Experiencing God
Day 3: God Takes The Initiative
Day 3: God Takes the Initiative
God’s revelation of His activity is an invitation for you to join Him.
Throughout Scripture God takes the initiative. When He comes to a person, He reveals Himself and His activity. That revelation is always an invitation for individuals to adjust their lives to God. None of the people God encountered could remain the same afterward. They had to make major adjustments in their lives to walk obediently with Him.
God is the Sovereign Lord. Strive to keep your life God-centered because He is the One who sets the agenda. He is always the One who takes the initiative to accomplish what He wants to do. When you are God-centered, even the desires to do the things that please Him come from God’s activity in your life (see Phil. 2:13).
Philippians 2:13
“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
What often happens when we see God at work? We immediately become self-centered rather than God-centered. We must reorient our lives to God. We should learn to see things from His perspective. We need to allow Him to develop His character in us. We must let Him reveal His thoughts to us. Only then can we gain a proper perspective on life.
God’s revelation of His activity is an invitation for you to join Him. If you keep your life God-centered, you will immediately join His activity. When you see God at work around you, your heart will leap within you and say, “Thank You, Father, for letting me be involved where You are.” When you are in the middle of God’s activity and He lets you see where He is working, you know God wants you to join Him.
Answer the following questions by highlighting your responses.
a. Who takes the initiative in your knowing and doing God’s will?
❒ (1) I do. God waits for me to decide what I want to do and then helps
me accomplish it.
❒ (2) God does. He invites me to join Him in what He is about to do.
b. Which of the following are ways God may reveal His plan or purpose to you? Choose all that apply.
❒ (1) He lets me see where He is already working around me.
❒ (2) He speaks to me through Scripture and impresses on me a practical
application of the truth to my life.
❒ (3) He gives me an earnest desire that grows stronger as I pray.
❒ (4) He creates circumstances around me that open a door of opportunity.
God always takes the initiative (a–2). He does not wait to see what we want to do for Him. After He has taken the initiative to come to us, He waits until we respond to Him by adjusting ourselves to Him and making ourselves available to Him. In question b, all four are ways God may reveal His plan or purpose to you. There are others as well. The last two (3 and 4), however, must be carefully watched. A self-centered life tends to confuse its selfish desire with God’s will. In addition, circumstances do not always indicate a clear direction for God’s leadership. Open and closed doors do not always indicate God’s guidance. Check to see that prayer, the Scriptures, and circumstances agree on the direction you sense God leading you.
Learning to Walk with God
You may be thinking, That all sounds good, but I need practical help in learning how to apply these concepts. In every situation God demands that you depend on Him rather than a method. The key is not a method but a relationship with God. Let me illustrate by telling you about someone who learned to walk with God by prayer and faith.
George Müller, a minister in England during the 19th century, was concerned that God’s people had become discouraged. They no longer looked for God to do anything unusual in their midst. They were not trusting God to answer their prayers. They had little faith.
God led Müller to pray. Müller’s prayers were for God to lead him to a work people could explain only as an act of God. Müller wanted people to learn that God was a faithful, prayer-answering God. He discovered Psalm 81:10, which you read in yesterday’s lesson: “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” God led him in a walk of faith that became an outstanding testimony of faith to all who hear his story.
When Müller felt led by God to minister, he prayed for the needed resources and told no one else. He wanted everyone to know that God had provided for the need in answer to prayer and faith. During his ministry in Bristol, Müller started the Scriptural Knowledge Institute for the distribution of Scripture and for religious education. He also began an orphanage. By the time of Müller’s death, God had used him to build four orphan houses that cared for 2,000 children at a time. The orphanages had provided for more than 10,000 children. He had distributed more than eight million dollars that had been given to him in answer to prayer. Yet when he died at 93, his own worldly possessions were valued at eight hundred dollars. 1
How did Müller know and do God’s will?
Read the following statement by George Müller and list things he
did that helped him know what to do. Then list things that led him to make mistakes in knowing God’s will.
I never remember … a period … that I ever sincerely and patiently sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have been always directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes. 2
a. What helped George Müller know God’s will?
________________________________________________________________________
b. What led to mistakes in knowing God’s will?
________________________________________________________________________
Müller mentioned these things that helped him:
• He sincerely sought God’s direction.
