Topical Studies
What the Bible says about
Seeking God's Will
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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God is aware of everything regarding our lives. Not even a thought can be hidden from Him regardless of where we are, regardless of what justifications we might give for what we decide to do. So, when it comes down to the issue of sovereignty, do we allow God to be sovereign in our lives? One of His names, Yahweh Shammah, means "The Lord Is There." Since we are His children, wherever we are, He is. If we allow ourselves to entertain ideas that He is unconcerned about us, we are gravely mistaken. God's supremacy is so great that He can keep track of all that is happening across the entire expanse of what He has made. Therefore, He is allowing what is occurring in the world. He is permitting it to occur and even directly causing some of the calamitous events to happen. He is not detached from what is going on—in fact, everything is under control. He who sees every sparrow fall also has His eyes on us for our good. Whatever we do, we must not allow Him to slip from our thoughts. Every thought of those who live by faith should begin with Him and His will.
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Deuteronomy 16:13-15
Just about every year, we hear messages reminding us that the Feast of Tabernacles is not a vacation, and we largely agree with that. It has aspects of a vacation—we are away from home, mostly free from work or school responsibilities, with extra money in our pockets, living at a hotel, eating out, and doing activities we do not normally do—yet its purpose is far more serious and spiritual. But do we really believe and display our conviction by doing what we must to share this holy time with the Father, the Son, and one another in the way and in the place God has determined for us to serve Him and our brethren? Granted, various factors—such as age, health, and unforeseen, insurmountable difficulties—will make it difficult or impossible for us to attend the Feast in the place God has put His name. However, will we let the physical circumstances of our lives determine this without trying to seek God's will diligently so that we do not fail in our duty to appear before Him? Just as much as the Sabbath is not optional holy time, neither are God's holy days. Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-43 clearly states God's will that we keep the Feast of Tabernacles, as does Deuteronomy 16:13-15. God blesses those following His financial planning system with such an unusual abundance of physical wealth at this time of year that even the most faithful can fall victim to the deceitful trap of a self-deceptive heart. Such a heart could very well equate the joy of a true feast to the Lord with the mere physical pleasure of a vacation. This brings God's solemn and commanded festivals down to the level of an elective, only to be kept if everything in our lives is just right! Consider this: If we fail to keep His holy days and rejoice in the way He intends, for His honor and glory, we may not only be letting God down and disappointing Him, but we may also be letting one another down. Who will fill our places in the choir? Who will do our ushering jobs? The message intended to help us grow we will not hear. The widows, whom God planned for us to serve, will not receive the level of service we could have given them. And what about those whom God intended to train in righteousness by serving us in our difficult circumstances? They will never have the opportunity! What about what God says in Malachi 3:16-17? Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." So we must ask ourselves, what does it say about us if those God-fearers fellowshipping together at God's feast did not include us? I have seen many dear brethren who have worked so hard to be faithful and honor God. One lady, in pain because of cancer, was transported to the Feast lying in the back of a van. She died two months later, but she was determined to attend as God commanded. God lifted up another dedicated member, also dying, so that, in faith, he could be where God wanted him. One woman traveled halfway around the world, alone, to honor God and be where she knew God wanted her to be. To these people, the Feast of Tabernacles was not merely an elective time for physical rejoicing. It is the commanded and holy assembly of God's people, who have been called together for His honor and glory in the continuing process of preparing His jewels for the Kingdom of God! Some of God's people cannot be there because of dire or unforeseen circumstances. That is, sadly, a fact of life in an anti-God world. But we must all examine ourselves and ensure our deceptive hearts have not demoted God's solemn and holy time to a mere elective. When God calls a holy convocation of His people, we should do our utmost to be there! At this time of year, it should never be far from our minds that the Feast of Tabernacles—and indeed, all of God's feast days—are holy times, set apart by Him to be observed as He commands, to help us to become holy as He is holy (I Peter 1:16).
Mark Schindler
The Feast: Vacation or Holy Time?
