I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world.
- Albert Einstein
With serious Bible study and prayer in decline it's clear that many today invest little or know time or energy seeking God's will for their daily lives. Billions today are atheists or agnostics. Billions more have aligned themselves with false religions without caring enough to take the time to closely examine their faith.
Even within modern Christianity, hundreds of millions are content to know little about the God of the Bible. But what about those who truly desire to discern God's will? Many of us have tried with mixed results. Often seeming little more dependable rolling dice or than flipping coins. To what extend does God have an actual plan for out lives? Is making educated guesses the best we can hope for, or is there a way we can know God's specific will with greater certainty?
One invariably bites off more than he can chew when discussing the will of God. To comprehensively address the topic in all it's nuance would require filling massive libraries to overflowing. In fact, all religious effort combined is man's dissertation on the subject, and with so much disagreement clearly we're having difficulty.
While humanity has never found consensus, we have made some headway. For example, we now know that faith's reasonable, having proven the existence of God beyond a shadow of a doubt. Furthermore, modern science has provided a lens to glimpse Omnity's mind blowing glory through the majesty and intricacy of creation. This coupled with the miracle of our own existence makes an Intelligent Designer a certainty.
Having demonstrated God's powerful role in life's equation, our next step is to identify who He is. Millennia of human history, research and experience has produced overwhelming evidence that God is indeed as the Bible describes. Translated into over twelve hundred languages, six billion copies in print make the Bible bar far the most published book of all time. Unique in all the world, the Bible stands out in numerous ways, continual and often amazing historical and scientific research lending credence to it's inspiration and authority. Add scripture's moral supremacy and prophetic accuracy and it becomes clear why it's evidence that demands a verdict.
This brings us to our third challenge which is first correctly interpreting the context and then content of Scripture. Particularly in regards to the times and seasons in which we live. With a variety of Christian denominations forwarding various versions of Christ and the gospel, there appears to be serious disagreement. Yet for those willing to research the Bible's reliability, the task of identifying the truth of Scripture becomes simple. Charles Spurgeon, widely known as the "prince of preachers" was once asked how he managed to defend the Bible so well. He replied that the Bible required no more defense than a lion in a cage. One need simply let it out. The same may be said for interpreting the message of scripture. With some diligence and a few tools even a layman can comprehend the major themes of the Book of Books. Particularly helpful are seven tried and true rules of Bible study, along with the Rules of Emphasis and Inference, that work together to allow the God of the Bible to "say what He means and mean what He says."
Armed with an honest desire to seek God, over time Christians become familiar enough with Scripture to understand many aspects of His nature and expectations. Prayer and fellowship with God and His people are additional ways to approach our Creator and Savior. Continuing exposure to the full extent of His love, mercy and faithfulness creates a natural hunger to supernaturally experience God in a way that, as the Apostle Paul explains, "transcends knowledge." It's at this point things begin to get interesting. The Bible declares that God's so near to each of us that in Him we "live, move and have our being." Scripture also confirms the obvious fact that God can be imperceptible, explaining why so often we find Him invisible and inaudible. All of which raises the question of how we might discover the will of God among the many choices we face in our individual lives?
Practicing Christianity
Many would be surprised to learn that physicians are licensed to practice, not perform, medicine. Recognizing that even modern medicine is far from an exact science, the government authorizes those with the appropriate training and skill to make educated guess as they professionally practice and experiment with various health care treatments on their patients. Even among the best medical practitioners the percentage of misdiagnosis is high. Thankfully, many errors are caught and remedied. Unfortunately, others that go on unchecked can exacerbate the problem. In extreme cases such mistakes lead to death, as an AMA autopsy study discovered when finding that doctors' treatments had been wrong 10 to 15 percent of the time.
Cognizant of the fact that we learn by trial and error, we continue to rely on the judgment of physicians because or their dedication and expertise. In the same way, God authorizes and even requires Christians to grow and mature by practice:
- "I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong." Hebrews 5:11-14 The Message
- "So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding." Hebrews 6:1-3
- "For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come—and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame." Hebrews 6:4-6
There are variety of advisable if not necessary steps to following Christ. All of which take time and effort to master. Growing in willingness and expertise to practice our faith is vital to our spiritual wellbeing:
- "Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God's "Well done!" But if it produces weeds and thistles, it's more likely to get cussed out. Fields like that are burned, not harvested." Hebrews 6:7-8 The Message
Discovering God's Will
Clearly the Bible provides the tools and a mandate to seek God. The question then becomes how willing are we to do so? Paul, the most prolific New Testament author, uses the examples of athletes, farmers and soldiers to motivate Christians, declaring that to please God we must "believe that He is and the He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." The Bible, rather than offering assurance that half hearted or double minded effort will produce results, repeatedly states the opposite. James goes so far as to warn, "Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord."
