April 10, 2024 • 31 mins
Have you ever stood at life's crossroads, pondering the enigma of God's will for your journey? You're not alone. Join us as we delve into the divine dichotomy of God's hidden and revealed will, equipping you to align your choices with His grand design. Scripture lights our path, illuminating the transformative process of renewing our minds to discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect to our Creator. With the Holy Spirit as our guide, the wisdom of elders, and an introspective look at our own talents, this episode provides a spiritual compass to navigate pivotal decisions—be it career, relationships, or any of life's significant turns.
The quest for certainty in an uncertain world can lead to a maze of confusion and anxiety, especially when it comes to deciphering God's blueprint for our lives. In this heartfelt conversation, we tackle the balance between faith and the yearning for clear direction, and how sometimes, seeking too hard can lead us astray. Through scripture, we're reassured of God's steadfast presence and His will rooted in love, compassion, and diligence. The shared experiences of the faithful serve as a testament—often it's only in retrospect that we perceive His guiding hand through the ebbs and flows of our personal odysseys. This episode is an anchor for those weathering the storm of uncertainty, providing comfort and clarity on the voyage to understanding God's plan.
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Thank You. I Love You!
SEE YA!
Rick
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Rick Yuhas (00:04):
Coming up on Renewed Mindsets.
Today, I'm going to talk aboutsomething that's pretty cool
Understanding God's will.
You know that feeling whenyou're trying to figure out what
God wants from you.
Yeah, that we're exploring howto recognize those little nudges
(00:25):
from above, to find your pathand to live in sync with
something so much bigger thanjust yourself.
This is going to be good.
You know what comes next.
Let's go.
Boys, boys, hey, welcome toRenewed Mindsets, where we study
(00:52):
the basics of the faith throughthe lens of our middle-aged
experiences.
I'm Rick.
Welcome to the show where Ihelp you, gen Xers and
millennials, navigatespiritually through a world that
looks nothing like we expectedback, when cars were square and
mullets were totally awesome.
I am so glad you're here.
So, when it comes to findingGod's will, one of our main
(01:14):
concerns is making the rightdecisions in accordance with His
overall plan for our lives.
Now, this includes not only thechoices that we make for
ourselves, but also thedecisions we help our loved ones
make.
Now.
These decisions can range fromchoosing a college major, or
finding a spouse, or deciding onthe number of children that
(01:37):
we're going to have, ordetermining how to educate them,
selecting a church to join,picking a place to live, even
deciding on medical treatments.
It's important to understandthe importance of these matters
and take them seriously, but itdoesn't mean that we need to try
to fully grasp God's mind inorder to guarantee that we've
(02:00):
made the correct choice.
The truth is we can't fullyunderstand God's mind, nor can
we be aware of his hidden ordecorative will, which is his
sovereign, eternal plan for allcreation.
It's just beyond ourcomprehension.
But what we can know is God'srevealed or perceptive will,
(02:25):
which is what he's shown us inScripture about himself, his
ways, his requirements for us.
God's perceptive will instructsus on what's pleasing to him,
according to his holy character.
It provides us with guidelinesand principles to follow in our
(02:49):
decision-making.
Understanding what we can andcan't know about God's will
frees us to make choices basedon His Word.
By consulting God's Word to helpus make decisions, we learn to
seek wisdom and guidance fromthe Lord through the Holy Spirit
.
We develop humility andholiness, and we get that
through the Spirit's guidance,and we also seek advice and
(03:10):
wisdom from our counselors andour elders, and we honor the
wisdom and guidance of ourparents.
We consider our talents and ourpriorities and our resources as
we look at all these differentoptions and we learn not to
pursue a path simply because itseems open, but we take the time
to discern whether it alignswith God's revealed will.
(03:32):
Sometimes we need to persist onour efforts, even when a door
appears closed, and other timeswe need to wait on the Lord
until our path becomes clear.
Now Paul in Romans 12 says Donot conform to the pattern of
this world, but be transformedby the renewing of your mind.
(03:53):
Then you'll be able to test andapprove what God's will is his
good, pleasing and perfect will.
This verse encourages us tohave a renewed mind that's not
influenced by the world's valuesand patterns but seeks to align
with God's will.
It reminds us that by seekingGod's will and aligning
(04:15):
ourselves with his precepts, wecan make decisions that please
him.
It should also remind us of agreat podcast that uses Romans
12.2 as its base.
Sorry, I had to throw that in.
So, as you're seeking God'swill and decision-making, it's
(04:38):
not about trying to understandHis hidden will, but it's about
seeking His revealed orperceptive will through his word
.
This allows us to make choicesbased on his guidance, wisdom
and his principles, by seekingwisdom from the Holy Spirit,
seeking advice from wisecounselors and considering our
(05:01):
talents, our resources and ourpriorities, we can make choices
that align with God's will.
Ultimately, our goal should beto live a life that pleases God,
according to His precepts,recognizing that His will is
good and pleasing and perfect.
So let's talk about definingGod's will Now.
