Direction from God’s Word

Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.
—Romans 8:29

What does the Bible do for us when it comes to discovering God’s will for our life? Today we will see three things the Bible can do for us when we are searching for direction in life.

First, the Bible confirms God’s sovereignty. The term sovereignty simply means God is in charge. When we read the Bible, we are reminded that even when we don’t understand, God has a plan that He is working out. I remember years ago, driving through the back roads of West Texas on the way to see my mother, who was on her deathbed. I was silently asking, Why would God take my mom, only fifty-four years of age, an effective Bible teacher and witness for Christ in the school where she taught? Countless teenagers came to the Lord through her ministry. Why would God take her like this? As I was asking those questions, I turned on the radio and heard a pastor reading Romans 11:33, which says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” In that instant, God gave me exactly the word I needed. His Word grabbed hold of me and said, I have a plan I am working out, even though in the darkness you can’t understand what My plan is. That’s what God’s Word will do for you. It reminds you God is in control of everything.

Second, God’s Word is valuable because it convicts us of sin. I can’t tell you the number of times after a sermon that somebody has come up to me and said, “Who told you? You tailor-made that message just for me.” Well, I didn’t know about that person’s situation, but God knew about it. And He was able to use His Word to penetrate his or her heart. Hebrews 4:12 says God’s Word is “sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s Word cuts through all the malarkey and gets to the heart of the matter.

Third, God’s Word communicates His purpose for our lives. Did you know God’s will for your life has already been written in Scripture? It’s found in Romans 8:29. It says about you, “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” This verse is saying God so loved His Son, Jesus, that He decided He wanted to have many sons and daughters just like His firstborn. And if you are a Christian, that’s why God saved you. He saved you not just so that you could escape hell; He saved you so that He could begin molding you, shaping you, conforming you to become just like His Son, Jesus. God wants you to love the same things Jesus loved. To think about the same things Jesus thought about. To behave in every situation just like Jesus behaved. That is God’s will for your life: that you become a replica, an image of Jesus Christ in your thoughts, your attitudes, and your affections. And He is in the process of doing that in your life right now. He’s trying to chip away those habits, those attitudes, and those priorities that are unlike Jesus. Sometimes it is a painful operation. Contrary to what you may have heard, God’s will is not for everything to be easy in your life. In fact, God uses the hard things in your life to make you like His perfect Son. That is God’s purpose for your life and for my life.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “The Bible Tells Me So?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.