Encouragement for Today

December 30, 2024 How Do I Know It’s God’s Will? ABBY MCDONALD Lee en español

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12 (NASB)

I could hear the apprehension in my friend’s voice.

“How do I know it’s God’s will?” she asked.

Her question was one I’d wrestled with many times. We had been discussing an aspiration she’d had for months, and I heard her passion and desire to share God’s love with others. I knew she wanted to move forward, but she hesitated.

So I responded, “Well, why wouldn’t this be God’s will?”

She sat there for a moment, considering my words. “That’s a great question,” she said. “I don’t know.”

I understood my friend’s hesitation because I’ve lived it — I often don’t trust my own desires. After all, doesn’t Jeremiah 17:9 warn us that the human heart is deceitful?

It’s easy to forget that when we follow Jesus, He transforms our hearts. The more we spend time with Him and study His Word, the more He reshapes our desires. While our motivations will never be completely faultless in this life, God equips us to discern His will and His voice. In fact, our desires are one of the ways God leads us.

Proverbs describes the beautiful outcome of a desire fulfilled:

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12).

In the original Hebrew language, the word for “desire” used here is taavah. Do you know where else this word is used? In Genesis, before Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight [taavah] to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate …” (Genesis 3:6, NASB).

So what causes some desires to lead to life and others to spiritual death?

Our desire will always follow our delight. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, our desires will follow (Psalm 37:4). But if something else takes precedence, our desires — like Eve’s — will be misguided.

God’s will is for us to seek Him first. When we do, our desires can become thriving trees of life, bearing good fruit and displaying His love for others to witness.

Friend, I don’t know what desires and dreams you’ve kept buried, hidden from God out of fear of what may happen if you share them … but can I tell you something?

God’s will is for you to share all of you with all of Him.

His will is for you to confide in Him — dreams, desires and ambitions. And as you do, He will bring forth new life.

God, thank You for being a safe place for us to come with not only our basic needs but the deepest desires of our hearts. Shape these longings to honor You, God. May we be trees of life for others to witness Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Abby McDonald’s book Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God offers more insights about how a simple shift in perspective can allow the power of God to reign in our lives. Pick up your copy here!

ENGAGE

Are there areas of your life where you can’t seem to find a breakthrough? Click here to take Abby’s “5 Days to Life Unstuck Challenge.” You can also connect with Abby on her website and Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 103:5, “[God] satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (NIV).

Do you share your desires openly with God? Why or why not? Tell us about it in the comments.

© 2024 by Abby McDonald. All rights reserved.