(05:26):
Over time, many people struggledto understand what God's will
is, and nowadays, when we talkabout God's will, we often refer
to things that are important tous, like our families, our jobs
, our finances, our hobbies.
But historically, theologiansdiscussed God's will to explain
things about God himself, likehis nature, his freedom,
(05:52):
sovereignty, his wisdom.
Now, this wasn't meant toignore life's big decisions, but
rather to place them within thecontext of God's eternal
purposes.
Defining God's will isimportant for us Christians
because it reveals who he is asthe eternal, all-powerful and
(06:12):
all-knowing God.
I've heard God described as, orI've heard his will described
as, the perfection of God, bywhich he seeks the highest good
for himself and for his creation.
Now, simply put, god's willcan't be separated from God
himself.
His will is united because heis one.
(06:34):
In essence, from ourperspective, god's will reflects
his character.
It reveals his plan forcreation.
It reveals his plan forcreation.
It demonstrates his wisdom andhis power in ordering everything
that happens for our benefitand his glory.
Deuteronomy 29.29 says thesecret things belong to the Lord
(07:00):
, our God, but the things thatare revealed belong to us and to
our children forever that wemay do all the words of this law
.
This verse summarizes thecovenant that God made with
Israel through Moses, and itprovides a framework for
(07:20):
understanding God's divine will.
The context of Deuteronomy issignificant.
Will the context of Deuteronomyis significant as the Lord
prepares Joshua to lead Israelinto the promised land.
He emphasizes the importance ofGod's word in knowing his will.
This was a message that Israelneeded to hear, especially as
they faced challenges anduncertainties.
(07:40):
They needed to remember thatobeying God's will was central
for them to understand his willfor their lives.
Now, at the core of Deuteronomy29, there's a distinction
between the secret things thatbelong to God and the things
that are revealed and accessibleto us.
This leads a lot of theologiansto talk about God's secret will
(08:06):
and his revealed will, and,although it may seem obvious,
the distinction between the twois crucial for understanding
God's will.
There are many things that we,as humans, don't know because of
our limitations.
We don't know because of ourlimitations, but this can't be
(08:29):
said of God, who is infinite andall-knowing.
God's knowledge is perfect andhis secret knowledge is beyond
our comprehension.
Now, in contrast to that, ourknowledge is limited.
As created beings, we depend onGod to know His will, and when
God reveals Himself in His Word,we can truly know His will.
Although it's not comprehensive, god is the best interpreter of
(08:54):
His own will.
So this is why the thingsrevealed in Scripture are so
important.
The Bible is God's self-writtenrevelation in written form.
Now, while we might not be ableto understand everything about
(09:22):
God's secret will, we canconfidently know that his
revealed will, through his worddefining God's will.
It's going to involve knowingand living according to his
written word.
And when we read the revealedwill of God in scripture, we're
going to learn about thedistinctions between God's
decretive will and perceptivewill and the will of good
pleasure.
The decretive will refers tohis wise and perfect plan, which
(09:42):
ordains everything that happens.
It highlights God's sovereigntyover creation and redemption
and history and providence, andit can't be thwarted you like
that word thwarted?
It can't be thwarted even byour sin and disobedience.
This doesn't mean that Goddelights in sin, but he allows
(10:05):
it to accomplish his purpose.
God's perceptive will and hismoral standard, which he
requires all people to follow,tells us what God expects from
us as his image bearers and whatwe should do, regardless of
whether we actually do it.
The perceptive will issummarized in the Ten
(10:29):
Commandments no-transcript.
Now, another related aspect isGod's will of good pleasure,
which has two parts.
Firstly, it refers to God'spleasure in ordaining his
sovereign plan.
Secondly, it refers to God'sdelight when we obey his will.
(10:52):
God is pleased when we do whathe desires and he's displeased
when we disobey desires and he'sdispleased when we disobey.
These distinctions help us tounderstand the various aspects
of God's will, but they don'timply competing or contradictory
wills in God.
His will reflects his single,unified plan.
(11:14):
The crucifixion of Jesus is agreat example of that.
From the perspective of God'sperceptive will, it was wrong to
kill an innocent man, but fromthe perspective of his
decorative will, it was part ofhis sovereign plan for
redemption.
And we also see God's will ofgood pleasure in His delight
(11:38):
when we fulfill His will anddispleasure when we disobey.
When we face decisions, big orsmall, we shouldn't simply let
go and let God.
Trusting in God's will meansactively relying on His wisdom
and submitting to His word.
While we may not be able tounderstand everything about
(11:58):
God's secret will, we can becertain that His will involves
pursuing holiness and expressinggratitude in every situation,
instead of worrying about thefuture.
Understanding God's will callsus to live obediently today.
(12:20):
Welcome to Wisdom for the Day,the podcast where we unpack the
timeless wisdom of the book ofProverbs one bite-sized nugget
at a time.
Join us daily as we journeythrough this ancient treasure
trove of insight, offeringpractical wisdom for modern
living.
