God’s will, ways, and timing are not impossible to understand, but what happens when we don’t “get it?”
I was having a conversation with the Lord the other day and a phrase came to mind, loud and clear.
“Hope deferred is our lack of recognizing God’s will, ways, and timing.”
The thought of living with hope deferred is, at the least, a bit unsettling. The entirety of the Bible verse beginning with hope deferred, is as follows.
Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”
The tree of life concept is far more inviting than a sick heart, which is what happens when we don’t “get it.” In light of Abba placing His phrase loud and clear in my thoughts, I thought it wise to search out more about, “recognizing God’s will, ways, and timing.”
When any Bible verse, or similar thought come through loud and clear, especially unexpectedly, I pay attention. The enemy is never interested in anyone thinking the way God does, while God does love it when we do.
Focusing on the prevention and remedy of a sick heart, God’s will and ways seem intertwined. Praying, thinking I will work in the order of the phrase I heard, that changed a bit when I heard from Isaiah.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
This information might be considered encouraging and discouraging at the same time. Because we are God’s children, we are all invited to know God’s will, ways, and timing. Yet, we learn here that they might be unobtainable.
But are they?
Asking God this question, this came to mind: “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40
Commandments, especially those summing up God’s law, are clearly a big part of God’s will.
So how do we know and learn God’s will? We learn and know it in relationship with God and His people. In the commandments, Jesus is affirming what God said through Moses in the Old Testament.
The Law was given to show us what a mess we are apart from God. [Deuteronomy 11:26-28 clarifies our choices.] The law was never a trick to make us fail. The law is good, but after the Fall, apart from God, we are not naturally good, and we are unable to obey the law consistently without His help.
Because the God of Creation loves us so much, Jesus came to bring us back in to alignment with the heart of our Creator. That happens as we abide in Him. Jesus says in John 15:10-11 “When you obey my commandments, you remain [abide] in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”
God’s definition of obedience is not the fear inspiring, authoritarian word we think of so often today. That kind of obedience is related to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God’s definition of obedience is about living in the Spirit of the Laws of God, given for our growth and protection.
Obedience, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in response to God’s love for us. . . results in overflowing joy.
Obedience is not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It is not hope deferred.
It is the tree of life.
P.S. I recognize the time here is really full, so the talk about timing, is for another time. . .
And what about the spirit as you mentioned at the end of the writing ….I don’t get it
Pam, You mean the Spirit of the Law? The good news is we have the Holy Spirit in us to help direct and empower us. Galatians 3:23 “Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.
24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.”
let me know if this helps. There is always so much more to say!
Blessings, Andrea
Hi Andrea, Could you explain a little more about the difference between the obedience regarding the tree of good and evil and obedience in the Spirit of the Law? What you wrote above in answer to Pam helps but if you could expound more, it would be great! Thanks and have a blessed 4th of July! -Susan Magante
Oh MY Susan, There is so much to say and many directions to go. Let attempt to be brief.
When Adam and Eve, the Genesis first people, disobeyed by doing the ONLY thing God told them not to do, they gained access to evil in ways Abba hoped they would not,(but knew they would.) The willful act opened the door to all the mess we see daily. Our human nature was corrupted. That can only be repaired by Christ (Promised in Genesis 3:15) and the Holy Spirit.
But now, with Christ’s death and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit, in us, the hope of glory, the Spirit also empowers us to obey in and from love, and not from fear… May Abba help us all to grow deeper in the love of God for us every day!
I hope this brief answer is a help. It is a BIG, important subject.
Blessings, Andrea
Andrea, I like the thought that God loves it when we want to think like Him. I do want to please God. This writing reminds me of a drawing instructor who told us, “We get the greatest flights of freedom within the bounds of discipline.” Thank you for your weekly message. God bless you. Diane
Thank you Diane, I agree with your instructor. It’s the same with raising children. When we have the safe boundaries, we are able to explore freely. Bless you my friend!
Andrea