Category: God’s Will

  • When God Doesn’t Make Sense

    When God Doesn’t Make Sense

    When God Doesn’t Make Sense

    Learning to Trust God from Habakkuk 1

    There are times in the Christian life when what we see happening around us does not seem to line up with what we know to be true about God. We know God is good, sovereign, holy, and faithful. We know He hears prayer. Yet sometimes we look at our circumstances, our families, our nation, our culture, or even the church and find ourselves asking, “God, what are You doing?” Or perhaps the more troubling question: “God, why aren’t You doing anything?”

    If you have ever asked those questions, you are in good company. That is exactly where we find the prophet Habakkuk. He is looking at the world around him and struggling to reconcile what he sees with what he knows about God. Habakkuk begins his book with a question mark, but by the end he will arrive at an exclamation point. Chapter 1 finds him wondering and worrying, chapter 2 finds him waiting, and chapter 3 finds him worshiping. It is a journey from sight to faith, and that journey begins with some difficult questions.

    #1: GOD, WHY AREN’T YOU DOING ANYTHING?

    Habakkuk lived during a troubling time in Judah’s history. Under King Josiah there had been tremendous spiritual reform. Idolatry had been confronted, pagan altars had been torn down, the Temple had been restored, the Book of the Law had been rediscovered, and worship had been renewed. For a time, it appeared that Judah was turning back to God. But after Josiah died, the nation rapidly deteriorated. The kings who followed him led the people back into wickedness, and the nation became characterized by oppression, injustice, violence, and spiritual rebellion.

    Habakkuk had seen enough, so he prayed: “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save?” (Habakkuk 1:2, ESV). Those words, “How long?”, tell us that this was not Habakkuk’s first prayer. He had apparently been praying about his nation for some time, and what troubled him was not simply the wickedness around him. What troubled him was that he had prayed about it and nothing seemed to be changing.

    Most Christians eventually find themselves in a similar place. We pray for God to change a situation, restore a relationship, heal a hurt, bring someone home, correct an injustice, or open a door, and yet nothing seems to happen. Sometimes the hardest part of the trial is not the problem itself; it is the apparent silence of God in the middle of the problem.

    But Habakkuk is about to learn something important: God’s silence does not mean God’s inactivity. Just because we cannot see God working does not mean He is not working. Habakkuk thought God was doing nothing, but God was about to reveal that He had been working all along.

    #2: GOD SAYS, “I AM DOING SOMETHING!”

    God finally answers Habakkuk in verse 5: “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told” (Habakkuk 1:5, ESV). The contrast is striking. Habakkuk essentially says, “God, You’re not doing anything,” while God responds, “Habakkuk, I am doing something. In fact, I am doing something so significant that you would have trouble believing it if I told you.”

    Habakkuk’s problem was not that God wasn’t working. His problem was that he couldn’t see what God was doing. That is often our problem as well. We see today, while God sees tomorrow. We see one circumstance, while God sees the entire story. We see one piece, while God sees the whole puzzle. What looks like inactivity from our limited perspective may actually be the unfolding of God’s providential plan.

    Then God tells Habakkuk what He is doing, and it is certainly not what the prophet expected. God was raising up the Babylonians to bring judgment upon Judah. Habakkuk may have hoped for another revival like the one he had witnessed under Josiah. Perhaps he was praying, “God, do it again. Send another Josiah. Turn the hearts of the people back to You.” Instead, God essentially answered, “I’m sending Babylon.”

    That was not the answer Habakkuk wanted, but it teaches us another important truth: God may answer our prayers in ways we never expected. Habakkuk wanted God to change Judah, and God was going to change Judah; Habakkuk simply did not like God’s method. He wanted revival, but God announced judgment. He wanted God to remove the problem, but God was going to use another problem to discipline His people.

    We sometimes respond the same way. We pray, “God, fix this. Change this. Work in this situation.” Then God begins working in a way we never anticipated, and suddenly our prayer becomes, “No, Lord—not like that!” We want God to answer our prayers, but if we are not careful, what we really want is for God to follow our plan. Habakkuk reminds us that God’s wisdom is greater than ours, and sometimes His answer to one question creates another.

    #3: WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND GOD’S WAYS, REMEMBER GOD’S CHARACTER

    Habakkuk’s first question was, “God, why aren’t You doing anything?” God answered, “I am.” Now Habakkuk has a new question: “God, why would You do that?” Yet his response is instructive. He does not walk away from God simply because he does not understand God. Instead, he begins reminding himself of what he already knows to be true.

