Knowing God's will Part 1 by Aije Barnes, July 2 Issue 1 Vol 4

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16-18‬ NKJV). 

 

I shall share on the three points in the verse above, separately over three ministrations so as not to make one message too long. 

 

Have you ever wondered what God's will is for you? The answer is in the opening verse!

 

Let us look at the first one. 

 

Rejoice Always

 

To rejoice means to be happy, glad, celebrate, be overjoyed, enjoy, or delight in something, to mention a few. Basically, God's will is for you to happy and enjoy the life He has given you.  Not sometimes, but always. 

 

Jesus says in the verse below:

 

'The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ NKJV)'. He was talking about you. 

 

The Lord knows that we have the tendency not to always feel like being happy because of what life might, or rather, is likely to throw at us. That is why he reminds us to always rejoice.  It is a command.  

 

God never commands us to do things that are second nature to us like breath in and breath out to stay alive, or place your food in your mouth and not your ears or open your eyes to see where you are going,  We do this anyway. Even a new born baby instinctively does two of the above without being taught by its parents or going to school! 

 

We also worry a lot; that why Jesus commanded us so many times in scripture 'don't worry', ' don't be anxious' , 'cast your cares on him'.., He knew that we are more likely to worry or be anxious than not. That is why he commanded us not to be. 

 

For you to be happy, there must first be something to be happy about. 

 

How about we start with God's love for us? This is something we could never earn and certainly something we don't deserve. 

 

The bible says:

 

'But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ NKJV)'.

 

And...

 

'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ NKJV)'.

 

And...

 

'But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ NKJV)'.

And finally but not last of all (because there is a lot more in the scriptures) -

 

' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭16-17‬ NKJV).

 

You will note from the sequence of scriptures I have shared above, it gets better and better. If you mediate on what it all truly means, you will always be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory!

 

If you love God back and continue to believe in him, no matter what life throws at you, you will alway be joyful. 

 

Mediate on all of this and search the scriptures for more. You cannot enjoy what you don't know you have. Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Jesus is the truth and He will set you free when you get to know him.  I shall close with a last verse of scripture for you:

 

'Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ KJV)'.

 

Shalom x