, #reflectgod, #repentance, #whatgodknows, #whatisgodswill on February 20, 2022| 2 Comments »

I know I don’t know it. When I am praying, I don’t know it. When I am making an important decision, I don’t know it. When I am looking at the future, I don’t know it.

God’s will … I don’t know it.

I have been thinking about God’s will quite often lately. As I have been returning to work after a bit of an absence. As hubby and I look at what a new business could look like. As I have been praying for healing. As I try to envision personal purpose in this life God has given.

Then, just yesterday, as I was driving I heard this quote, definition really, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“God’s Will is
what we would choose
if we knew
what God knows”

and I have been mulling this over in my mind ever since.

I think we sometimes use God’s will and God’s heart interchangeably.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us of the importance of the Word of God in knowing his heart, “all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” If the Bible is, indeed the Word of God, to know it, to dig into it often, is the best way to know his heart.

But, his will … that, I think, is a different thing. His word does speak of his will:

We know that we have been instructed to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

We know that God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Similarly, that “he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). And our repentance, our redemption is of such value, he made the biggest of sacrifices for us, “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

And maybe that is the will of God that we need to keep our focus on. Maybe it is imperative that the goal of our lives be our repentance, be our accepting of his love in our lives? Maybe, if we keep our own focus on the value of his redemption of humankind, we would then see that his will is not just our redemption, but the redemption of all around us. Maybe it would mean that we would live our lives as a sacrificial offering to the one who saves us. Maybe it would mean that we so reflect our God, that others cannot but help to be drawn to him.

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Thankful for God’s Will in My Life

Posted in FAMILY, WONDER, tagged #adoption, #bigpicture, #dadsexampleoffatherlove, #exampleoffatherlove, #godswill, #goodgoodfather, #graftedintothefamily, #thankful, #thankfulforgodswillinmylife on November 25, 2021| 4 Comments »

I opened the envelope, with a bit of trepidation in my heart. The manilla envelope dated 1972, was written on in the meticulous writing of my mum, For Carole Wheaton ONLY then, circled were the words, adoption info.

I have known since a very young child that my mum had me as a single woman and that, when they married, her husband, asked to adopt me.

I have been fortunate to have always felt loved, wanted, adored by both of parents, one by blood and both by sweat and tears.

Inside the folded and excessively taped envelope were three more envelopes, two of them yellowed with the years, the third still white, written on the front, This is for Carole Wheaton ONLY.

I first opened the newer envelope. Inside, folded up was an older envelope, a letter from my mum, including the name of the man who is my biological link to life. I moved this aside.

Then the other two envelopes. The first I opened was the final adoption order.

The second one I opened was from the office of the lawyer who oversaw the adoption process. In the letter he says “I appeared before the Judge of the … County Court with the Petition and these documents and the Court is issuing an Interim Adoption Order which will become final in one years time.” I smiled.

Then I lifted the letter, to reveal a longer piece of paper, with a red sticker, stamped with the County stamp, and in bold lettering ADOPTION ORDER … so old-school official looking.

This was simply the best. This was the legal evidence of his pursuit of me to be his own.

Then, because dates have always been a thing for me, a manner that, in so many instances, I have seen the hand of God, I looked for the date of this adoption order …

It couldn’t be … was all I could think.

For, just two years ago (today), on November 25, 2019, my dad …

the only dad I have ever known, ever wanted to know … the father who chose me, bought me with a price (cause I have the invoice for the costs associated with my adoption), the man who raised me to believe I was valued, worthy … then man who gave flesh to my understanding of the love of God the Father, who adopted us in grace …

died, leaving what and who are seen, for that which is beyond the bounds of life and breath.

But, fifty years ago, today, I was adopted by my father. Today is like a birthday for me, for today I was grafted into his family, with all of the legal rights and responsibilities of a daughter born of flesh and blood. I was blessed beyond measure for the forty-eight years with him and how God, through His will gave me such a good father.

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What is God’s Will?

Posted in Walking with God, tagged #actjustlylovemercywalkhumbly, #createdtoworship, #godswill, #purposeinlife, #spiritualworship, #spurgeon, #usedbygod, #whatisgodswill on August 19, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Lord, use me in your will for my life in this world.

I long to be used by God. To be his hands and feet in my small corner of the world. I don’t need his pat on my back, I just long to be used … needed.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” Matthew 5:16

When you don’t know how God wants to use you and you so desperately want to be needed. When you feel certain that you have something to offer but you’re not exactly sure what it is, why doors aren’t opening and just feel useless.

Walking with God, being in his will, in his purpose for life and breath is simply heaven on Earth. It is what gets us up out of bed each day.

But we (I say ‘we’ but, let me tell you, I am preaching this one right back at ‘me’) are always walking with God, when we choose to rely on him, on his provision of opportunity to shine for him.

Being in his will, being used of the God of creation doesn’t mean we are always walking in a surreal, sweet-smelling rose garden. It doesn’t mean that our every more (or word) is flawless. Doesn’t mean that we ‘feel’ good about what we are doing all. the. time. It doesn’t mean that we ‘know’ we are doing God’s work.

Micah 6:8 reminds us of what God’s will actually is for each of us … what he requires of us all:

He has shown you,
O mortal,
what is good.
And what does the Lord
require of you?

To act justly
and to love mercy
and to walk humbly
with your God.

Spurgeon writes (of this scripture), “it was a spiritual worship that the Lord required; not externals, not outward gifts, but the heart. If thou wilt bring an offering, bring thyself; there is no other gift that the Lord so much desires. The prophet mentions three things that the Lord required of his people: “To do justly:” here are the equities of life. “To love mercy here are the kindnesses of life, which are to be rendered cheerfully. The prophet does not say, “to do mercy,” but to “love” it, to take a delight in it, to find great pleasure in the forgiveness of injuries, in the helping of the poor, in the cheering of the sick, in the teaching of the ignorant, in the winning back of sinners to the ways of God. “And to walk humbly with thy God.” These are the things which please him; and when we are in Christ, and he becomes our righteousness, these are the sacrifices with which God is well pleased; they make an offering of a sweet smell, a holy incense which we may present before him. Talk no more of your outward ordinances, your will-worship, with abundance of music, or human eloquence and learning, and what not. These things delight not the Lord; no offering is acceptable unless the outward conduct shows that the heart is right with him.”

And so we walk today, in his will.

Not because of something we are doing for him, but by allowing him to do a great work in us.

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