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Luke 11:9-10
First, we must humbly ask according to His will, not our own pleasures (James 1:5-8). If something we ask for is contrary to God's plan, no amount of persistence will force Him to give in (James 4:3). When requesting anything of God, most people often stop asking when He does not immediately intervene. Human nature is easily discouraged because it thinks on a physical plane, but with God all things are possible. We need to be optimistic that God has heard and will respond in a good and faithful manner (I John 5:14-15). Second, we must seek to know our true motives and God's will regarding the request. We seek to find out what we must do to bolster our faith with works (I John 3:22). Do God's promises include the blessing we ask for? Third, we must knock. We must persevere, be persistent, pressing the matter until we receive it (Hebrews 4:16). We should faithfully go to God repeatedly, until He responds to our prayers and grants what we ask of Him—if it is according to His will.
Martin G. Collins
Parable of the Persistent Friend
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Luke 11:9
This section contains instruction important to praying effectively. Verse 9 is written in the present imperative tense. It means to keep on doing something that one is presently doing. "Keep on asking." "Keep on seeking." "Keep on knocking." This fits exactly with what precedes it in the illustration of the persistent friend.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Prayer and Persistence
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John 21:15-17
Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him "more than these." It is not obvious what He is referring to in this phrase. Some have suggested He is referring to the nets, boats, and other aspects of their earthly profession, or perhaps He is asking if Peter loved Him more than he loved the other disciples. But there is another possibility, which has its genesis in the night of Jesus Christ's arrest: Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples. (Matthew 26:31-35) Jesus predicted that all of the disciples would stumble on this Passover night. Yet, Peter was so sure of himself and so filled with confidence in his own strength that he proudly asserted himself above the other disciples. To paraphrase, he said, "Lesser men may stumble, but I will never stumble." He was essentially claiming to be spiritually stronger than the other men whom Jesus had also called and taught. With this in mind, we can understand why a number of translations render Christ's question in John 21:15 as, "Do you love Me more than these do?" This indicates that the word "these" indeed refers to the other disciples, but it specifically speaks of how much they loved Christ. That Passover night, Peter had basically claimed to love Jesus Christ more than the others did. Now, Jesus brings this back around to see if Peter still held to his lofty opinion of himself, claiming to love Jesus more than the others did. Notice also that with each question, Jesus uses his family name, "Jonah." The original Greek does not have the word "son" in these verses—Jesus simply calls him "Simon of Jonah." Names have special significance in the Bible, and it is not coincidental that three times Jesus makes use of the name of Jonah. We are all familiar with the story of the prophet by the same name and how, even though he nominally followed God's instructions, he is never shown fully surrendering to God's will. He eventually does what God tells him to do, but he resists God throughout. Twice, Jonah says that it is better for him to die than to live, and a third time, he tells God that he is angry enough to die. Jonah would rather die than accept not living on his own terms. In this, we can see an aspect of Peter, though not nearly to the same depth of wretchedness. The various gospels record that Peter pledged to lay down his life, that he was ready to go to prison and death, and that he would die before denying his Messiah. When the time came for Jesus to be arrested, Peter pulled out his sword and was apparently ready to back up his words—he was ready to take on the whole mob and go down fighting. Yet, he ended up denying Jesus three times. Now the resurrected Christ asks Peter three times if he loved Him. Three times, Jesus calls him "Simon of Jonah," perhaps pointing out that he was not doing so well in completely surrendering to God's will. Peter never asked Jesus if it were His will for Peter to follow Him to a violent death! Peter decided for himself what needed to be done and how he would serve God. Like Jonah, he seemed more inclined toward death than toward living life in a way that was not on his terms. Jesus planned to meet the disciples in Galilee after His resurrection, and He wanted Peter to strengthen the others. Jesus had already expressed that He would use the disciples in preaching to others. In other words, Christ's will was for them to live and to carry on with what He had been training them for. But Simon of Jonah had his own ideas. Because of Peter's willfulness, Jesus questions him three times about his love for Him. Peter neglected to seek God's will before plunging into a course of action, and he ended up stumbling badly in trying to show love. If we act by our own will, even if it is out of the deepest of human regard and affection, it will not bear the same good fruit if it is not also God's will.