    Habakkuk says, “Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? … O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof” (Habakkuk 1:12, ESV). In one verse, Habakkuk anchors himself in the character of God. God is eternal; He sees the beginning and the end and knows things Habakkuk does not know. God is personal; Habakkuk still calls Him “my God” and “my Holy One.” God is sovereign; even Babylon cannot operate outside His ultimate authority. And God is holy; He remains morally perfect even when His methods are difficult for Habakkuk to understand.

    Perhaps the most important words are simply “my God.” Habakkuk is confused by God, but he is still clinging to God. He has questions for God, but he has not abandoned his relationship with God. There is a tremendous difference between bringing our questions to God in faith and walking away from God in unbelief. Biblical faith does not require us to pretend that difficult things are easy to understand. It allows us to wrestle with our questions while continuing to hold on to the God we know.

    That is where many believers find themselves at different points in life. “God, I know You are good, but this doesn’t feel good. I know You are sovereign, but this looks completely out of control. I know You hear prayer, but You have not answered mine. I know You are holy, so I do not understand why You have allowed this.” Habakkuk teaches us that such questions do not have to drive us away from God. They can actually drive us deeper into what we know about Him.

    #4: CAN GOD REALLY USE EVIL TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE?

    Habakkuk’s greatest difficulty is that Babylon is worse than Judah. He understands that his own nation deserves correction, but he cannot understand why a holy God would use such a violent and arrogant nation as His instrument. In verses 14–17, Habakkuk compares Babylon to a fisherman dragging helpless fish into a net. Nation after nation falls before Babylon, and with every victory the Babylonians become more impressed with their own power.

    Habakkuk says that Babylon “sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet” (Habakkuk 1:16, ESV). In other words, they worship their own strength. They do not recognize God as the source of their success; they congratulate themselves. Their attitude is essentially, “Look what we did. Look how powerful we are. Look what our strength accomplished.”

    So Habakkuk ends the chapter by asking, “Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?” (Habakkuk 1:17, ESV). In other words, “God, are You going to let them get away with this?”

    And then Chapter 1 ends.

    Habakkuk does not yet receive his answer. He is left with the tension between what he sees happening and what he knows about God. But perhaps that is precisely where he needs to be, because God is teaching him that faith cannot always depend upon having immediate explanations.

    WHEN I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD IS DOING, I HOLD ON TO WHAT I KNOW ABOUT WHO GOD IS.

    That is the great lesson of Habakkuk 1. Faith does not require that I understand everything God is doing. There are things God knows that I do not know, things God sees that I cannot see, and purposes God is accomplishing that I may not recognize until much later—or perhaps not in this life at all.

    Habakkuk does not understand God’s methods, but he knows God’s character. God is everlasting. He is “my God.” He is “my Holy One.” He is the Rock. He is sovereign. Those truths become the solid ground beneath Habakkuk’s feet when everything else seems uncertain.

    The same must be true for us. When we do not understand WHAT God is doing, we go back to WHO God is. I may not understand this circumstance, but I know God is good. I may not understand this delay, but I know God is faithful. I may not understand this loss, but I know God loves me. I may not understand why He has allowed something, but I know God is holy.

    Sometimes we will not know WHY, but we can still know WHO.

    And sometimes that is enough to get us through the night.

    Faith is not saying, “God, I understand everything You are doing.” Faith is being able to say, even while the questions remain:

    “God, I don’t understand—but I trust You.”

    Bible References: Habakkuk 1:2 (ESV); Habakkuk 1:5 (ESV); Habakkuk 1:12 (ESV); Habakkuk 1:16–17 (ESV)

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  • How Do I Know What God Wants Me to Do?

    How Do I Know What God Wants Me to Do?

    HOW DO I KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO DO?

    One of the most common questions Christians ask is, “How do I know what God wants me to do?” We want God’s direction in relationships, careers, ministry, finances, major decisions, and everyday life. The good news is that God wants to guide His children.

    “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8 ESV)

    But receiving God’s guidance requires humility:

    “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” (Psalm 25:9 ESV)

    One of the dangers is making our plans first and asking God to bless them afterward. God warned Israel:

    “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine… who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction.” (Isaiah 30:1–2 ESV)

    Notice the problem: they made their plans without consulting God. When seeking God’s guidance, I have found it helpful to remember that His direction often comes to us in three simple ways: GO — YES, NO — STOP, and SLOW — WAIT.

    • GO — YES. God opens the way and gives us freedom to move forward.

    • NO — STOP. God closes the door, redirects us, or shows us that what we desire is not His will.

    • SLOW — WAIT. Sometimes God isn’t saying no. He is saying, “Not yet.” Waiting is not the absence of God’s guidance. Sometimes waiting is God’s guidance.

    So how do we discern whether God is saying GO, NO, or SLOW? Here are five biblical principles.

