"Lord..what about.."

"Lord...what about...?"

"Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

James 4:15

Even if we do not understand what God’s will is, we need to respond to that direction. In fact, when we don’t understand it is even more imperative that we do exactly what he directs us to do in the scriptures. This though can become hard, because it seems repetitive and feels at times like we have to wait forever for an answer. Sometimes, God asks us to make the choice to do his will before we know the specific details of his plan. That’s because part of God’s plan is to develop trust. This is where many of us get into a battle of wills with God, wanting him to reveal his plan to us first and then will we decide whether or not to do what he tells us to do. But this isn't the way it works.

One reason God doesn't give us the full picture of his plans for your life is that you may actually be overwhelmed by what you would see. Peter records, "Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully..(1 Pet.1:10)." We do not know why it was not revealed to them, but it wasn't. Perhaps it may have been difficult for them to complete what God had in mind, if they had known. Perhaps God simply wanted their faith and trust. But that’s the point—there’s no way you can fulfill what God asks without God empowering us to do so. Even Peter was in a constant battle with Jesus over what to do. Just knowing Jesus what he did of Jesus at the time, the one time that Jesus begins to reveal some of what is about to happen to Him, Peter jumps in and says, "Not so Lord." Satan took occasion of Peter's not knowing and desire to anticipate, to try to stop through Peter what Jesus had just revealed was the will of God! Jesus states then, "But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man (Matt 16:23)."

It is a wondrous thing to know without doubt, what God's will is! That is why on some things, we have the Bible - so that we can "the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:17)." Yet, we must also be content with what God has revealed to us, and learn to leave to the will of God in trust that He knows and is preparing what is best for us those things that have not been made known. On another occasion after the resurrection, Jesus was talking with his chosen apostles, Jesus revealed to Peter a portion of what his future would behold (Jn.21:18). Yet, Peter as impetuous as ever, wants to know what is not meant for him to know - "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus responds to Peter, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me! (Jn.21:22)"

These then, are the things that we must remember. What is written in God's word, is there for my learning, my faith, and to DO! Outside of this, we must simply revert back to one principle - "YOU FOLLOW ME." Don't worry about what you do not know, don't fret because you do not know where certain things are going to lead you in your life.

Where ever you go, whatever you are doing - FOLLOW the Lord and trust that God will bring about His will in your life in His own way and own time.

Jim