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What is God's will for your life? For mine? I wonder how many times we have asked or, at least, thought about that question? Today we'll look at some things we can be sure are God's will for us. We will, also, discover some questions and principles that can guide us in decisions where God's will is not as clearly spelled out. These principles can be applied even in those gray areas with which believers struggle.
The rise in evil today is unprecedented. Just turn on the news: mass shootings, terrorist attacks, violent protests, murder, sex trafficking, child pornography, abortion on demand, road rage, and more. Of course, anger fuels much of it. Anger that is off the chart in intensity and in the number of people who are violently so. What is at the root of it all? Daniel saw the rise in evil in his time, too, as pagan kings and others tried to destroy the people of God and their faith in Him. God, even, gave him a vision of the calamities that were to come on future generations. But then ... He gave Daniel a beautiful hope-filled promise. Could that same promise help us as we see the rise in evil all around us?
Why a fresh start through the Bible? And why "through" the Bible? Why not just read here and there, perhaps finding a subject that interests you? Or how about a short devotional? As long as you read something every day, isn't that good enough? Today's reading from the book of Psalms gives us a very good illustration of why it's so important to read God's Word in context. The psalmist in Psalm 1 talks about a man who is like a tree planted on a riverbank where it gets plenty of water and is always fruitful. The psalmist goes on to say that God prospers whatever this man does. I don't know about you, but I want my life to be like that. But despite some who teach that God wants to make every believer prosperous, there are requirements for this prosperity. There are things we must do and other things we are to avoid. We also need to understand what the psalmist meant when he wrote about prosperity. If we don't, we may find ourselves disillusioned, even angry, with God. But this is just one example of the importance of understanding God's Word in context, in its entirety. One of the biggest problems I find among believers is a failure to know God, to know His character, and to know how He works through our tests and trials. As a result, far too many lead faithless defeated lives.
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