Get ready to start your daywith clarity, purpose and a
deeper understanding of life'sgreatest lessons.
(12:41):
This is Wisdom for the Day,your daily dose of Proverbs
wisdom.
Find us at wisdomforthedayorgNow.
The big problem with God's willis our struggle to find it.
What does God want me to do?
(13:02):
Have you ever asked yourselfthat question?
I have.
A million times Today I'vewondered do I live in the right
place according to God's plan?
Should I marry this person?
Is this job the one God haschosen for me?
(13:23):
Questions like this can beagonizing to answer because they
carry so much significance andwe crave certainty when it comes
to making important decisions.
Why?
It's because lacking certaintymakes us feel scared when we
don't know what we're supposedto do next, we worry about
(13:45):
making mistakes.
It creates anxiety.
In fact, even though we may notadmit it, sometimes we're
afraid that we might miss God'swill.
The struggle to find God's willis a struggle with certainty,
and it's natural for us to seekas much certainty as possible
when it comes to makingdecisions.
(14:05):
And it certainly helps to makeus feel in control, because when
we feel in control, we feelsafe.
But seeking more certaintydoesn't necessarily mean that
we're in the wrong.
Seeking more certainty doesn'tnecessarily mean that we're in
the wrong.
It's good for us to considerthe consequences of our
decisions, to seek good counsel,wise counsel, and pray for
(14:35):
guidance.
Sometimes, though, the desirefor certainty can stem from a
deeper desire to have morecontrol for ourselves.
Rather than trusting in God'scontrol, we want God to give us
exact directions so that wedon't have to have faith.
It would put our hearts at ease, wouldn't it?
It kind of would mine.
It's strange how a seeminglygood desire to know God's will
(14:56):
can sometimes be twisted intowanting more control for
ourselves.
Now, this reminds me of thePharisees.
They believed they weremeticulously following God's
plan by tithing even thesmallest herbs like mint and
cumin.
That's from Luke 11, 42.
Jesus criticized them forstraining out a gnat but
(15:20):
swallowing a camel Matthew 23,24.
They focused on the tiniestdetails, but they lacked faith
in God.
Jesus called them hypocrites.
That's in Matthew 23, 27.
They appeared righteous on theoutside, but inside their hearts
(15:41):
didn't trust God, despite theirapparent desire to do His will.
Now the story of the Pharisees.
It serves as a cautionary talefor us Christians.
We need to be careful thatseemingly good desires don't
come from sinful motivations.
It's difficult.
It's a difficult task thatrequires a deep soul searching.
(16:07):
Were the Pharisees wrong todesire certainty?
No, they weren't.
We are certain about someaspects of God's will, like we
know that he's commanded us tohave compassionate hearts as his
chosen ones Colossians 3.12.
And we know that he's commandedus to love one another as he
(16:30):
loves us that's John 15.12.
And to rejoice in him always.
Philippians 4.4.
These are examples of God'swill.
He's also given us morespecific instructions, like if
we choose to get married, hecalls us to marry somebody who
(16:53):
shares our faith.
1 Corinthians 7.39 and 2Corinthians 6.14.
He's also called us to workdiligently.
These passages and others revealGod's will to us, but a lot of
(17:14):
times we seek something morespecific, don't we?
We're not always concernedabout His moral will, his
commandments.
We want to know what to do nextamong several good options.
God's moral will can provide uswith more certainty about some
choices, but it doesn't narrowit down to one specific choice.
(17:37):
When we discuss specificchoices that God has not yet
revealed, we're referring to hissecret will, the will that he
has chosen not to reveal to us.
God's secret will is mysteriousand it encompasses everything
that he hasn't disclosedregarding our personal decisions
(17:58):
, our future and anything elsethat God keeps to himself.
In the search for God's secretwill, we often use a couple
different methods.
Sometimes we twist biblicalprinciples for our own purposes.
Seeking counsel for decisionsis good Proverbs 11.14 and 15.22
(18:22):
.
Pastors, family members, friends.
They can affirm and highlightGod's love and guidance in
specific situations and they canoffer us valuable input.
But instead of seeking wisdomfrom counselors, we sometimes
use them as a means to findGod's secret will.
(18:43):
We treat our pastor's opinionas if it were God directly
revealing his will to us, ortrust that our friend has
received a divine message.
Prayer is another excellent,commendable practice.
Prayer is another excellent,commendable practice, and we're
called to ask for wisdom.
1 Thessalonians 5.17 and James1.5.
(19:07):
We can and we should pray fordirections, but sometimes
Christians take it further andask God for a specific sign,
like receiving a phone call atan exact moment or coming across
a billboard with a particularmessage on their daily commute.
Now, these practices are oftencarried out with genuine desire
(19:29):
to know God and to do His will,and many have made good
decisions using these kind ofmethods.
Their decisions may have turnedout successfully after
receiving confirmation of God'ssecret will through some kind of
unusual circumstance, butseeking confirmation of God's
will in these particular ways isnot supported by Scripture.
