One of the most common challenges we face as Christians is uncertainty when trying to determine God’s will for our lives. I know I have heard many people express their struggles or anxieties as they wait to hear from God about what He wants them to do with their lives. I have had the same frustrations myself. We want to serve and please Him, and we fear choosing the wrong path.
The point we often forget is that God has already laid out His exact will for our lives in the Bible.
Psalm 117 says,
“Praise the Lord, all nations;
Sing His praises, all peoples!
For His mercy toward us is great,
And the truth of the Lord is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!”
These verses give us a command. We are told to praise the Lord. In fact, we are told to praise the Lord three times in this short section of scripture. The repetition shows us what an integral part praise should play in our lives. Beyond the command, we are graciously given a reason to praise Him. His mercy is great and His truth is everlasting. These truths alone should be enough to spur us into a life full of praise and thankfulness to our Heavenly Father. We know through this scripture that we can rest in the fact that when we fail, He is there to forgive us and heal us. We can live with the assurance that His character and values will never shift and change. He is constant. Truth is constant. We have an everlasting God that loves us with an everlasting love. What response could we have but praise Him?
This is the Lord’s will for our lives! To praise God in everything we do. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus“.
Regardless of our circumstances, we are called to have everlasting joy with God as the foundation, to be in constant contact with our loving Creator, and to live our lives with a heart of gratitude. In doing these things we give praise to our Father.
This is His will for our lives: that in the everyday struggles and triumphs, we would choose to look to Him. To look to Him and be thankful, joyful, and aligned with Him. And in those moments where we are trying to determine what path He wants us to take next, don’t seek answers, but seek God. The rest will follow.
By: Madison Budd
