“Mystery of His Will”
- Nov 21, 2025
- 6 min read
In our hearts desire to ‘Know God Better’ and walk in close relationship with Him, without doubt one of the most sought after answers in our life must be, “What is the will of God for my life?”
John Stott says, “It is folly to resist God’s will. It is wisdom to discern it, to desire it and to do it.”
The will of God is not a programme; it’s a relationship. It’s not what you do, it’s what you are and seeking to become in full acceptance that God knows best!
Garry Friesen says, “God’s individual will is that ideal, detailed life-plan which God has uniquely designed for each believer. This life-plan encompasses every decision we make and is the basis of God’s daily guidance. This guidance is given through the indwelling Holy Spirit who progressively reveals God’s life-plan to the heart of the individual…”
His Revealed Will
The revealed will of God (mainly) is His written Word. God’s Word is unchanging. It’s a story of human events, law, proverbs, prophecy, psalms, gospels, epistles, and eschatology. In it, God has revealed His past, present, and future dealings with mankind in ways always consistent with His unchanging character.
As God’s truth is unchanging, it is directly applicable to every generation and culture of both believers and unbelievers. In order for us to know God better and His revealed will for our lives, we simply need to carefully, humbly and regularly study God’s Word, to see where it speaks specifically into our lives regarding our actions, motives, and desires.
Paul describes the will of God in verse 8 like this: “With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment.”
Romans 12:2 says we are to present our body, a living sacrifice, as the “good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.” In other words, it is God’s will for every believer to be presenting our lives to Him, daily!
John Piper once said: “If God’s sovereignty and my accountability seem logically impossible, I submit my limited mind to the Bible.”
There’s nothing that can be the will of God that’s contrary to the Word of God. Father God, who is leading you now, is the God who inspired the Bible, and He is not contradictory in His commandments. It’s His revealed will for you!!
His Sovereign Will
The Westminster Confession puts it like this: “He ordains whatsoever comes to pass.”
God is sovereign!
In a nutshell, God is sovereign, in that He is absolutely free to do as He pleases and to demonstrate His absolute control over the actions of all His creatures. Or, to put it another way, He permits, for reasons known only to Himself, people to act contrary to His revealed will, but He never allows them to act against His sovereign will.
Proverbs 19:21- “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”; Job 42:2 - “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted”;
Psalm 115:32 - “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.”
There are parts of His sovereign will that God never has or will reveal to us. These things are not for us to know, and truthfully, because of the greatness and complexity of God, we could not understand them even if He told us!
His sovereignty is His wisdom, power, justice and righteousness all brought together as one. The Lord’s purpose is always right and good even if it doesn’t look that way from our perspective.
We can’t always understand why He allows illness, trouble, or heartache, but we can know that He is a loving and trustworthy Father God through them!
William Cowper’s hymn says -
God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform
He plants HIs footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm…
Deep in unsearchable mines, Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs, and works HIs sovereign will
Ephesians 1:11 is the most sweeping statement to the sovereign will of God. It says, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”
Trusting God involves surrendering our entire life and future to Him!
John Piper said, “The risen, reigning, King of kings and Lord of Lords reigns. Nothing is outside his sovereign will. If he meets with resistance, he either allows it for his purposes, or he overcomes it for his purposes. His sovereign purposes are never thwarted.”
Take a look back over your life. Just realise how God’s powerful life-giving words have redirected you, liberated and empowered you!
His Permissive Will
Perhaps it is with God’s permissive will that we have the most struggle with. In this we find all those things which God neither purposes nor desires, but which He allows us in our freedom to bring about. It’s not decreed or purposed by Him, but is permitted.
The Lord permits His people to exercise their free wills and do those things contrary to His will. Either He is in control, or you are in control.
When we operate outside of God’s will or perfect plan for our lives, we are operating in His permissive will. He will permit you to choose, to make wrong choices, and He will permit you to suffer the consequences, and it will have an effect on you and others!
Your will be done! It’s not easy to pray these words because it means giving up control of your own life. When we ask that God’s will be done, we are implicitly asking that our wills be overturned!
It’s not easy to say when you’re standing beside the hospital bed of someone you love.
You can say “Your will be done” in at least 3 different ways.
You can say it in resentment: “Your will be done, but I don’t like it.”
You can say it in resignation: “Your will be done, because I can’t help it.”
Or you can say it in anticipation: “Your will be done, because I know it is the best, and that’s what I want for my life today!”
But you aren’t really in control anyway. It only seems that way!
Bob Pierce is the founder World Vision, a Christian relief organisation that has helped millions of people around the world. When asked the secret of his life, he said that in his early years as a Christian he prayed this, “O God, I give you the right to change my agenda any time you like and you don’t have to inform me in advance. Amen.”
That’s the kind of prayer God can answer, because it’s based on the truth that God is God and He has the absolute right to do whatever He wants.
As Christians, we are called to a life of faith, of knowing and following God’s will, whatever the cost! But we have all been in that situation where we put our own stance, status and (so called) security before obedience to His call.
Listen to David Livingstone, when he said, “I’d rather be in the heart of Africa in the will of God than on the throne of England out of His will.”
Maybe today you’re in a situation where you are struggling with God and His sovereign call over your life and you will not surrender your agenda to His control.
Please just recognise God’s will for your life and resolve in your heart that you will do it.
Why not pray the following prayer
Lord, I’m here today with open hands and an open heart, ready to depend on you to help me through the day and all it will bring my way... Help me come to you for guidance, strength, provision and protection. As I face tough choices and hard situations, help me remember my belovedness, help me remember that I am Your child and Your representative to the world around me. Help me live today in a way that brings honour to Your holy name.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Charles Stanley
I have found myself with different feelings. Looking forward to having a better understanding to the question what is God’s will for my life spiritually, and that has been having a heart for the Lord, putting the Lord at the centre of my life, having a close relationship with Him, living out His commandment to love Him with all my heart, soul and mind. Then there is that question what is the Lord’s will for my earthly life, work, family, relationships and the decisions to take. Proverbs 19:21 has been one verse I return to frequently, and that God will do what He chooses. I know with absolute assurance that the Lord’s ways are best, good and perfect and r…