How to Discern God’s Will (Part 3)

When preparing for this final piece of this blog series, I thought the last section was obvious. How do we discern God’s will? Through his Word, of course. While that is true, that is not what the Lord wanted me to tell you today. In a way only God can do, he threw me a curve ball, and wants you to know this important truth.

We discern God’s will when we wait on him.

Waiting. It’s not my favorite pastime. I don’t like any of it. Waiting in traffic. Waiting to sell our house. Waiting when someone puts me on hold. What about you?

But in Isaiah 40:31, the Word says, “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

What does waiting mean to you?

A couple of hours?

A few days?

Or do you wait on God until he gives you his clear direction on an important decision?

I was recently asked to be on an advisory board for an organization where I already volunteer. My first reaction was “no” because I don’t want to overload myself. But I waited on God. No answer.

I waited some more. Nothing.

And before I knew it, a week has passed.

One day, I was sitting at a luncheon with a few of the principals of this organization, and God said. “See these women? I have placed you next to them for a reason. Thank you for waiting on me, now accept their invitation. I will use you there.”

If I hadn’t waited on God, I might have made the wrong choice, and would have missed the blessing of his revelation to me.

God uses waiting in our lives.

I think of poor Noah, who was called to build an ark because the Lord told him he would destroy the world by flood. How long did Noah wait before the rain poured down in bottomless buckets?

99 years.

Can you imagine waiting 99 years on God? Well, we know where we’d be at the end of those 99 years.

So why did God tarry carrying out this plan?

1 Peter 3:20 tells us God, out of his love for his people, was waiting patiently for mankind to repent so he could save more, but they never did turn from their sinful behavior. Instead, Noah probably endured endless teasing and finger pointing. But in the end, by waiting, Noah was one of the few who was not wiped out by the devastating flood.

God has a purpose in our waiting on him. He is working behind the scenes. He is putting things in place. He hears your prayer for discernment, and has not forgotten you. He will let you know when it’s in his timing, not yours.

Dear sisters and brothers, who are reading this blog, the Lord wants you to wait on him, when you don’t know which way to turn. He wants you to patiently give him whatever time it takes. Society is on hyper-speed. We expect results in a second, but God’s ways have not changed. Hosea 12:6 says to wait on God always.

If we don’t wait, we might miss out on God’s blessing.

Isaiah 64:4 says, “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait on him.”

Are you asking God for clear direction and have not heard from him? Pull up a chair. He wants you to wait a little longer. Because in the end, he will bless your wait, and his answer will come to you via supernatural delivery.