HOW TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S WILL.

In order to do God's will we must first know his will. In order to have

real satisfaction, rest, and contentment in the Christian life--and there

is no true rest outside the Christian life--we must have the full

assurance that we are doing the will of God. The soul that loves God can

not be satisfied with anything less than this. As long as there is a

doubt, there can not be perfect contentment. We must have a perfect

nowledge of God's will concerning us, or else we shall not fully know we

are doing his will.



Many are saying, "I would gladly do God's will if I only knew what was his

will." Such ones have not reached that nearness to God that they should.

There should always be a clear and definite understanding between God and

his children. "My sheep," Jesus says, "hear my voice"; and we know that

God hears the voice of his children. We can talk to God and God to us;

consequently, there can be understanding between us. You can live close

enough to God to know his will--not merely to suppose his will or take it

for granted, but to know it because he told you. A man's employees may

suppose they are doing what he wants them to do, but this does not give

them full assurance. It is only when they have been in his presence and

heard him express his will that they know they are doing it. You can know

God's will. You need not spend one day without knowing you are in his

order.



The Scripture says, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what

the will of the Lord is." Eph. 5: 17. In the verses preceding this one we

are told to walk circumspectly and to redeem the time. We need to know

God's will that we may use every opportunity to the greatest advantage. To

pass along day after day without a definite knowledge of being in the will

of God or without taking much thought about it or earnestly seeking to

know it, is living on entirely too low a spiritual plane. God wants you to

come up higher--high enough and close enough to know his will. Has not God

purchased you? You are his servant, his bondslave. You are to do

everything you do for him. He who has men in his employ expects them to do

his will. They do not go out a single day ignorant of his will. They do

not always wait to be told what to do, but they make inquiry. With many

there may not be enough earnest seeking after God to know his will.



In order to know God's will there must be a perfect consecration to God.

The soul must lay down her own will and present herself before God as much

as to say, "I give up my way and will forever to be thine and thine alone;

to love thee and serve thee; to do thy whole will now and forever." There

must be humility before God; a deep inner consciousness of your

nothingness and your inability to accomplish anything in life of yourself.

"The meek he will guide in judgment." We must be meek and humble before

the Lord and confess that we are dependent on him and that life will be an

utter failure unless he wills and guides and plans and works in us and

with us and for us.



There must be great love to God and an earnest desire to know his will.

Without strong desire to know God's will you can never learn it. It is

those who desire that obtain answers to their prayers; and that desire

must be really great. You must seek to know. Where there is great desire,

there will be earnest seeking; but there will not be earnest seeking

without the fervent desire. The desire must be so intense that you feel as

if you must know. You must feel that you can not get along in life without

knowing God's will. You can not be of any service to him without having

knowledge of his will. You must also have faith. When you ask God to teach

you his will, you must believe he will do it, and he will do it. When he

begins to unfold his will, you must move in his order without doubting or

questioning. He will guide you and direct your every step, and you can

know that you are doing the very thing God wants you to do. Bless his

name! Such a life is heaven here.