Knowing God's Will by Couchman, Judith (Author) and Bence, Evelyn (Author) and Bennett, Phyllis (Author)

Chapter One

God's Goodwill

God's will. Sometimes it sounds ominous. If our hearts aren't ready to receive it or obey it, the prospect of asking to know it can be frightening. What if he wants me to go to Antarctica or Zimbabwe? I hate the cold. I hate the heat. Never, no way. Not me!

Our trust or distrust of God's goodwill toward us can be evident in the way we approach the topic of God's will. What do we really believe about his purposes and our role in his plans? Are we ready to place ourselves in his hands? Are we ready to position ourselves under the spout of blessing? Are we ready for any surprises he might have for us, confident that he is a God of perfect love?

Let's start our study by looking at the gospel account of a woman who was clearly ready to receive God's word and will: Mary, Jesus' mother. Many women put Mary on a lofty unreachable spiritual plane. Yes, in one sense she was unique in all history. But a closer look at Luke's gospel may reveal some surprises. You may have more in common with Mary than you think!

God is looking for people who are available as His instruments. Gien Karssen

A Moment for Quiet Reflection

1. When you think of "God's will for me," name one fear that comes to mind.

2. Write a brief (one-sentence) prayer. Start the prayer, "Lord, I am ready for you to show me ..." Finish the sentence by identifying what you would like to know or learn from him during the course of this six-lesson study.

3. Copy your prayer. Tape one copy to the inside front cover of this booklet. Put your name on the second copy and take it with you to the first group gathering.

Knowing God's Heart

1. The gospel of Luke gives insight into Mary's character and our own standing as women in Christ. Read Luke 11:27-28. What is easier for you-"hearing" from God or obeying him? Discuss your answers.

2. Read Luke 1:26-40, 45. Then have the group close their eyes as one person rereads aloud the greetings from God's messenger (verses 28 and 30). Reread it yet again, trying to receive the blessing as "your own." Does it unsettle you, as it did Mary? If you feel the need to answer "but ..." in response to the blessing, discuss the "what" and "why" of the "but."

3. It seems the messenger or the message made Mary afraid. Does being "favored by God" make you afraid of anything? What and why?

4. Consider the angel's greeting and closing (verses 28 and 37) as if they were a frame around his message. Describe the qualities of that frame.

5. If you can see God's will for you as being similarly framed, do your feelings change their shape, size, or position? Explain.

6. What specific information about the future (the next thirty years) did the angel give Mary?

7. When thinking about God's will for you, do you itch for "details" so you can feel more on top of what might happen? Think of a specific situation in which you would like to know God's will. What "details" do you wish God would reveal to you?

8. What did Mary's responses (verses 34 and 38) say about her readiness to hear and do God's will?

9. As a group, reword Mary's parting response to the angel (verse 38) in several ways. In one version include the phrase "God's will." If one version more than others strikes you as "your" heart-prayer, explain why.

10. The rest of Mary's life would be full of surprises. One of those surprises came when Mary went to visit Jesus, now grown and preaching in a nearby town. Read Luke 8:19-21. If you had been Mary, how would this have made you feel? As a Christian believer, how does it make you feel?

Mary Myself

11. These verses in Luke 8 draw us back to the blessing of "hearing and obeying God's word" found in Luke 11:28 (question 1). Read again Luke 11:28. To encourage each other, tell of one grace or blessing you've experienced in the past as you heard and obeyed God's good will.

12. Read Luke 2:19, in which Luke describes Mary's reaction to curious life events. Share a personal experience, where you've been able to make sense of God's way only after you've had time for quiet reflection. How has this reflection helped allay your fears of God's will for you?

Lord ... May I relish the joy of knowing you are full of wonderful surprises. Luci Swindoll

Friendship Boosters

1. To get better acquainted with one another and your individual goals for this study, read aloud to the group your prayers written before the session. Throughout the study the other women in your group might provide valuable insight as they remember your prayer.

Place all your prayers in a bowl or basket and then pick out one prayer-slip other than your own. Tape the request inside the back cover of this booklet. Throughout the next six weeks stay particularly attuned to the woman who wrote this prayer and pray along with her about her request. Send her an occasional encouraging note, or call to ask how God is revealing his will to her. 2. Mary's attitude and behavior in response to God's will still inspire us today. As a group allow yourselves to "think big." Imagine your families, neighborhoods, or the world fifty years from now. What blessings do you hope will remain as a result of your ready response to God's word? Sprinkle a little humor into your conversation and see where it takes you. Who knows how God might spark up possibilities for what you see as a far-fetched impossibility.

Just for Fun

After receiving the angel's message, Mary may have lived with some apprehension. But she also surely sensed that something wonderful was about to happen. Using folded white or colored typing paper and colored markers, make a greeting card to send or hand to someone else in the group. The message should relay good wishes and prayers for the expected coming of "something wonderful," as you all become increasingly ready to receive God's good will.

Praying Together

Be open and honest before God, bringing to him your questions and feelings about knowing and walking in his will. If many in your group are "afraid of surprises," consider the Luci Swindoll prayer above, asking God to help you learn to delight in his good will, whatever surprises it may bring. End the prayer by expressing your confidence in God, that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).

What He teaches you to see He also teaches you to do. Andrew Murray

(Continues...)

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