After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Acts 16:7-9

Last time we considered the fact that while God did direct the Apostle Paul through God a dream, He does not generally (if ever) direct us through dreams or visions—or even by “impressions.” We said that we are to seek God’s will while prayerfully attending to His Word. What does that look like?

First, it is not a Christian crystal ball or Ouija Board. We do not ask the Lord for His will on a particular decision and then open the Bible and and read a page we have randomly turned to and voilà, we know God’s will. Rather, we learn to discern the Lord’s will by constantly, over a long period of time, reading the Word systematically. This discipline will progressively tune our hearts and minds to know His voice, and therefore His will. This happens because the “cumulative effect” of a life lived in the Word of God is to know the God of the Word. It isn’t instant, but over time, it is the single most important and reliable way to know God’s will.

Second, some issues are abundantly clear to the diligent student of God’s Word. Whether to marry a non-believer, for instance, is strictly forbidden. But which Christian to marry may not be so crystal clear.

Third, there are of course myriads of things we may want to know about God’s will. There is no “one-size-fits-all” answer. Waiting for God to reveal whether you should buy a Honda or a Toyota is probably not that important. But by knowing God’s will, you will know that He wants you to shop wisely, and remain within your means.

In all things, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these [other, lesser critical matters] will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). And then walk by faith.

There is no other means by which God sometimes reveals His will. We’ll consider that next time…