Each Moment
My much younger self wished for God to place a billboard outside of my home that would tell me God’s will for my life. Of course, what I really wanted to know was where I should go to college, what I should study, where I should live and who I should marry - all spelled out in giant, brightly lit letters, please. The common theme in my desire to know God’s will was me, my and I. How I relate to Saul in this manner.
Saul has become king. The prophet Samuel tells Israel, “If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well.” God desires to bless Israel and knows that blessing is found in relationship and obedience. How quickly Saul forgets the will of God and makes his reign about himself. He becomes arrogant yet fearful. He takes credit for victories instead of giving honor to God, he offers sacrifices out of fear, he justifies his sins, does what seems right in his own eyes, makes rash vows, and does not wait to hear from God. There was fighting all the days of Saul’s reign. His is a tragic story.
It took a long time for me to realize that God has in fact spelled out His will for me and His will has everything to do with college, work, and marriage just not in the ways that I’d imagined. God’s will for us is so much more. His will is for us to love Him with our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). It is for our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), for the renewal of our minds to discern what is good and to be filled with the Spirit (Romans 12:2).
Life happens in the daily decisions, in the waiting, in the mundane, in discerning our children’s needs, in responding to a friend, in respecting a spouse, in walking through suffering, in the joys and sorrows, in the quietness of our hearts and the messiness of our communities. God’s will is for us to know Him and to reflect Him in each of the moments that make up our life. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t appreciate a well lit billboard every now and then because life is complicated, but God is faithful and as I follow the LORD my God I know all will be well.
By Esther Cowan