(19:52):
The Bible doesn't say that wecan discover God's secret will
through counselors or peacefulfeelings or coincidences or any
other means.
Counselors or peaceful feelingsor coincidences or any other
means God's secret will, by itsvery nature, is hidden.
Does this mean that God isdistant from us because of our
(20:15):
uncertainty?
No, because uncertainty doesn'tmean that God is distant.
Think about the Israelites whofelt uncertainty and fear when
they were trapped at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's armies closing
in on them.
That's Exodus 14, 10-14.
Despite their uncertainty, godwas with them.
He protected them from theEgyptians and safely led them
(20:37):
across the Red Sea.
In the same way.
We might feel uncertain about aparticular decision or
situation, but we can still restin the knowledge that God is
with us and we can trust Him.
Even when he hasn't revealedexactly what to do, he's guiding
our steps as we take them.
(20:58):
I've met many older men andwomen in faith who look back on
their lives and deeplyunderstand how God was with them
throughout their journey.
Now, a lot of times, theseseasoned people, these seasoned
saints, are amazed at how Godbrought them to where they are.
They recognize that they hadvery little to do with it, and
(21:18):
even though they were makingdecisions constantly, I wonder
if Abraham felt the same waywhen he reflected on his life.
What comforts me about thesestories is that it's a reminder
to me that God is with uswherever we go, directing our
steps, even when it may seemmysterious.
(21:38):
Now, when we think about howGod works in our lives, we're
reminded that he calls us tohave faith.
Abraham was called to trust,just as we are.
Faith is trusting in God andhaving certainty in him.
This is what the Phariseeslacked.
It wasn't a Pharisee who walkedon water with Jesus, but just a
(22:03):
simple fisherman.
Peter stepped out in faith ontothe Sea of Galilee and it was
like solid ground beneath hisfeet.
He had imperfect certainty inGod and I wonder if he even knew
that he was walking on water,because to do it he had to be so
(22:26):
focused on Jesus.
But when doubt crept in, whenhe took his eyes off Jesus, he
turned back to the Lord andcried to him Save me.
Matthew 1430.
Jesus reached out to him andcaught him and he said why did
(22:47):
you doubt, dude?
You were walking on water.
Why did you doubt?
And we always thought aboutthat why did he doubt?
Because he was doing it.
But I think it was more simplethan that.
It was simpler than that.
He was so focused on Jesus inthat moment that he could have
(23:12):
done anything, anything.
But the moment he took his eyesoff Jesus, he sank.
To eliminate that struggle withuncertainty would mean
eliminating the need for faith.
We don't know everything thatGod knows, yet we're called to
(23:33):
trust him.
Even when we take steps thatare uncertain, just like Peter,
and when we do, god's going tobe with us.
Sometimes our decisions aregoing to seem like they lead to
great success.
Other times we may make whatappears to be a mistake.
We may experience doubt, butGod has a unique way of turning
(23:54):
our weakness into strength andmaking even our darkest
situations work for our good.
Just look at Genesis 50, 20 or2 Corinthians, 12, 9.
And when we cry out to him,like Peter, saying Save me, he's
ready and willing to save us.
(24:21):
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Well, that's all for thisweek's show.
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(25:28):
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Join us next time for some moreRomans 12.2 insights.
(26:39):
Don't conform to this world,but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind.
Until next week.
I'm Rick.
I love you, see ya.
(27:15):
The intro and outro music forthe Renewed Mindsets podcast is
Are you Ready?
By Floodgate From the album Areyou Ready?
Copyright 2002, offbeatMinistries Incorporated.
Floodgate can be found on AppleMusic and iTunes Music used
with permission.
Well, you thought it was over,but it's not.
You are a loyal listener.
(27:38):
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You will benefit.
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Welcome to the Renewed MindsetsBible Trivia Snack Pack Value
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(28:00):
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the correct answer wins aRenewed Mindsets prize pack
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No, really, it'll be somethinggood, I promise, so let's go.
So, of course, the rules forthis game are easy Answer the
(28:24):
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I'm assuming that you're goingto have to look it up.
If you don't, you're reallygood.
But this particular question,you can also use a little bit of
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This question comes from thebook of Proverbs and you can
(28:46):
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The answer is in that episode.
Just go up to the top, play thetrailer.
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See ya, you're still here.
(29:51):
It's over.
Go home, go.
Coming up on Renewed Mindsets.
Today, I'm going to talk aboutsomething that's pretty cool
Understanding God's will.
You know that feeling whenyou're trying to figure out what
God wants from you.
Yeah, that we're exploring howto recognize those little nudges
(00:25):
from above, to find your pathand to live in sync with
something so much bigger thanjust yourself.
This is going to be good.
You know what comes next.
Let's go.
Boys, boys, hey, welcome toRenewed Mindsets, where we study
(00:52):
the basics of the faith throughthe lens of our middle-aged
experiences.
I'm Rick.