    #1: COMMANDING SCRIPTURE

    Start with what God has already said.

    “But first let’s find out what the LORD says.” (1 Kings 22:5 NLT)

    Before looking for signs, feelings, impressions, or open doors, go to Scripture. God will never guide you to do something that contradicts what He has already commanded in His Word. You don’t need a sign about something God has clearly addressed.

    If Scripture says yes, you don’t need to pray about whether obedience is necessary. If Scripture says no, you don’t need to look for circumstances that will give you permission to say yes. God’s Word is our first and final authority.

    #2: COMPELLING SPIRIT

    Pay attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

    Paul said, “And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit…” (Acts 20:22 ESV)

    At another time, Paul and his companions wanted to travel into Bithynia: “…they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” (Acts 16:7 ESV)

    In one situation, the Spirit was saying GO. In another, the Spirit was saying NO. There will also be seasons when the Spirit seems to say SLOW — WAIT. As believers, we should learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction. This may involve conviction, a persistent burden, an unusual sense of restraint, or a growing clarity about what we should do.

    But there is an important safeguard: the Holy Spirit will never contradict the Holy Scriptures. We should always test what we believe the Spirit is saying against what God has already revealed in His Word.

    #3: COMMON SENSE

    Sometimes Christians make God’s guidance unnecessarily mysterious. God has given us a mind, wisdom, experience, knowledge, and the ability to think.

    “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.” (Proverbs 14:15 ESV)

    “The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way…” (Proverbs 14:8 ESV)

    Jesus even spoke about carefully considering a decision: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost…?” (Luke 14:28 ESV)

    Sometimes the spiritual thing to do is stop, think, gather the facts, count the cost, and make a wise decision. God’s guidance does not normally require us to abandon the wisdom and good judgment He has given us.

    Ask practical questions: Is this wise? Is this responsible? Have I thought through the consequences? Am I ignoring something obvious because I desperately want a particular answer? God can guide us through sanctified common sense.

    #4: COUNSEL OF MATURE CHRISTIANS

    Don’t make major decisions in isolation.

    “…but a wise man listens to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15 ESV)

    “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22 ESV)

    Seek the counsel of mature Christians who know God, know Scripture, and know you. But be careful not to simply collect opinions until you find someone who agrees with you.

    Paul warned, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth…” (2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV)

    Good counsel isn’t always the counsel we want to hear. Find people who love you enough to tell you the truth, even when the truth challenges your plans.

    #5: CIRCUMSTANTIAL SIGNS

    Finally, pay attention to what God is doing around you. Sometimes God opens doors:

    “For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16:9 ESV)

    Sometimes He closes doors: “…they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” (Acts 16:7 ESV)

    But we need to be careful here. An open door doesn’t automatically mean GO, and a difficult road doesn’t automatically mean NO.

    Paul once wrote, “When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.” (2 Corinthians 2:12–13 ESV)

    That’s remarkable. Paul had an open door—and didn’t walk through it. Circumstances matter, but circumstances should generally confirm God’s guidance rather than control God’s guidance.

    PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

    When you’re trying to determine God’s direction, don’t build your decision on one feeling, one coincidence, or one person’s opinion. Bring these things together:

    Commanding Scripture: What has God already said?

    Compelling Spirit: How does the Holy Spirit appear to be leading?

    Common Sense: What does wisdom tell me?

    Counsel of Mature Christians: What are godly, trustworthy believers telling me?

    Circumstantial Signs: What doors does God appear to be opening or closing?

    Then remember the three ways God often directs us. GO — Sometimes God says YES. Move forward in faith and obedience. NO — Sometimes God says STOP. Trust that God’s “no” may be His protection or redirection. SLOW — Sometimes God says WAIT. Don’t force a door God hasn’t opened yet.

    Waiting can be the hardest answer because we would often rather hear yes or no than not yet. But God’s delays are not necessarily God’s denials.

    Ultimately, knowing God’s will isn’t merely about discovering the right answer. It’s about knowing, trusting, and walking with God. Whatever His answer—GO, NO, or SLOW—our responsibility remains the same: trust Him and follow Him..

    Bible References: Psalm 32:8 (ESV); Psalm 25:9 (ESV); Isaiah 30:1–2 (ESV); 1 Kings 22:5 (ESV); Acts 20:22 (ESV); Acts 16:7 (ESV); Proverbs 14:8, 15 (ESV); Luke 14:28 (ESV); Proverbs 12:15 (ESV); Proverbs 15:22 (ESV); 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (ESV); 1 Corinthians 16:9 (ESV); 2 Corinthians 2:12–13 (ESV)

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  • IF GOD KNOWS AND SEES EVERYTHING, WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

    IF GOD KNOWS AND SEES EVERYTHING, WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

    IF GOD KNOWS AND SEES EVERYTHING, WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

    If God knows everything and is all-powerful, then when a prayer is answered, was it really answered—or did we simply pray for what was already God’s will? Put another way: if God already knows, why are we praying at all?

    Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer, and we pray it because He taught us to pray that way. Through prayer, God invites us into His story, His life, and His world.

    PRAYER IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO CHANGE GOD

    We often begin with the wrong idea of prayer. Prayer is not an attempt to change God or manipulate Him into doing what we want. It is not asking God to step onto our stage, where we are the main character and He plays a supporting role.

    Prayer invites us to step off our stage and enter God’s story, where He is the center. Prayer transforms us. It draws us from God, make this happen toward Father, not my will, but Your will be done.

    That is where peace begins to settle into our prayer life. We remember that God is good, powerful, wise, and loving. He wastes nothing. Even when His first answer and His final answer are not what we wanted, we can say, I trust You, God. That is not a flippant statement; many believers have learned it while walking through the darkest seasons of life.

    PRAYER IS WORSHIP AND ALIGNMENT

    Prayer is first and foremost worship. Jesus taught us to begin, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Prayer aligns our lives with God’s purposes: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

    Prayer is not merely submitting a wish list. Prayer is submitting myself to God. Yes, I have a prayer list, but the prayer beneath every request is, Father, not as I will, but as You will.

    JESUS PRAYED, ‘YOUR WILL BE DONE’

    Before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed in the garden, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Some Christians have told me that this is not a faith-filled prayer. But if Jesus prayed it, and Jesus is God and is perfect, then I am safe praying His prayer.

    Jesus honestly expressed His desire to be spared the suffering of the cross, yet He entrusted Himself to the Father’s will. There is tremendous peace, power, rest, and freedom when we stop wrestling with God and simply say, Not my will, but Your will be done.

    Prayer exposes the illusion that we are in control. We think we are in control, but that is a mirage. God is in control. Prayer is not our way of seizing control from Him; it is the place where we gladly surrender control to the One who knows, loves, and rules perfectly.

    Bible References: Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV); Matthew 26:36-44 (ESV)

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  • IS GOD OUR CONSCIENCE? HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN GOD IS SPEAKING?

    IS GOD OUR CONSCIENCE? HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN GOD IS SPEAKING?

    IS GOD OUR CONSCIENCE? HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN GOD IS SPEAKING?

    Is God our conscience? The short answer is no. God is not your conscience, although the Holy Spirit can use your conscience.

    Your conscience is like a GPS or a tuning fork. It is a God-given capacity for self-evaluation and moral awareness. The New Testament word is syneidēsis, and it describes the inner awareness by which we evaluate whether our actions agree with what we believe is right.

    YOUR CONSCIENCE RESPONDS TO YOUR VALUE SYSTEM

    Your conscience reacts positively or negatively to your value system. I hope that your value system is shaped by Scripture. When you believe what the Bible teaches but act against it, you experience guilt, anxiety, and inner conflict because your behavior contradicts your convictions.

    For example, a person may say that adultery is wrong while committing adultery. That contradiction creates what is often called cognitive dissonance. Eventually, the person must do one of two things: change the behavior to agree with the belief, or change the belief to justify the behavior.

    God can use the conscience to help us examine ourselves and bring our lives under Scripture, but not everyone has the same conscience. A conscience shaped by culture, habit, or personal preference will not necessarily give the same guidance as a conscience trained by the Word of God.

    THE CONSCIENCE CAN BE TRAINED—OR DAMAGED

    The conscience can be trained, but it can also be weakened, numbed, warped, or seared. A person can repeatedly push down the conscience until its warnings are barely heard. This is why the conscience by itself is not an infallible voice from God.

    For a follower of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to guide and shape the conscience. Our feelings must be tested by Scripture, because sincerity alone does not guarantee truth.

    HOW DO WE HEAR FROM GOD?

    The primary way to hear from God is not a psychic hotline, a tarot-card reader, or an attempt to consult the dead. Scripture explicitly warns us against those practices.

    The best way to recognize God’s voice is to read the Bible, learn the Bible, and allow the Bible to wash over your mind and heart. As you become familiar with God’s Word, you will increasingly understand His character, His commands, and His wisdom.

    Second, become part of a Bible-teaching church that values and faithfully teaches Scripture. Third, build relationships with mature, godly believers who can counsel you through difficult questions. God is not your conscience, but He can form your conscience through His Word, His Spirit, and the wise community of His people.

    Bible References: Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (ESV); Romans 2:15 (ESV); 1 Timothy 4:2 (ESV); 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

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