Thursday, February 10, 2011

Summary of thoughts- Discerning the Will of God

These past blogs have been centered around a universal and timeless question. Can I understand, discern, the will of God? I tried to bring to light my understanding of the question. Can we, human beings, understand in clarity, the desires and purposes that God has for us. The study and writing has been a real blessing to me and my own understanding has grown. My opinion is yes, we can have a clear understanding of God's plan and even an understanding of how he communicates with us.

The most amazing truth that was reinforced over and over was that God would even choose to communicate with mankind. The always ever present Great I AM, Creator, Sovereign, Source, Governor and Sustainer of all, made the choice to reveal Himself to man. This revealing was done in many ways over a long period of time. What has remained a mystery to me is the choice of speaking. What was his voice like? What language did he speak in? Why should he choose to speak in our language? I believe He spoke as God and the miracle is not in his ability to speak our language, it is in our ability to understand GOD.

My heart and spirit is encouraged in the evidence all around, God is real, He is personal, He is involved in the affairs of mankind, He is and will be ever present. Our God is not some distant being who cannot be touched, loved, known, sensed and experienced. The host of heaven and the voices of millions of martyrs testify to the Ever Present One. So many would have us believe that God is not an ever present reality. And that should he exist, he has no interest in the experiences of mankind. For, if he did, he would have brought evil and pain to an end long ago.

God is free to communicate his desires and plans to us in any manner. In the Old Testament there is ample evidence that He spoke in a clear voice to Adam, Cain, Noah, Abram and others. He spoke in dreams to such as Joseph and Daniel. Many of the prophets had clear visions of God, and given by God. Moses had close and real encounters with God as the Lord himself. God gave the gift of the Holy Spirit's indwelling to certain people for very specific tasks.

In these last days God has spoken to us through His Son, whom is the heir of all. Christ is the physical character of the Trinity. In Him we find a fully complete display of the mind and heart of God. In the New Testament Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling presence of God came to all believers on the day of Pentecost. It is the plan and desire of God that all who believe and follow Jesus Christ will themselves have His very presence living within. There isn't a reason for any person to doubt their acceptance into the fellowship of God, through Jesus Christ His Son.

Today the most common method that God uses to communicate is through His word, the Bible and the ministry of the Holy Spirit bringing light to our lives. He may still use dreams and visions as he chooses. Many have asked about the audible voice of God. Does He still speak like he did to Adam and Moses, Paul and John?  I have never heard the audible voice of God, yet I believe that He is only limited by the limitations I place on Him.

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