Welcome to the show where Ihelp you, gen Xers and
millennials, navigatespiritually through a world that
looks nothing like we expectedback, when cars were square and
mullets were totally awesome.
I am so glad you're here.
So, when it comes to findingGod's will, one of our main
(01:14):
concerns is making the rightdecisions in accordance with His
overall plan for our lives.
Now, this includes not only thechoices that we make for
ourselves, but also thedecisions we help our loved ones
make.
Now.
These decisions can range fromchoosing a college major, or
finding a spouse, or deciding onthe number of children that
(01:37):
we're going to have, ordetermining how to educate them,
selecting a church to join,picking a place to live, even
deciding on medical treatments.
It's important to understandthe importance of these matters
and take them seriously, but itdoesn't mean that we need to try
to fully grasp God's mind inorder to guarantee that we've
(02:00):
made the correct choice.
The truth is we can't fullyunderstand God's mind, nor can
we be aware of his hidden ordecorative will, which is his
sovereign, eternal plan for allcreation.
It's just beyond ourcomprehension.
But what we can know is God'srevealed or perceptive will,
(02:25):
which is what he's shown us inScripture about himself, his
ways, his requirements for us.
God's perceptive will instructsus on what's pleasing to him,
according to his holy character.
It provides us with guidelinesand principles to follow in our
(02:49):
decision-making.
Understanding what we can andcan't know about God's will
frees us to make choices basedon His Word.
By consulting God's Word to helpus make decisions, we learn to
seek wisdom and guidance fromthe Lord through the Holy Spirit
.
We develop humility andholiness, and we get that
through the Spirit's guidance,and we also seek advice and
(03:10):
wisdom from our counselors andour elders, and we honor the
wisdom and guidance of ourparents.
We consider our talents and ourpriorities and our resources as
we look at all these differentoptions and we learn not to
pursue a path simply because itseems open, but we take the time
to discern whether it alignswith God's revealed will.
(03:32):
Sometimes we need to persist onour efforts, even when a door
appears closed, and other timeswe need to wait on the Lord
until our path becomes clear.
Now Paul in Romans 12 says Donot conform to the pattern of
this world, but be transformedby the renewing of your mind.
(03:53):
Then you'll be able to test andapprove what God's will is his
good, pleasing and perfect will.
This verse encourages us tohave a renewed mind that's not
influenced by the world's valuesand patterns but seeks to align
with God's will.
It reminds us that by seekingGod's will and aligning
(04:15):
ourselves with his precepts, wecan make decisions that please
him.
It should also remind us of agreat podcast that uses Romans
12.2 as its base.
Sorry, I had to throw that in.
So, as you're seeking God'swill and decision-making, it's
(04:38):
not about trying to understandHis hidden will, but it's about
seeking His revealed orperceptive will through his word
.
This allows us to make choicesbased on his guidance, wisdom
and his principles, by seekingwisdom from the Holy Spirit,
seeking advice from wisecounselors and considering our
(05:01):
talents, our resources and ourpriorities, we can make choices
that align with God's will.
Ultimately, our goal should beto live a life that pleases God,
according to His precepts,recognizing that His will is
good and pleasing and perfect.
So let's talk about definingGod's will Now.
(05:26):
Over time, many people struggledto understand what God's will
is, and nowadays, when we talkabout God's will, we often refer
to things that are important tous, like our families, our jobs
, our finances, our hobbies.
But historically, theologiansdiscussed God's will to explain
things about God himself, likehis nature, his freedom,
(05:52):
sovereignty, his wisdom.
Now, this wasn't meant toignore life's big decisions, but
rather to place them within thecontext of God's eternal
purposes.
Defining God's will isimportant for us Christians
because it reveals who he is asthe eternal, all-powerful and
(06:12):
all-knowing God.
I've heard God described as, orI've heard his will described
as, the perfection of God, bywhich he seeks the highest good
for himself and for his creation.
Now, simply put, god's willcan't be separated from God
himself.
His will is united because heis one.
(06:34):
In essence, from ourperspective, god's will reflects
his character.
It reveals his plan forcreation.
It reveals his plan forcreation.
It demonstrates his wisdom andhis power in ordering everything
that happens for our benefitand his glory.
Deuteronomy 29.29 says thesecret things belong to the Lord
(07:00):
, our God, but the things thatare revealed belong to us and to
our children forever that wemay do all the words of this law
.
This verse summarizes thecovenant that God made with
Israel through Moses, and itprovides a framework for
(07:20):
understanding God's divine will.
The context of Deuteronomy issignificant.
Will the context of Deuteronomyis significant as the Lord
prepares Joshua to lead Israelinto the promised land.
He emphasizes the importance ofGod's word in knowing his will.
This was a message that Israelneeded to hear, especially as
they faced challenges anduncertainties.
(07:40):
They needed to remember thatobeying God's will was central
for them to understand his willfor their lives.
Now, at the core of Deuteronomy29, there's a distinction
between the secret things thatbelong to God and the things
that are revealed and accessibleto us.
