Focus on God’s Revealed Will
Ironically, we’re prone to overlook God’s revealed will and hyper-focus on his secret will. We often want to know God’s hidden will for the future, while walking contrary to his revealed will in the present.
We often want to know God’s hidden will for the future, while walking contrary to his revealed will in the present.
Instead, we ought to diligently study and seek to understand God’s revealed will. As we sit under good preaching and teaching, reading and studying and memorizing our Bibles in a covenant community, we will grow in our ability to know God’s revealed will. And as we renew our minds, the Spirit of God will help us not only discern God’s will (Rom. 12:2), but also apply it to the circumstances and moments of our days.
Trust God’s Secret Will
While we obey God’s revealed will, we can trust in God’s good providence—that as his secret will unfolds he is working all things together for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28). Whatever our days may hold, we can trust that the specifics are designed by a loving God for the good of our souls.
Whether the decision of the moment involves choosing a spouse or choosing new flooring, we can trust our sovereign God to order our lives for his glory and our good. Today and every day, the truth is clear: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3).
This means we can trust God’s will even during trials. Sometimes we think that suffering can’t possibly be the Lord’s will. But we forget that our salvation was won when Jesus submitted himself completely to God’s will in the moment of his greatest suffering.
After living in perfect obedience to God’s revealed will, Jesus, on the night before his crucifixion, asked his Father three times if there was any other way for him to accomplish God’s plan to save a people for himself. Everything hinged on how Jesus would respond to God’s perfect will. And, praise and glory to Jesus, he submitted himself, saying, “Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42).
So, seek to know God’s revealed will. Be diligent in obeying it. Walk in holiness, pursue sanctification, love your neighbors, be generous with your resources, bridle your tongue, and worship God. Trust that God, in his providence, is working all things together for your good, and remember that what is currently hidden will one day be revealed in glory.
And as you wait with steadfast hope for that day, thank the Lord that his will is always good.
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