To those who love Jesus, the subject of God's Will is exciting, intimate, and frustrating. We desire to do the will of God with regard to this or that decision- usually the major ones (Vocation and Marriage)but we have no specific direction. If only God would tell us what to do!
There are some good books on the subject, including:
*Gary Friessen- Decision-making and the Will of God
*Bruce Waltke- Finding the Will of God- a pagan notion?
Perhaps the thing I found most helpful was a little book by John MacArthur, "God's Will is Not Lost." In it, he describes what scripture plainly says IS the will of God. We are to pursue that- whether it is our sanctification, the cultivation of thankfulness, or persevering in suffering. Then, his last point is "You're it!"
My own approach to God's Will has often been the blunt advice of friends, rather like Farel convincing Calvin to return to Geneva. In preaching through the epistles to the Thessalonians, however, I have found a great treasure in II Thess. 1:11-12. The passage is slowly unpacking for me a specific understanding of the pursuit of God's Will. It began with a linguistic puzzle: Whose good purpose is described in v. 11? Ours or God's? The next 9 posts will explain my understanding- and I'd love to get your input.
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