E21 - Knowing the Will of GOD – How to Discover - Part 2 of 2

Hope's Harbor Podcast - Gritty Bible Devotions

The way you make decisions in your life is through the permissive will of God. He gives us choices, but only those which are good for our soul and not harmful or damaging to others.
This episode goes over simple questions and answers about how we can take part in this adventure and take some of the mystery out. And by the way, GOD wants us to enjoy this process called the Christian life!
For full show notes go to hopesharbor.net
Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions

Episode #21

Title: Knowing the Will of GOD – How to Discover

Date: September 27th, 2021

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Before going into this episode, my wife Kris asked why I didn’t give more detail in episode 20 about the experience I went through when in the covid ICU. I don’t know why, but I hesitate trying to explain what happened on that spiritual level, something I’ve never experienced before.

Since the event is too long to go into here I recorded it as E21a and posted it for October 4th, 2021

And now, let me get back on track with the focus of this episode ‘Obeying the Will of GOD’:

Key verse(s): Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Colossians 1:9 – ‘For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;’

Intro: When we obey and apply GOD’s expressed sovereign will to our lives consistently, then, and I think it safe to say, only then does GOD more readily reveal His permissive will to us.

But then, when we determine a course of action within the freedom to choose options and become convinced it is what GOD intends for us a good direction to act on and we don’t follow through, what do you think is the logical outcome for such indecision? When we freeze up with fear and just drift along.

Listen, to do nothing with a choice we know is right is still a decision.

Here’s a quote from an anonymous writer, I have on my wall: “On the plains of hesitation bleach the bones of countless millions who, on the threshold to victory sat down to wait, and waiting they died.”

Devotion focus: Finding GOD’s permissive will for our lives.

The first thing that should come to mind is just what does it mean – GOD’s permissive will?

First off I’m not going into all the theological arguments about every aspect and perception of what is meant by GOD’s permissive will or whether it exists.

For the sake of this devotion, I define GOD’s permissive will as GOD allowing us the freedom to choose options within the Christian life, the condition being we are obeying GOD to the best of our knowledge. This means not living in known, willful sin.

The options are choices we make when deciding where to work, live, marry or not. Some people even apply seeking GOD’s will as to what kind of car to buy.

Concerning our life's work I’ve read GOD isn’t so much concerned with our occupation and much as He is with what we’re occupied with.

So here is a blessedly easy way I’ve used throughout my Christian life, even though I forget the pastor who wrote the book in which this method of making choices is taken.

When trying to decide between choices available to me I ask the following:

1. Is your choice prohibited in the Bible? If so, then don’t do it, period. You would think this goes without saying, but I’ve heard people dismiss the Bible prohibiting something, like divorce for nothing more than convenience sake. They’ll say something like, “I know what the Bible says, but…” and give their excu

Show notes at HopesHarbor.net