This leads a lot of theologiansto talk about God's secret will
(08:06):
and his revealed will, and,although it may seem obvious,
the distinction between the twois crucial for understanding
God's will.
There are many things that we,as humans, don't know because of
our limitations.
We don't know because of ourlimitations, but this can't be
(08:29):
said of God, who is infinite andall-knowing.
God's knowledge is perfect andhis secret knowledge is beyond
our comprehension.
Now, in contrast to that, ourknowledge is limited.
As created beings, we depend onGod to know His will, and when
God reveals Himself in His Word,we can truly know His will.
Although it's not comprehensive, god is the best interpreter of
(08:54):
His own will.
So this is why the thingsrevealed in Scripture are so
important.
The Bible is God's self-writtenrevelation in written form.
Now, while we might not be ableto understand everything about
(09:22):
God's secret will, we canconfidently know that his
revealed will, through his worddefining God's will.
It's going to involve knowingand living according to his
written word.
And when we read the revealedwill of God in scripture, we're
going to learn about thedistinctions between God's
decretive will and perceptivewill and the will of good
pleasure.
The decretive will refers tohis wise and perfect plan, which
(09:42):
ordains everything that happens.
It highlights God's sovereigntyover creation and redemption
and history and providence, andit can't be thwarted you like
that word thwarted?
It can't be thwarted even byour sin and disobedience.
This doesn't mean that Goddelights in sin, but he allows
(10:05):
it to accomplish his purpose.
God's perceptive will and hismoral standard, which he
requires all people to follow,tells us what God expects from
us as his image bearers and whatwe should do, regardless of
whether we actually do it.
The perceptive will issummarized in the Ten
(10:29):
Commandments no-transcript.
Now, another related aspect isGod's will of good pleasure,
which has two parts.
Firstly, it refers to God'spleasure in ordaining his
sovereign plan.
Secondly, it refers to God'sdelight when we obey his will.
(10:52):
God is pleased when we do whathe desires and he's displeased
when we disobey desires and he'sdispleased when we disobey.
These distinctions help us tounderstand the various aspects
of God's will, but they don'timply competing or contradictory
wills in God.
His will reflects his single,unified plan.
(11:14):
The crucifixion of Jesus is agreat example of that.
From the perspective of God'sperceptive will, it was wrong to
kill an innocent man, but fromthe perspective of his
decorative will, it was part ofhis sovereign plan for
redemption.
And we also see God's will ofgood pleasure in His delight
(11:38):
when we fulfill His will anddispleasure when we disobey.
When we face decisions, big orsmall, we shouldn't simply let
go and let God.
Trusting in God's will meansactively relying on His wisdom
and submitting to His word.
While we may not be able tounderstand everything about
(11:58):
God's secret will, we can becertain that His will involves
pursuing holiness and expressinggratitude in every situation,
instead of worrying about thefuture.
Understanding God's will callsus to live obediently today.
(12:20):
Welcome to Wisdom for the Day,the podcast where we unpack the
timeless wisdom of the book ofProverbs one bite-sized nugget
at a time.
Join us daily as we journeythrough this ancient treasure
trove of insight, offeringpractical wisdom for modern
living.
Get ready to start your daywith clarity, purpose and a
deeper understanding of life'sgreatest lessons.
(12:41):
This is Wisdom for the Day,your daily dose of Proverbs
wisdom.
Find us at wisdomforthedayorgNow.
The big problem with God's willis our struggle to find it.
What does God want me to do?
(13:02):
Have you ever asked yourselfthat question?
I have.
A million times Today I'vewondered do I live in the right
place according to God's plan?
Should I marry this person?
Is this job the one God haschosen for me?
(13:23):
Questions like this can beagonizing to answer because they
carry so much significance andwe crave certainty when it comes
to making important decisions.
Why?
It's because lacking certaintymakes us feel scared when we
don't know what we're supposedto do next, we worry about
(13:45):
making mistakes.
It creates anxiety.
In fact, even though we may notadmit it, sometimes we're
afraid that we might miss God'swill.
The struggle to find God's willis a struggle with certainty,
and it's natural for us to seekas much certainty as possible
when it comes to makingdecisions.
(14:05):
And it certainly helps to makeus feel in control, because when
we feel in control, we feelsafe.
But seeking more certaintydoesn't necessarily mean that
we're in the wrong.
Seeking more certainty doesn'tnecessarily mean that we're in
the wrong.
It's good for us to considerthe consequences of our
decisions, to seek good counsel,wise counsel, and pray for
(14:35):
guidance.
Sometimes, though, the desirefor certainty can stem from a
deeper desire to have morecontrol for ourselves.
Rather than trusting in God'scontrol, we want God to give us
exact directions so that wedon't have to have faith.
It would put our hearts at ease, wouldn't it?
It kind of would mine.
It's strange how a seeminglygood desire to know God's will
(14:56):
can sometimes be twisted intowanting more control for
ourselves.
Now, this reminds me of thePharisees.
They believed they weremeticulously following God's
plan by tithing even thesmallest herbs like mint and
cumin.