David C. Grabbe
Breakfast by the Sea (Part One)
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John 21:15-17
Each time Peter responds, Jesus commands him in a way that links to Peter's answers. The meaning is that because Peter loves Christ, here is what Christ wants him to do. His commands apply mostly to the ministry, yet there are aspects of them that every member can put into practice. This is not to suggest that we try to take on a role that God has not given to us, but these commands provide guidelines for how each of us can support those God puts in our path. In verses 15 and 17, Jesus tells Peter to feed those under his care. In verse 15, it is with regard to the lambs—that is, Christians who are either young in years or new in the faith—and in verse 17, it refers to more mature sheep. Christ's emphasis is on providing spiritual food. In verse 16, Jesus tells Peter to "tend [His] sheep." "Tending" encompasses all of what a shepherd does for his sheep, which goes beyond just feeding, indicating total guardianship of the sheep, including tasks like guiding, governing, defending, putting them in a fold, checking for disease, etc. On occasion, lay-members can contribute similarly. If, in our interactions with our brethren, we are reminded of a sermon or article that may edify them, we can certainly mention it. Perhaps we find ourselves in a position to give helpful advice or to warn other sheep about a wolf. Maybe we can keep someone from going astray by exposing some religious deception. Yet, before assuming that we know what is good—and loving—it is wise for us to seek God's direction before pursuing our ideas of how someone can be "helped." Peter neglected to seek God's will before plunging into a course of action, and he ended up stumbling badly in trying to show agape love. If we act by our own will, even if it is out of the deepest of human regard and affection, it will not bear the same good fruit as if it were God's will. Sometimes, in spite of what initially seems best to us, what is actually best is for God to work it out in a way that does not involve us or in a way in which our part is very different from what we had imagined. There is a time to speak, and a time to remain silent; a time to act, and a time to sit on one's hands. The only way to know the time is to seek the Good Shepherd and wait for His response.
David C. Grabbe
Breakfast by the Sea (Part Two)
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1 Corinthians 2:9-16
While the words of God's revealed will have been read by millions or billions of people in the pages of the Bible, they cannot be understood except in the most basic way without the engagement of God's Holy Spirit. As Paul writes, “Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (I Corinthians 2:11; see John 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-15). Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit given through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17; 9:17; II Timothy 1:6), Scripture's revelations are veiled in mystery. Yet, with it, an individual can “have the mind of Christ” (verse 16). In the context of His parables, Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 13:11, 16, “[I]t has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the great multitudes] it has not been given. . . . But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” This remarkable, unique gift of His Spirit puts all of God's people under the obligation to seek His will in everything and practice it with understanding and diligence. In this way, the saints put on the new man day by day and make a proper witness of God's grace and righteous way of life.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Model Prayer (Part Five): Your Will Be Done
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1 Peter 1:10-12
Consider what these verses say from the standpoint of the prophets who were looking into these things. How did they look into these things? How did they seek God? How did they search Him out? An actual example appears in Daniel 9:1-3: In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD [given] through Jeremiah the prophet, . . . What was Daniel looking into? He was looking into the Bible, specifically the writings of Jeremiah the prophet. . . . that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. How did he seek God? By prayer, fasting, and study—the same things that we teach Christians to do. Looking into His Word is a major portion of seeking God. It is not the end of it because, as Amos 5:4, 6-7, 14-15 relates, "seek" in the biblical sense does not just mean "gaining an intellectual knowledge of God" but "turning to become like God." The knowledge of God is of absolutely no use unless we become like God, which is why he says, "Seek God and live!" (Amos 5:4, 6). What good is it if we have the knowledge but do not repent, do not turn to act and become like He is? None. If we only gain knowledge, we will not live. Prayer plays a major role in this process. Daniel was seeking God's mind for the purpose of imitating, obeying, pleasing, being like Him, and doing His will. If we would continue in the prophet's book, we would find in chapter 10 that another occasion came up in which he fasted for three weeks. A person must be very serious and fervent to fast that long! The angel that is sent to him tells him that God heard Daniel's words from the very first day—that God would hear and answer was never a question. He spent three weeks fasting and praying to understand the will of God. It is in this way that we come to know God in the sense of perceiving things as He does. If we are doing these things, we have every opportunity to pray according to His will because we will be praying His Word right back to Him—maybe not the exact words, but words that have the same sense. We will be on the same wavelength, as it were, with God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
What Is Prayer?
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