The Father loved the Son and showed Him everything He was doing. Jesus did not have to guess what to do. He did not have to dream up what He could do for the Father. He watched to see what the Father was doing around Him and Jesus put His life there. The Father could then accomplish His purposes through the life of our Lord.
This is what Jesus wants to do with His Lordship in our lives. We see what He is doing in the midst of our circumstance and adjust our lives, our plans, and our goals to what He is doing. To be in position to do this, however, we must completely place our lives at His disposal.
This is the kind of single-minded surrender we must give to the Lord daily if we are going to be in a position to recognize what He is doing through the circumstances of our life.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Note what Paul tells us will characterize the single-minded surrender necessary to enable us to "test and approve what God’s will is."
A. Keep the cross before you -
“I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy"
This is the basis of all single-minded surrender. When I think that Jesus suffered like He did at Calvary for MY sin, that makes me think twice about giving into temptation. It motivates me when it comes to dealing with sin in my life. It moves me to want to give myself wholly to Him out of a heart of love for how He gave Himself for me!
"Were the whole realm of nature mine that were a present far too small: Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all!"
- Isaac Watts
B. Focus on God above you -
"offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship"
The reason we call it a "worship service" is that worship and service go together. True worship always motivates for service and true service always creates a desire for worship.
C. Resist the world around you -
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world"
On the Today Show program, reporter Ann Curry informed viewers about how the Japanese were growing watermelons in square containers so they would better fit into refrigerators.
The world wants to squeeze you into it’s mold. But God has more in mind for you than that - He made you to be a unique individual, and you will never “find yourself” outside the context of His will! The world works to “conform” you with pressure from without; but God seeks to “transform” you through His presence within.
D. Let Christ be formed within you -
"but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’’’
In Galatians 4:19, Paul told these believers how he longed to see Christ formed in them. He wanted them to think as God would have them to so they might live as God wanted them to (Proverbs 23:7).
These are the characteristics of a single-mindedly surrendered life; and single-minded surrender is a prerequisite to my being in a position to discern God’s will for my life!
All this having been said, how do I evaluate my circumstances in seeking to know and do the will of God for my life? Well, in considering what God might be saying to me through my circumstances, I need to keep two things in mind:
1. Evaluate your circumstances from God’s perspective.
Consider the circumstances that Job found himself in. He did not know what was happening when everything he owned was destroyed, when his children were killed, and when he developed sores all over his body. Job wrestled with understanding what God was trying to say to him through his circumstances. The entire book of Job is about Job being brought to see life from God’s perspective.
Job’s wife thought she had the right perspective on the situation. She thought that Job’s God was weak and had simply let Job down. Job’s God was not worthy of devotion. That’s why she told Job to "Curse God and die," (Job 2:9).
Job’s friends thought they had the right perspective on his situation. They told Job that he was obviously guilty of some sin for which he was being punished. That was the only reason they could conceive of why Job was suffering as he was. Up until this time in his life, Job thought the same way they did.
But Job didn’t content himself with the perspective of men. He sought to understand God’s perspective.
Consequently, Job learned that God had purposes for his life that transcended Job’s perspective - that God wanted to work through Job’s life to bring glory to Himself, to provide a testimony to others, to bring Job to a deeper sense of dependence on God, and to lead Job into a deeper relationship with Him.
Having gained God’s perspective on his circumstances, Job adjusted his life to God (Read Job 42:1-6).
To understand your circumstances, God’s perspective is vital. When you face difficult or confusing circumstances, they can overwhelm you. If you put yourself in the middle of your circumstance and try to look at God, your understanding will be distorted.
You might have the perspective of Job’s wife or his friends, whose perspective on Job’s situation was definitely incorrect. Instead, like Job, you need to seek, through prayer and searching for the wisdom of God as revealed through His Word, to gain God’s perspective on your circumstance.
(Corrie Ten Boom Story)
In our World War II prison camp, Betsie and I had to go on roll call very early in the bitterly cold morning. Once, while we were on roll call, a cruel guard kept us standing for a long, long time. Suddenly, a skylark began to sing in the sky, and all the prisoners looked up to listen to that bird’s song. As I looked at the bird I saw the sky, I thought of Psalms 103:11 -"For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him," - Psalms 103:11 (KJV). God sent that skylark daily for three weeks, exactly during roll call, to turn our eyes away from the cruelty of men to the ocean of His love.
God has a right to interrupt my life! He is Lord! When I accepted Him as Lord, I gave Him permission to help Himself to my life anytime He wants, and He will!
That’s why we need to be single-minded in our surrender to God. It is only then, that when we go through the various circumstances that our Lord sovereignly allows to come into our lives, that we will be able to discern His perspective and have His guidance.
2. Evaluate your circumstances in light of God’s past dealings.
(Read Joshua 4:1-7)
These stones were to be a reminder of a mighty act of God in behalf of His people.
On many other occasions men built altars or set up stones as a reminder of a significant encounter with God (Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel). They provided an opportunity to teach their children about the ability of God to work on behalf of His people. But the important point that we want to make is not just about teaching children the ways of God, that God works in sequence! What God did in the past was done with a kingdom purpose in mind. What He is doing in the present is in sequence with what He has done in the past and with the same kingdom purpose in mind. What He is doing in the present is in sequence with the future.
When God called Abraham (Gen. 12), He began to develop a people for Himself. When He came to Isaac, Isaac saw God’s perspective as God reminded Isaac of His relationship with Isaac’s father Abraham (Gen. 26:24). To Jacob God identified Himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 28:13). When God came to Moses, He helped Moses see what He was doing through history when He said He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:6-10). At each new step in His divine plan, God involved a person. Often in the call, God rehearsed His activity so the individual could see God’s perspective on what was happening.
This principle applies to generations, to congregations, to families, and to individuals. You see, when God gets ready for me to take a new step or direction in my walk with Him, it will always be in sequence with what He already has been doing in my life! God does not go off on tangents or take meaningless detours. He builds our character in an orderly fashion, with a divine purpose in mind.
A spiritual marker identifies a time of transition, decision, or direction when I clearly know that God has guided me. When I face a decision about God’s direction, therefore, I need to recall the spiritual markers in my life. This helps me see God’s perspective on my past and present. Then I can look at the options that are before me. I look to see which one seems to be most consistent with what God has been doing in my life. Then I continue to pray and wait on the Lord. Assuming that an option does not contradict the Word of God, through prayer, God will minister His peace to my heart concerning which option is consistent with the work He has been doing in my life up until this time of decision.
Conclusion:
Every opportunity I have had to serve the Lord is one God has been preparing me for my entire life.
What is God preparing you for through the circumstances you are facing today? What has God prepared for that He wants you do today?