Those willing to invest the time and energy to pursue God whole heartedly will find scripture full of insight and encouragement. They will also soon discover that Biblical Christianity and Modern Christianity are often at odds. Teachings on such topics as true salvation and faith, overcoming temptation and resistance, as well as the cost and critical nature of endurance vary greatly between those of the Bible and mainline Churchianity. Such discoveries lead to a cross roads of faith. Most opt to settle into ruts establish by institutions or the latest spiritual fad. Biblical or prophetic Christians place their trust in God's word, humbly breaking from religious tradition and hype in hopes of encountering the living God on the terms He's established in scripture.
Honest God seekers do well to develop what F. Scott Fitzgerald called a "first-rate intelligence" able to keep two opposing ideas in mind while working through them. Many, if not all spiritual truths seem quantum in nature, such as St. Augustine famous quote, "Without God man cannot. Without man God will not." Godly dedication of heart, mind and soul is crucial in gaining more than average Biblical insight, such as the ability to distinguish on a daily basis what scripture calls the wisdom from above verse the wisdom from below. It requires honesty and hope to comprehend and admit the true depth of our need for repentance and a New Pentecost. It's costly to face the truth concerning unanswered prayer while stilling ourselves and waiting on God in hopes of mastering the art of intercession. Wrestling God for what Jesus called the "children's bread" of miraculous healing and the restoration of the gifts of the Spirit can be as mentally and emotionally confusing and draining as it is absolutely necessary to reaching our generation for Christ.
Truth be told, few today seem to care enough to heavily invest their time, energy and resource in God's kingdom. Modern life's so filled with opportunities and challenges, distractions and temptations that most see little need to seriously seek God, much less agonize over our human condition. For the remnant deciding to take the road less traveled, the challenge becomes how best to discover the will of God in daily life. While there have been innumerable sermons, teachings and commentaries on this subject, one or two seem more hopeful than others. The first comes from George Müller, often called the modern "Apostle of Faith." Among the many achievements to his credit were the founding and directorship of five orphanages in Bristol England in the 1800's housing two thousand children at a time. Wikipedia states the following:
- Through all this, Müller never made requests for financial support, nor did he go into debt, even though the five homes cost over £100,000 to build. Many times, he received unsolicited food donations only hours before they were needed to feed the children, further strengthening his faith in God. Every morning after breakfast there was a time of Bible reading and prayer, and every child was given a Bible upon leaving the orphanage. The children were dressed well and educated - Müller even employed a school inspector to maintain high standards. In fact, many claimed that nearby factories and mines were unable to obtain enough workers because of his efforts in securing apprenticeships, professional training, and domestic service positions for the children old enough to leave the orphanage. In 1871 an article in The Times stated that since 1836, 23,000 children had been educated in the schools and very many thousands had been educated in other schools at the expense of the orphanage. The article also states that since its origin, 64,000 Bibles, 85,000 Testaments and 29,000,000 religious books had been issued and distributed. Other expenses included the support of 150 missionaries.
- In 1875, at the age of 70 and after the death of his first wife in 1870 and his marriage to Susannah Grace Sanger in 1871, Müller began a 17 year period of missionary travel. In that time, he preached in the United States, India, Australia, Japan, China, and nearly forty other countries. He traveled over 200,000 miles, an incredible achievement for pre-aviation times. His language abilities allowed him to preach in English, French, and German, and his sermons were translated into over a dozen other languages. In 1892, he returned to England, where he died on March 10, 1898.
Often praying in meals and resources for thousands of orphans, his journal entries reveal his unwillingness to touch a surplus of offerings targeted for missionary work. As with Finney, Müller also attributed his success to developing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. For example, in regards to myriads of decisions made over decades, he testified of 5 steps, that when followed always proved effective.