• He patiently waited on God until he had a word from Him.
• He looked to the Holy Spirit to teach him through the Word.
The following things led to mistakes.
• Lacking honesty of heart
• Lacking uprightness before God
• Impatience to wait for God
• Preferring the counsel of men over the declarations of Scripture
Here is how Müller summed up the way he entered a heart relationship with God and learned to discern His voice:
1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
3. I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
6. Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. 3
Check the correct answer for each of the following questions.
a. How did Müller begin his search for God’s will?
❒ (1) He tried to determine what he wanted to do for God.
❒ (2) He made sure he had no will of his own.
❒ (3) He tried to get to the place he wanted only God’s will.
❒ (4) Both 2 and 3
b. What did Müller say leads to possible delusions or false directions?
❒ (1) Basing a decision on feelings alone
❒ (2) Following the slightest impressions
❒ (3) Looking to the Spirit alone for direction
❒ (4) All of the above
c. In which of the following pairs of things did Müller look for agreement?
❒ (1) His desires and circumstances
❒ (2) The Spirit and the Word
❒ (3) The counsel of others and his desires
❒ (4) Circumstances and a sense of peace
d. What was the final test by which Müller came to understand God’s will?
❒ (1) He identified whether the door was open or closed.
❒ (2) He submitted his decision to his local minister.
❒ (3) He went with his best guess and hoped it worked.
❒ (4) He used prayer, Bible study, and reflection to find lasting peace about a proposed direction.
#3 answers: a–4, b–4, c–2, d–4
I hope Müller’s example has helped. Don’t get discouraged if the way to know God’s will still seems vague. We have much more time to study together.
Practice quoting aloud your Scripture-memory verses or write them on separate paper.
SUMMARY STATEMENTS
God’s revelation of His activity is an invitation for you to join Him.
“I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter.”
“I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression.”
“I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God.”
Review today’s lesson. Pray and ask God to identify one or more statements or Scriptures He wants you to understand, learn, or practice. Highlight them. Then respond to the following.
What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture you read today?
Reword the statement or Scripture into a prayer of response to God.
What does God want you to do in response to today’s study?
God’s revelation of His activity is an invitation for you to join Him.
Throughout Scripture God takes the initiative. When He comes to a person, He reveals Himself and His activity. That revelation is always an invitation for individuals to adjust their lives to God. None of the people God encountered could remain the same afterward. They had to make major adjustments in their lives to walk obediently with Him.
God is the Sovereign Lord. Strive to keep your life God-centered because He is the One who sets the agenda. He is always the One who takes the initiative to accomplish what He wants to do. When you are God-centered, even the desires to do the things that please Him come from God’s activity in your life (see Phil. 2:13).
Philippians 2:13
“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
What often happens when we see God at work? We immediately become self-centered rather than God-centered. We must reorient our lives to God. We should learn to see things from His perspective. We need to allow Him to develop His character in us. We must let Him reveal His thoughts to us. Only then can we gain a proper perspective on life.
God’s revelation of His activity is an invitation for you to join Him. If you keep your life God-centered, you will immediately join His activity. When you see God at work around you, your heart will leap within you and say, “Thank You, Father, for letting me be involved where You are.” When you are in the middle of God’s activity and He lets you see where He is working, you know God wants you to join Him.
Answer the following questions by highlighting your responses.
a. Who takes the initiative in your knowing and doing God’s will?
❒ (1) I do. God waits for me to decide what I want to do and then helps
me accomplish it.
❒ (2) God does. He invites me to join Him in what He is about to do.
b. Which of the following are ways God may reveal His plan or purpose to you? Choose all that apply.
❒ (1) He lets me see where He is already working around me.
❒ (2) He speaks to me through Scripture and impresses on me a practical
application of the truth to my life.
❒ (3) He gives me an earnest desire that grows stronger as I pray.
❒ (4) He creates circumstances around me that open a door of opportunity.
