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We had already seen here how walking with the Lord was key to demonstrate our continued relationship with God.
[Eph 5:15] starts with admonition to walk as wise and not as unwise.
[Deu 32:6] indicates that we have forgotten who our Father is and what He has done for us, which has made us foolish and unwise. This means that other things have taken the place of God (idols) or we are bogged by the world and theflesh that we are blinded to the work of God in our lives.
Making the most of our time [Eph 5:16] as the days are evil is to ensure -
- we are cheerful and our heart is cheerful with continual feast [Pro 15:15]
- we fear the Lord and turn away from evil [Pro3:7]
- follow our calling and discern God's Will for us and not be sluggard, observing the ant and be wise [Pro 6:6]
- keep hearing and learning from other wise men [Pro 9:9]
- turning away from the evil and the follies [Pro 14:24]
- need to labor and rejoice in it as its a gift of God [Ecc 5:19]
- our time flies as God will keep us occupied with the gladness of our heart [Ecc 5:20]
- being productive in our toil in the morning and tending in the afternoon as profit may come from either of the activity [Ecc11:6]
Understanding the Will of the Lord [Eph 5:17] is probably the most confusing thing when I first started as a believer. The more I have read various verses around this, I have reconciled it as follows. There are two major modes in the Will of God: macro and micro
- Macro: which is the plan of God that has been set in motion before the foundations of the earth in His omniprescient self. Its long range for our lives and for this earth. Its always hidden. We come to know about it after it passes or much later after its executed, unless revealed by prophesy.
- Micro: this is the daily, day to day view of what is God's will for us, which is explicit and made known to us from His Word. Ofcourse, the micro is needed for us to fit into the macro. That is the only way we can understand the macro workings of God's Plan or Will.
[Rom 12:1-2] emphasizes that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God so that we may discern the will of God, by the renewal of our mind.
Examples of Macro
This Soverign Will of God is shown in [Pro 16:33] and [Matt 10:29] when every small detail in the world acts according to God's will.
All of Jesus' reference to will of the Father be done in [Mat 6:10], [Mat 7:21], [Jhn 6:38].
Examples of Micro
[1Th4:3] calls for us to abstain from sexual immorality as that is the will of God. [Jhn 9:31] tells that if we are God-fearing and does His Will, He will hear us, referring to our prayer and cries. This then means that we do the Will of God, by keeping His laws, command and the morality He has give us. This comes from what Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the Laws of Moses (10 commandments)
Hence knowing the will of God, is to follow the truth and the laws, commands given by God (moral) and other through prayer and living out morally, to discern the Soverign Will of God, as things come to pass or doors open or close to indicate God's soverign will for us.
We do this by enduring in our faith [Heb10:36], fighting the desires of flesh [Eph 2:3], prayer to be filled with spiritual wisdom and understanding [Col 1:9], being obedient to our perfect master in Jesus [Luk 12:47].
Application
- Stay on the task by looking to protect any open idle times
- Look at the day the previous evening, where I can break away for prayer in the middle of the day
- Eliminate unproductive work items and use discernment to ensure focus is only on things that are productive for my employers
- Treat the time, resources and work as a blessing from God, so there is no demeaning or feeling a sense of false greatness or boasting
- serve my employers well as both our Master is in Heaven
- have meaningful books or Bible on me if I get stuck with a window of time in a waiting mode
- dont give way to social media - including web browsing or mindless searches
- in case of not having a book or Bible near by, meditate on the word that I might have read recently
- be in earnest prayer for God to show His Will on what needs to be done for His kingdom, so my work is subject to His command
- dont try to figure out the sovergin will of God, focus on following, keeping the commands by walking with the Lord, so as to gradually see God's will for us.