1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's Will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
3. I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
In reflection on the reliability of relinquishing his decisions to the leading of the Holy Spirit, George Müller explained, “Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.”
Müller's accomplishments, incredible for his or any day, testify strongly as to the validity of his claim to be guided by the powerful provision and protection of God. Concerning his method, he was emphatic that the first step was all important. A little thought makes it easy to see why everything hinged on the success of praying oneself into a state of perfect submission. Otherwise one would naturally look for passages of scripture that seemed to support their desires and seek counselors who would do the same. The inward witness of the Spirit and circumstantial evidence would be skewed to fit nicely into the most desirable outcome. To imagine the kind of prayer Müller insisted was necessary one need remember here was a man who had read the Bible 200 times cover to cover, a hundred times on his knees.
Plan B
Most of us find a lifestyle like that of George Müller's too daunting. While he may or may not have given everything in service to Christ, his example of faith and obedience towers over that of the vast majority of modern Christians. In all honesty, the idea of giving "all" to God is so challenging few even try. Sadly, many addicted in all or nothing thinking simply choose the latter. For those caring enough to admit both our short comings and precarious position, there is a "Plan B."
The 4-step message Evan Roberts lived and preached during the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival may rank as the most uncomplicated and astute guideline for genuinely and appropriately approaching God.
Regarding the revival, Wikipedia explains:
- “The revival lasted less than a year, but in that time 100,000 people were converted. Begun as an effort to kindle non-denominational, non-sectarian spirituality, the Welsh revival of 1904-05 coincided with the rise of the labour movement, socialism, and a general disaffection with religion among the working class and youths. Placed in context, the short-lived revival appears as both a climax for Nonconformism and a flashpoint of change in Welsh religious life. The movement spread to Scotland and England, with estimates that a million people were converted in Britain. Missionaries subsequently carried the movement abroad; it was especially influential on the Pentecostal movement emerging in California."
1. Confess any known sin to God and put any wrong done to others right.
2. Put away any doubtful habit.
3. Obey the Spirit promptly.
4. Confess your faith in Christ publicly.
It's been noted, "the longest journey begins with a single step" and "if you shoot for the moon you'll at least hit the top of the trees." Such proverbs suggest that success is more a process than an event. Many notable men and women understood the power of commitment, hard work and perseverance:
- "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration." Inventor Thomas Edison
- “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” President Calvin Coolidge
- “God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.” World War II Navy Chief of Staff Chester W. Nimitz
- "Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
- “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot, Ecuadorian missionary and martyr
- "Life is a hard fight, a struggle, a wrestling with the principal of evil, hand to hand, foot to foot. Every inch of the way is disputed. The night is given us to take breath, to pray, to drink deep at the fountain of power. The day, to use the strength which has been given us, to go forth to work with it till the evening." Florence Nightingale
- "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up." Hebrews 12:1-3
Fasting provides and excellent example of Plan B. An important spiritual discipline, many if not most of the giants of scripture and Christianity have fasted forty days in a row. For the vast majority such hard core effort seems out of the question. While not exactly the same, some chose to fast for a day forty different times. The less committed might fast one meal now and then 120 times. On the one hand, the cumulative number of missed meals is the same. On the other, each successive "lowering of the bar" reduces fasting effort and most likely it's effect. Nevertheless, better to start somewhere than not to begin at all.
In a similar way, those of us unwilling to duplicate George Müller's effort can use his accomplishments to inspire ourselves and others. Not ready to read the Bible cover to cover 200 times? How about once or twice? Don't have the knees to kneel from Genesis through Revelation? How about reclining in the comfort of an easy chair? Not likely to found a string of orphanages requiring a herculean effort of prayer for their daily provision? What about attending or starting a weekly praying parents meeting for families with loved ones spiritually at risk?
Jesus explained, "Many are called and few are chosen." Why? Because so few choose to answer His call. Clearly, it's easier to steer a moving ship and pointless to direct one tied to the dock. Perhaps the best way to begin seeking God's direction for the specifics of our individual lives is to increase our overall commitment to His Kingdom. Having done so, a willingness to practice Müller's five steps to knowing God's will may provide the answers we seek, keeping in mind the greater our commitment to asking, seeking and knocking the greater our reason to trust that by His Spirit, God will "guide us into all truth."
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