God always takes the initiative (a–2). He does not wait to see what we want to do for Him. After He has taken the initiative to come to us, He waits until we respond to Him by adjusting ourselves to Him and making ourselves available to Him. In question b, all four are ways God may reveal His plan or purpose to you. There are others as well. The last two (3 and 4), however, must be carefully watched. A self-centered life tends to confuse its selfish desire with God’s will. In addition, circumstances do not always indicate a clear direction for God’s leadership. Open and closed doors do not always indicate God’s guidance. Check to see that prayer, the Scriptures, and circumstances agree on the direction you sense God leading you.
Learning to Walk with God
You may be thinking, That all sounds good, but I need practical help in learning how to apply these concepts. In every situation God demands that you depend on Him rather than a method. The key is not a method but a relationship with God. Let me illustrate by telling you about someone who learned to walk with God by prayer and faith.
George Müller, a minister in England during the 19th century, was concerned that God’s people had become discouraged. They no longer looked for God to do anything unusual in their midst. They were not trusting God to answer their prayers. They had little faith.
God led Müller to pray. Müller’s prayers were for God to lead him to a work people could explain only as an act of God. Müller wanted people to learn that God was a faithful, prayer-answering God. He discovered Psalm 81:10, which you read in yesterday’s lesson: “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” God led him in a walk of faith that became an outstanding testimony of faith to all who hear his story.
When Müller felt led by God to minister, he prayed for the needed resources and told no one else. He wanted everyone to know that God had provided for the need in answer to prayer and faith. During his ministry in Bristol, Müller started the Scriptural Knowledge Institute for the distribution of Scripture and for religious education. He also began an orphanage. By the time of Müller’s death, God had used him to build four orphan houses that cared for 2,000 children at a time. The orphanages had provided for more than 10,000 children. He had distributed more than eight million dollars that had been given to him in answer to prayer. Yet when he died at 93, his own worldly possessions were valued at eight hundred dollars. 1
How did Müller know and do God’s will?
Read the following statement by George Müller and list things he
did that helped him know what to do. Then list things that led him to make mistakes in knowing God’s will.
I never remember … a period … that I ever sincerely and patiently sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have been always directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes. 2
a. What helped George Müller know God’s will?
________________________________________________________________________
b. What led to mistakes in knowing God’s will?
________________________________________________________________________
Müller mentioned these things that helped him:
• He sincerely sought God’s direction.
• He patiently waited on God until he had a word from Him.
• He looked to the Holy Spirit to teach him through the Word.
The following things led to mistakes.
• Lacking honesty of heart
• Lacking uprightness before God
• Impatience to wait for God
• Preferring the counsel of men over the declarations of Scripture
Here is how Müller summed up the way he entered a heart relationship with God and learned to discern His voice:
1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
3. I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
6. Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. 3
Check the correct answer for each of the following questions.
a. How did Müller begin his search for God’s will?
❒ (1) He tried to determine what he wanted to do for God.
❒ (2) He made sure he had no will of his own.
❒ (3) He tried to get to the place he wanted only God’s will.
❒ (4) Both 2 and 3
b. What did Müller say leads to possible delusions or false directions?
❒ (1) Basing a decision on feelings alone
❒ (2) Following the slightest impressions
❒ (3) Looking to the Spirit alone for direction
❒ (4) All of the above
c. In which of the following pairs of things did Müller look for agreement?
❒ (1) His desires and circumstances
❒ (2) The Spirit and the Word
❒ (3) The counsel of others and his desires
❒ (4) Circumstances and a sense of peace
d. What was the final test by which Müller came to understand God’s will?
❒ (1) He identified whether the door was open or closed.
❒ (2) He submitted his decision to his local minister.
❒ (3) He went with his best guess and hoped it worked.
❒ (4) He used prayer, Bible study, and reflection to find lasting peace about a proposed direction.
#3 answers: a–4, b–4, c–2, d–4
I hope Müller’s example has helped. Don’t get discouraged if the way to know God’s will still seems vague. We have much more time to study together.
Practice quoting aloud your Scripture-memory verses or write them on separate paper.
SUMMARY STATEMENTS
God’s revelation of His activity is an invitation for you to join Him.
“I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter.”
“I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression.”
“I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God.”
Review today’s lesson. Pray and ask God to identify one or more statements or Scriptures He wants you to understand, learn, or practice. Highlight them. Then respond to the following.
What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture you read today?
Reword the statement or Scripture into a prayer of response to God.
What does God want you to do in response to today’s study?