That's from Luke 11, 42.
Jesus criticized them forstraining out a gnat but
(15:20):
swallowing a camel Matthew 23,24.
They focused on the tiniestdetails, but they lacked faith
in God.
Jesus called them hypocrites.
That's in Matthew 23, 27.
They appeared righteous on theoutside, but inside their hearts
(15:41):
didn't trust God, despite theirapparent desire to do His will.
Now the story of the Pharisees.
It serves as a cautionary talefor us Christians.
We need to be careful thatseemingly good desires don't
come from sinful motivations.
It's difficult.
It's a difficult task thatrequires a deep soul searching.
(16:07):
Were the Pharisees wrong todesire certainty?
No, they weren't.
We are certain about someaspects of God's will, like we
know that he's commanded us tohave compassionate hearts as his
chosen ones Colossians 3.12.
And we know that he's commandedus to love one another as he
(16:30):
loves us that's John 15.12.
And to rejoice in him always.
Philippians 4.4.
These are examples of God'swill.
He's also given us morespecific instructions, like if
we choose to get married, hecalls us to marry somebody who
(16:53):
shares our faith.
1 Corinthians 7.39 and 2Corinthians 6.14.
He's also called us to workdiligently.
These passages and others revealGod's will to us, but a lot of
(17:14):
times we seek something morespecific, don't we?
We're not always concernedabout His moral will, his
commandments.
We want to know what to do nextamong several good options.
God's moral will can provide uswith more certainty about some
choices, but it doesn't narrowit down to one specific choice.
(17:37):
When we discuss specificchoices that God has not yet
revealed, we're referring to hissecret will, the will that he
has chosen not to reveal to us.
God's secret will is mysteriousand it encompasses everything
that he hasn't disclosedregarding our personal decisions
(17:58):
, our future and anything elsethat God keeps to himself.
In the search for God's secretwill, we often use a couple
different methods.
Sometimes we twist biblicalprinciples for our own purposes.
Seeking counsel for decisionsis good Proverbs 11.14 and 15.22
(18:22):
.
Pastors, family members, friends.
They can affirm and highlightGod's love and guidance in
specific situations and they canoffer us valuable input.
But instead of seeking wisdomfrom counselors, we sometimes
use them as a means to findGod's secret will.
(18:43):
We treat our pastor's opinionas if it were God directly
revealing his will to us, ortrust that our friend has
received a divine message.
Prayer is another excellent,commendable practice.
Prayer is another excellent,commendable practice, and we're
called to ask for wisdom.
1 Thessalonians 5.17 and James1.5.
(19:07):
We can and we should pray fordirections, but sometimes
Christians take it further andask God for a specific sign,
like receiving a phone call atan exact moment or coming across
a billboard with a particularmessage on their daily commute.
Now, these practices are oftencarried out with genuine desire
(19:29):
to know God and to do His will,and many have made good
decisions using these kind ofmethods.
Their decisions may have turnedout successfully after
receiving confirmation of God'ssecret will through some kind of
unusual circumstance, butseeking confirmation of God's
will in these particular ways isnot supported by Scripture.
(19:52):
The Bible doesn't say that wecan discover God's secret will
through counselors or peacefulfeelings or coincidences or any
other means.
Counselors or peaceful feelingsor coincidences or any other
means God's secret will, by itsvery nature, is hidden.
Does this mean that God isdistant from us because of our
(20:15):
uncertainty?
No, because uncertainty doesn'tmean that God is distant.
Think about the Israelites whofelt uncertainty and fear when
they were trapped at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's armies closing
in on them.
That's Exodus 14, 10-14.
Despite their uncertainty, godwas with them.
He protected them from theEgyptians and safely led them
(20:37):
across the Red Sea.
In the same way.
We might feel uncertain about aparticular decision or
situation, but we can still restin the knowledge that God is
with us and we can trust Him.
Even when he hasn't revealedexactly what to do, he's guiding
our steps as we take them.
(20:58):
I've met many older men andwomen in faith who look back on
their lives and deeplyunderstand how God was with them
throughout their journey.
Now, a lot of times, theseseasoned people, these seasoned
saints, are amazed at how Godbrought them to where they are.
They recognize that they hadvery little to do with it, and
(21:18):
even though they were makingdecisions constantly, I wonder
if Abraham felt the same waywhen he reflected on his life.
What comforts me about thesestories is that it's a reminder
to me that God is with uswherever we go, directing our
steps, even when it may seemmysterious.
(21:38):
Now, when we think about howGod works in our lives, we're
reminded that he calls us tohave faith.
Abraham was called to trust,just as we are.
Faith is trusting in God andhaving certainty in him.
This is what the Phariseeslacked.
It wasn't a Pharisee who walkedon water with Jesus, but just a
(22:03):
simple fisherman.
Peter stepped out in faith ontothe Sea of Galilee and it was
like solid ground beneath hisfeet.
