Joshua 11:15 ESV
[15] Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
Joshua left nothing undone. He did everything God commanded through Moses. Could the same be said of me? Am I getting done what God wants me to?
But what exactly is it that?
It seems like Joshua had an advantage. God through Moses tells him what the expectations are when it comes to conquering the promised land.
We tend to think that God is not so clear in our lives. But is that right?
It’s true that God doesn’t tell us specifically what to do in every situation, and how to make every decision.
We want to know God’s will, which is good. The fact of the matter is Scripture tells us what God’s will is over and over.
Start here:
Matthew 22:37-38 ESV
[37] And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. [38] This is the great and first commandment.
Then here:
John 14:15 ESV
[15] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
We can be confident that when we do what God says, we are doing His will.
There are many other places in Scripture where God tells us what his will is. Here is just one;
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
[16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Our problem is that isn’t what we are really asking. We want to know what God’s SPECIFIC will is, you know, for ME.
Where should I go to college? Should I marry this person? Take this job or that one? Beef or chicken?
Not insignificant decisions, to be sure (except that last one, which should be obvious anyways).
So what does one do when faced with the many decisions in life?
Remember these verses?
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
The “acknowledge him’ part does not mean “recognize God exists”. It goes deeper than that.
It means do what He says.
When we are doing what we KNOW God is asking us to do, when we are walking with Him through the power of the Spirit we can have confidence that He will guide us.
God loves you. He is not just sitting on His throne waiting for you to mess up.
Consider these verses from Psalm 37:
Psalm 37:4-5 ESV
[4] Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. [5] Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
When we delight ourselves in the Lord, we are aligning our hearts and minds with Him. When we do what we know He wants (love me, keep my commandments) and refrain from doing what we know he doesn’t want (willful sin) it clears up a lot of things.
But this doesn’t just happen. It takes discipline in prayer, meditation, study. The Christian life is a life of action.
Yes, I too at times wish God would tell me exactly what to do in a circumstance. We have some weighty decisions regarding our family and business that would be nice to have behind us.
But I am glad that God is faithful and trustworthy, and that in His time he will act.
Leaving nothing undone.
