Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:17
I have recently dusted off a book written by Dr. Robert A. Cook, who was president of Kings College in NYC from 1962 until his passing in 1991. I used to listen to his radio broadcast program (aka podcast!) on AM radio when I was in college. One of his devotionals talks about being wise so we can understand the will of God. Ephesians 5:17.
Whatever your need or concerns are today, start first with reading your bible. Then get on your knees in prayer about the problem/concern. Be specific! Dr. Cook tells a story about how at one point in his life, he faced six job options. He studied the Word, not seeking any formula. He prayed with a pad of paper listing the “pros” and “cons” of each job. He was surprised how quickly the Lord screened out certain options. Finally he came down to one choice. He made that choice with peace, he states that he never looked back.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. Phillipians 4:6-7
If you really want to know God’s will, first look into His Word. Second, talk to God specifically. He knows you and he loves you. Third, do what you know NOW to be His will. It’s pretty hard to steer a truck that is standing still. It is impossible for God to guide you as long as you procrastinate about that initial step of faith. Don’t just stand around waiting, wondering, complaining. God leads as we move. Do the thing (as small as it may be) that you know now to be the will of God. He will show you the next step.
Ok, so you say, how is this done in a real life, practical manner? Well, I am no expert on this for sure! I will share a personal story. My husband and I have recently contemplated buying a larger property so we can have a little farm/homestead. Nothing has panned out. We have made the decision to stay where we are, making the most of our land right now. So how do I handle my homesteading desires? I garden, have a small flock of chickens, preserve food with canning and dehydrating. I weekly bake bread. I grow medicinal herbs. I knit or crochet as I sit on the couch at night. I cook from scratch. On occasion I make cheese, ferment cabbage into sauerkraut or get my sewing machine out. We DIY lots of projects around the house and yard. We have community in a Friday night bible study with some awesome people. I write blogs like this. This type of life for us is meaningful, high quality living. Make your waiting room into a classroom. Read, pray, learn, do. If something comes up in the future for us, we will pray about it. But we have total peace about staying here.
If we never get a little farm, I trust God it is not for us. I am retired from nursing now and my husband will be retiring in a few years. It just might be that adding livestock and all that entails, may be too much at our age. We are currently maximizing the use of our time and our land. We have complete joy and peace about that. We are incredibly blessed.
God’s will is bound up with faith and obedience. As long as you are willing to obey Him, one step at a time, He is willing to lead you. If a door closes, don’t try to batter it down. Go to the next one. Buy up the opportunities and use them for eternal worth. That doesn’t mean you will go around “being religious” all the time. It does mean that you can dedicate the whole day, every day, to our Almighty God. Let’s not complicate it, but keep it simple and beautiful.
So thankful for Dr. Robert A. Cook and his inspiration on this writing!
You can find Dr. Cook’s “Walk with the King” podcast on spotify, apple or google podcasts.
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