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How do I figure out God’s will for my future? That’s a question that many ask at important crossroads in life. Young people entering adulthood must decide about college, work, and marriage. Later in life, the question returns as empty-nesting and retirement approach. Between these seasons are countless choices regarding which we must discern the will of God.
A good place to begin is Deuteronomy 29:29:
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
This verse teaches that God’s will is both hidden and revealed—some parts He makes known; others remain secret. In discerning God’s will, we must respect that difference.
As Christians, we are called to discern God’s revealed will, which is plainly taught in the Bible. But it is not for us to pry into what He has not revealed. Those things simply do not belong to us; they belong to Him alone.
Many times when we want to discover God’s will, we burden ourselves with seeking specific answers pertaining to His secret will. We ask questions such as Whom should I marry? What job should I take? Where should I live? In asking these questions, we may want God to name names or drop pins on a map. But God doesn’t ordinarily answer with that kind of specificity.
This doesn’t mean that we are left without guidance. God has given us His Word. The Apostle Paul said that the Scriptures are able to make us “equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). This means that the Bible is sufficient to guide us into the will of God for every decision. It is our rule of life, and we don’t need to go beyond the Bible to be assured of His will.
For example, in marriage God doesn’t name the specific person we must marry, but He tells us the kind of person we must marry—marriage is between one man and one woman (Matt. 19:5), and Christians are to marry “in the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:39). God doesn’t specify the job we should take, but He tells us to steward our gifts (Matt. 25:14–30), provide for our families (1 Tim. 5:8), honor the Lord’s Day (Ex. 20:8), and work for His glory (Col. 3:23–24). The list could go on. Our responsibility is to apply God’s rules and principles to our choices, and then—within that framework—we are free to do as we please.
That’s really freeing and encouraging. God may not give you the precision you want, but He has given you all that you need to make God-honoring decisions. He doesn’t ask you to live by what is unrevealed, but He asks that you live in the light and assurance of what He has revealed in the Bible. His Word is enough. As the psalmist sings, it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105).