He had imperfect certainty inGod and I wonder if he even knew
that he was walking on water,because to do it he had to be so
(22:26):
focused on Jesus.
But when doubt crept in, whenhe took his eyes off Jesus, he
turned back to the Lord andcried to him Save me.
Matthew 1430.
Jesus reached out to him andcaught him and he said why did
(22:47):
you doubt, dude?
You were walking on water.
Why did you doubt?
And we always thought aboutthat why did he doubt?
Because he was doing it.
But I think it was more simplethan that.
It was simpler than that.
He was so focused on Jesus inthat moment that he could have
(23:12):
done anything, anything.
But the moment he took his eyesoff Jesus, he sank.
To eliminate that struggle withuncertainty would mean
eliminating the need for faith.
We don't know everything thatGod knows, yet we're called to
(23:33):
trust him.
Even when we take steps thatare uncertain, just like Peter,
and when we do, god's going tobe with us.
Sometimes our decisions aregoing to seem like they lead to
great success.
Other times we may make whatappears to be a mistake.
We may experience doubt, butGod has a unique way of turning
(23:54):
our weakness into strength andmaking even our darkest
situations work for our good.
Just look at Genesis 50, 20 or2 Corinthians, 12, 9.
And when we cry out to him,like Peter, saying Save me, he's
ready and willing to save us.
(24:21):
Introducing something all newfrom Renewets it's renewed
mindsets tv.
It's an extended, expandedversion of your favorite
episodes of renewed mindsets invideo form, with the same
information and fun and humor asyou've come to expect from
Renewed Mindsets.
(24:41):
But now you can look at me andlaugh.
I don't know if that's good ornot.
It's available atrenewedmindsetscom or at YouTube
.
Just search for the channelRenewed Mindsets TV.
Just like and subscribe to benotified when new videos are
(25:07):
uploaded.
That's Renewed Mindsets TV.
Just like and subscribe to benotified when new videos are
uploaded.
That's Renewed Mindsets TV, seeya.
Well, that's all for thisweek's show.
I hope you take something awaythat will enrich your life and
improve your relationship withGod, because that is all that
matters.
If you did like the show,please tell somebody about it,
(25:28):
share it on Facebook orInstagram, post it to threads,
exit to X, text it to somebody.
If you found it valuable, theywill too.
I want to welcome some newmembers to our Renewed Mindsets
community Mr Dingnut andJen123124.
(25:51):
Very unique names.
If you'd like to support thisshow and become a member of the
Renewed Mindsets community, headover to buymeacoffeecom slash
renewed mindsets and join, likeright now.
With memberships starting atjust $5 a month, you can help me
(26:13):
to continue putting out greatcontent every week.
And don't forget to check outthe show producer levels.
Be acknowledged at the end ofevery show as a producer with
one of two levels the Gabriel orthe Michael level.
Plus.
Every level comes with freemerch from renewedmindsetsstore.
Join us next time for some moreRomans 12.2 insights.
(26:39):
Don't conform to this world,but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind.
Until next week.
I'm Rick.
I love you, see ya.
(27:15):
The intro and outro music forthe Renewed Mindsets podcast is
Are you Ready?
By Floodgate From the album Areyou Ready?
Copyright 2002, offbeatMinistries Incorporated.
Floodgate can be found on AppleMusic and iTunes Music used
with permission.
Well, you thought it was over,but it's not.
You are a loyal listener.
(27:38):
You stayed for the very end.
You will benefit.
Just going to add a littlesomething here for some fun.
Welcome to the Renewed MindsetsBible Trivia Snack Pack Value
Meal Game.
The game where you, the valuedlistener, gets to hear a Bible
(28:00):
trivia question and the firstperson to send me an email with
the correct answer wins aRenewed Mindsets prize pack
worth One million dollars orless, down to the amount of a
dollar maybe.
No, really, it'll be somethinggood, I promise, so let's go.
So, of course, the rules forthis game are easy Answer the
(28:24):
question, send me an email andyou win your prize.
It's going to be open book.
I'm assuming that you're goingto have to look it up.
If you don't, you're reallygood.
But this particular question,you can also use a little bit of
content that I've made.
This question comes from thebook of Proverbs and you can
(28:46):
head over to wisdomforthedayorgwhere my companion podcast,
wisdom for the Day, is locatedIn the trailer for the episode.
The answer is in that episode.
Just go up to the top, play thetrailer.
You'll hear your answer.
And here's your question whowas the father of King Solomon?
(29:11):
Why am I playing clock, tickingmusic?
I'm not going to give you theanswer.
You're going to have to send itin.
I'll talk to you next weekabout it and, for my radio
listeners, you have 24 hoursfrom the end of the last
broadcast to get your email outto me.
(29:31):
Y'all are going to be includedin this too.
Send your emails to trivia atrenewedmindsetscom.
Thanks for playing.
Renewed Mindsets Bible Trivia.
Thanks for playing.
Renewed Mindsets Bible Trivia.
Good luck.
See ya, you're still here.
(29:51):
It's over.
Go home, go.
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