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4th Will - Giving Thanks: The fourth will of God for you is that you,
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV) 1 Thess 5:18 There is an old Chinese proverb that says, "When you drink from
the stream remember the spring." From a spiritual perspective, the
spring is God. It is God who supplies all of our present
needs (Matt. 6:31-33; Acts 14:17; 1 Pet. 5:7) and as well as our future
needs (John 14:2). Do you thank Him for what He has done for you? Heb.
13:14-15 tells us that being thankful is a sacrifice of praise,
For here (on this earth) we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (NASB) Heb. 13:14-15. The amazing word in the verse is “sacrifice.” Sometimes
it is just very difficult to remember to stop and express my thanks -
to acknowledge someone else has met my need. How often do we believe
and even act like we accomplished great things for ourselves. Even when
we are serving God, we look for praise from others. When we do that we
are stealing praise that is due God. We forget that it is the Lord who
controls the events in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit Who uses what
we have done or said to minister to others. It is He Who deserves the
thanks. He is not the stream of water. He is not the spring - He is the
spring which feeds the stream.
5th Will- Submit to Government: In a democratic society we have an inherent
mistrust of authority. We have a permissive philosophy that looks for “freedom” in society.
In church many look for “freedom” in the pages of scripture. We want freedom from authority
and we thirst for control to prevent “unjust events” in our lives. The early Christians
had an unjust government called the Roman Empire. Yet, God commanded the early Christians to be obedient
- to submit. They were to pay their taxes (Matt. 22:17-22). Christians were persecuted and killed.
Yet, in 1 Peter 2:13-15 the Holy Spirit tells us to submit to all forms of government - every form
of human institution. This is the will of God for you - your submission. Why? Because He establishes
governments (Rom 13:1).
What's Next: By now you may be asking, "But how do I know God's will about personal decisions in my life?" Well, that is the next section - the unknown.
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