Aligning with God’s Will: Understanding Divine Preferences and Plans
Exodus 24-25; Matthew 15; Psalm 111
God has something in mind.
He has a plan.
There is a pattern.
How many things have we built over the years because they seemed like a good idea? We want to bless God, and we think we know best what moves His heart, only to find He wasn’t into it at all.
Our God has preferences. He tells us what He likes and what He doesn’t like. He tells us what is good and what isn’t, what is holy and what is profane. In some primal way, this is what distinguishes worship from sacrifice. It’s not about what we want to give; it’s about what He wants to receive.
1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.’
Who is asking, “Lord, what do you want?”
Who is inquiring?
So much of what isn’t working in the church has come at a great cost; it has come out of great sacrifice. We’ve given hours and hours of labor. We’ve put in all our money and energy. And then…
The Lord didn’t come. He didn’t bless the thing we built. He didn’t breathe on our good idea.
I can’t be the only one who can relate. This is our corporate story. This is the story of Moses stepping out in the flesh. He knew he was a deliverer. But first, God had to deliver him with 40 years on the backside of the wilderness from his good ideas.
God has a plan. God has a pattern.
Exodus 25:8-9 “8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.”
God dwelling with us is not our idea, but God’s idea. He wants to dwell with us, to tabernacle within us. But He won’t be housed in our framework. He will only inhabit the holy.
And only He is holy. Only His plans are holy.
Jesus, the greater Moses, the ultimate deliverer, teaches us this same way.
Matthew 6:9-10 “9 Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’
We don’t pray asking God to bless our ideas. I mean, we do, but this isn’t really the way. We pray seeking the Lord’s ideas, the Lord’s plans and purposes. We seek Him and His counsel. This is the key! This is when things begin to get exciting.
This prayer, this intentional connection, this, brings heaven to earth.
The church is dying because of her good ideas. Let’s repent, and learn to inquire. Surely our God will hear, and He will act.
Deepening Faith: Reflective Journal Prompts
- Reflecting on God’s Preferences: Consider a time when your plans didn’t align with God’s preferences. How did this experience teach you about the importance of seeking God’s will over your own desires?
- Learning from Mistakes in Faith: Think about a project or endeavor you undertook with good intentions, but without God’s endorsement. What did you learn from this experience, and how has it shaped your approach to spiritual initiatives?
- The Pattern of the Tabernacle: Reflect on the significance of God giving specific instructions for the Tabernacle in Exodus 25. How does this illustrate the importance of following God’s pattern in your life and worship?
- Prayer Aligned with God’s Will: Meditate on Jesus’ instruction on prayer in Matthew 6:9-10. How does this shape your understanding of prayer? Write a personal prayer that seeks alignment with God’s will, rather than your own.
- Seeking Divine Direction: Journal about the areas in your life where you need to seek God’s direction. What steps can you take to ensure you are not just pursuing good ideas, but God’s ideas? How can you apply the lesson of obedience over sacrifice in these areas?
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