117.BEYOND THE GUESSWORK Philippians 2:13.

Remember the game “Pin the tail on the donkey”? Winning in that game was ‘a-stab-in-the-dark’ process. And for many of God’s followers, determining His Will and purpose for their lives amounts to the same thing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some Scriptural steps to take the guesswork out of it. (1) Commit yourself to obeying God’s Will. Understanding God’s Will is impossible until you commit yourself unreservedly to doing it. Any desire to retain your own will blinds you to His will. You don’t need a detailed map; it’s a journey of Faith. Be confident that God loves you and wants only the very best for you. And when you submit yourself to Him, as it says in (Romans 12:2) “You will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect” (2) Listen for the Shepherd’s voice and trust it. Jesus doesn’t leave you alone to figure out His Will for your life. He is our Good Shepherd. (John 10:3-4) “and His sheep recognise His voice… He… leads them...and they follow Him because they know His voice, ” note the words “recognise His voice”. With time and experience you will learn to know when God is speaking to you ; And be able to distinguish “His Voice” from “Other voices”. God’s voice is always soft and gentle not pushy, He advises but leaves your free will intact. Whereas the other voices are loud, almost seem to be screaming at you to do what they advise; those voices often push you to make risky or rash decisions and more often than not they are in a hurry for you to follow their leading which doesn’t make room for you to hear God’s voice or think about His Will in the matter, or your conscience or even your own free will; That has been my experience, I learned the hard way, so take some advice on this one. And never be in a hurry. Like Abraham who submitted to God’s Will without knowing where he’d be led, you are called to surrender your will without knowing where He will lead you. In (James 1:5-6) we read God promises wisdom, insight and understanding – Not to the spiritually smart, but to anyone who lacks wisdom. So believe that His wisdom is yours. Always do these two things; (1). Recognise God’s Word as the final authority for deciding God’s Will. The Bible speaks clearly on life’s important issues. Every other source of guidance must agree with it. And you don’t need a theological degree; Just let God speak to you through His Word before seeking any other opinion. For example, to tell a lie is unacceptable because God insists you shall not...lie, likewise, having an extramarital affair is wrong, because the Bible clearly says you shall not commit adultery; No other opinion is needed when God’s Word is clear, but a word of caution; The Bible is a book of principles, Not a multiple-choice or a D.I.Y. manual. Picking isolated scriptures leads to confusion, not clarity, for instance ( 1Correnthians:3;21) ‘All things are yours isn’t permission to do whatever you want. Principles are established as Scripture is supported by Scripture. But what if you search the Bible without finding principles that settle your issue? (Recognise the inner impressions of The Holy Spirit. How can you know your impressions are from The Holy Spirit.? By knowing that you have fully submitted your will in the matter. Your impressions must not contradict other Biblical principles. Now here is the Holy Spirits assignment; (John;16:13) “When The Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide you in to all Truth… He will tell you things to come” Don’t be in a hurry. If it’s from God’s Spirit it will become stronger and clearer with time and prayer. If not it will dissipate. So wait prayerfully. Here are two more ways to know God’s will for your life. (1) Providential circumstances; When God is leading, the way will open up for you. When He sends you, He goes before you. See (John 10:4). His Word in (Revelation 3:7) says, “When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door no one can open it” So who opens the right doors and closes the wrong doors? Yes, God. The right doors lead to Blessings, while the wrong ones lead to trouble, pain and loss. Plus nothing but unbelief can keep a door closed once God commands it to be opened. The only help God needs from you is in (Exodus 14:13) Don’t be afraid! stand still, and see what the Lord will do to save you today” (2) “Inner Traffic Lights” The Old timers in the faith would say, “I always watch for the checks in my spirit” You are a new creature with a new spiritual nature that’s alive unto God”, that means equipped to sense God moving within you (see Romans 6:11). And while the counsel of wise and mature Christians can help, the last word must be spoken in your own heart. (Philippians 2:13) tells us “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose.” If your will is surrendered to God, He is at work in you directing your will and behaviours. Believe it, because He declares it! He will give you the red light when He wants you to stop, and the green light when He wants you to go. Don’t go on red, don’t stop on green. Thank you for reading these thoughts on “Taking the guesswork out of Scripture”. I think a lot of it comes out of language and the time factor. Although a lot of work has been done producing all the various modern versions of the Bible, in SOME cases they tend to confuse rather than relate the coherent truth. However, I am no expert in these matters, and therefore read and recommend the traditional versions with which I am more familiar. I trust my loving God and Saviour with the power of His Holy Spirit to lead, guide and protect me through these pages which are solely intended to bring people into the knowledge and purpose of God in and for their lives in order to attain eternal Salvation….God bless us all. Phaline.