Chapter 47 - Will of God

The highest expression of our spiritual life is, in the last analysis, back again to God. That is what we were made for. In the pattern and design for our living, God said He made us in His OWN IMAGE and LIKENESS. We were created for His glory and His pleasure - all things were created for this. We, the effect of His creation, ultimately, are unto the pleasure of God.

We were made to know the will of God, and to swing out in that norm. His will may take any pattern; plowing beans or potatoes, or preaching the gospel; it doesn’t matter. The fact is, the soul has found an adjustment in God; embraces the will of God, and, if the will of God is for us to work on a farm, that is holy! Why? Because it is the farm? No. That work is an holy rendering because it is the will of God being performed. God is honored and blessed and glorified where His will finds expression.— Wherever the will of God is being done, He is automatically glorified. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” We get the benefit of the light and all that, but it was to the glory of God first.

When His will is executed, it is a reflection of His glory. This is true in the inanimate creation; in the mundane, the material world; wherever He produces a bit of His creative desire, it is always to His glory. Man’s great objective, too, is to glorify God. How can we glorify God? By surrendering our will to His, and letting His will be wrought in us. Then we cannot help but glorify God.

Paul says, “I want to focus your thoughts, your prayers, your desires, every feature of your being, bound together in a strange cable toward one thing—glorifying God.” God is setting before us an objective: “Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all . . .”—that ye might enter the pearly gates? No. Do all that the kingdom of God shall come upon the earth? NO! “Do all to the glory of God!”

He never changed the objective for man. Man was made to glorify God and to give him pleasure. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God . . .” (Col. 3:17) It all moves toward God. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise and dominion forever and ever, Amen.” (1 Pet. 4:11)—How do we glorify God? We can only glorify God by doing His will, and wherever the will of God is done, He is automatically glorified.

I have the joy of doing the will of God, but I don’t always have the joy of doing the THING which is in the will of God.

In our life patterns, it we are dedicated spirits doing the will of God, He says, “I can make all these things work together for good, even the devil. Because I am God, and in My permissive will, I introduce all these foreign, strange elements. But I am God, and I can cause them to work together for good to you who are called by Me according to My purpose.” What is His purpose? “For whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son that He may be the Firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:29) Paul goes on to say, “Be not conformed to this world.” (Rom 12:2) Don’t be molded into the popular world mold; don’t allow your life to be cast into that popular world mold, and become molded into a worldling, because that is a world mold. He says it will press. We know in the world they have a lot of troubles, but, you see, they don’t let their troubles do them any good. It brings them to a place of defeat, and sometimes suicide.

When we do the will of God, we feed Him. “My meat and My drink is to do the will of God.” (John 4:34) When did you feed Jesus last?

It always pleases me to see how God can work when we let Him do what He wants to do. He can establish a work; He can defend a work; and He can do anything He wants to, if we would only get in with His “want to”, and not say, “Lord, I want to,” but “Lord, what do You want to do?” Then we get through.

Most people think the will of God is the most superficial thing. Sometimes the will of God is so complicated, and intricate, and involved, that it takes prayer to get us in a place where we can receive, or even discern it. Paul found this so. (Col. 1:9-11) The will of God is the safest place in the world, but sometimes the most difficult.

God still sits on the throne. It is His world. He has a program. He has an infinite will that is pushing down through the centuries, and on over into the ages. How sweet and lovely when my little will, and your little will is swallowed up in that magnificent one of God!

The basic sin in all the world is self-will against the will of God. When we bring it down to its last analysis, it may take ten thousand forms; every sin that is committed is a form of self-will over against God’s.

All of us have sinned, because we have not perfectly glorified God; all have missed the mark.