July 1
Acts 21:1-17
How do you discern God’s will? When you do not know what to do, what is your decision-making process? We often equate God's will with the path of least resistance. If it seems easy, then this must be what God has for me. Though this may sometimes be true, we see in the life of Paul and the early disciples that this is often a lie. Paul was told that traveling to Jerusalem would lead to his arrest, imprisonment, and suffering, but he knew that God's will was for him to walk down this path. So, he did it. He did not allow the pursuit of comfort or ease to determine his path, rather obedience to God's will. Even when everyone was telling him not to go, he would not be dissuaded from following wherever God led. He was able to block out the sounds of the world to hear clearly from God.
In a culture that values short term happiness above all else, it is critical that we elevate God's truth above our feelings. It is also essential that we learn to follow God even if it leads to difficulty, suffering, hardship, or friction with others. Following Jesus is not easy; it is equated to carrying a cross, an instrument of death. However, regardless of the short-term pain it is the path of life, joy, love, and peace, so we need to walk in it no matter where it might take us.
Father God, help me to follow you and do your will. Help me to love you more than anything else. Amen.
How does our culture's value of pursuing comfort above everything affect your ability to obey God?
How do you discern God’s will? When you do not know what to do, what is your decision-making process? We often equate God's will with the path of least resistance. If it seems easy, then this must be what God has for me. Though this may sometimes be true, we see in the life of Paul and the early disciples that this is often a lie. Paul was told that traveling to Jerusalem would lead to his arrest, imprisonment, and suffering, but he knew that God's will was for him to walk down this path. So, he did it. He did not allow the pursuit of comfort or ease to determine his path, rather obedience to God's will. Even when everyone was telling him not to go, he would not be dissuaded from following wherever God led. He was able to block out the sounds of the world to hear clearly from God.
In a culture that values short term happiness above all else, it is critical that we elevate God's truth above our feelings. It is also essential that we learn to follow God even if it leads to difficulty, suffering, hardship, or friction with others. Following Jesus is not easy; it is equated to carrying a cross, an instrument of death. However, regardless of the short-term pain it is the path of life, joy, love, and peace, so we need to walk in it no matter where it might take us.
Father God, help me to follow you and do your will. Help me to love you more than anything else. Amen.
How does our culture's value of pursuing comfort above everything affect your ability to obey God?
Recent
Archive
2026
January
January 1January 2January 3January 4January 5January 6January 7January 8January 9January 10January 11January 12January 13January 14January 15January 16January 17January 18January 19January 20January 21January 22January 23January 24January 25January 26January 27January 28January 29January 30January 31
February
March
Categories
no categories
No Comments