As we grow, we face key pivotal decisions and paths that shape the course of our lives. While God has a plan for each of us, some choose to yield to His will leading to his perfect will, allowing their lives to align with His purpose. Others resist and make decisions independently, leading to what is known as God's permissive will, rather than His perfect will. This can result in struggles and detours as we try to realign with God's original intention for our lives. These decisions can involve areas such as education, choosing a life partner, marriage, buying a home, and more.
Many of us Pray to seek God’s will. We cannot expect God to answer all our prayers? No, God does answer! The answer:
Sometimes - YES!
Many times - NO!
Oftentimes - WAIT!
Most often - SILENCE!
Mature Christians know this ! A Father knows when to give, what to give, and to which child to give!
“Prayer is not to change God, but to change us to fit into His plan”
When we are at crossroads, and there are more than one option, waiting on God is indispensable.
Deciding between good and bad is easier than choosing between good and better. Only God knows which is best for us.
He alone knows the end from the beginning - Isaiah 46:10 'I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ '
To help us understand how to follow God’s will, we have a powerful example in the Bible: the story of our father Abraham and how he found a wife, Rebekah, for his son Isaac. Many may already know this story, but for those who don’t, this simple Sunday school video provides a great overview. I encourage you to open your Bible to Genesis 24 and read through it—this chapter offers valuable insights into aligning with God’s perfect will.
Some background and context before we get to the study. Abraham was very old, he has his only Son Issac, he is single unmarried, his wife Sarah had passed away to be with Lord. Other side God’s promise to Abraham was to build a nation out of his descendants
Genesis 17:5-7 'No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. '
Abraham needed to find a bride for his son Isaac. Because of his old age, he entrusted this important task to his senior servant, asking him to find the right wife for Isaac.
Reading thru this Genesis 24 beginning, I wondered how Abraham’s servant could know God’s will and make the right choice when it was really Abraham who understood God’s promise ? As I reflected on Genesis 24, I realized that "God knows the end from the beginning." He used the servant to carry out what Abraham was meant to do.
Lessons for us to learn - Uncovering God's will for Issac / Rebekah
Dependence on God
Genesis 24:7 '“The Lord , the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. '
Here he did not rely on the Senior servant, Abraham depended on Lord to show his path to send a angel to guide his servant, Abraham sent his servant by praying saying that the God will send a angel before him to find the right person.
Abraham’s faith is not on the senior servant, its on his God our father, like a guiding light he shows his way.
The servant not only was God fearing, he also depended on God to help him show the kindness to him and his master Genesis 24:12 Then he prayed, “ Lord , God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. '
Lesson for Us:
Many times we make the mistake to trust the Servant (Human) and miss out the point God is bigger and mightier than the person who is helping us.
God uses his servants to do his will, he also gives wisdom to them and not only you to do the right things..
Prayer
Genesis 24:12-14 'Then he prayed, “ Lord , God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” '
He thinks he has found the woman as soon as he enters the place town of Nahor. When he saw Rebekah who was exquisitely beautiful and exceptionally helpful, he was quite excited.
If you are going to a new place, you ask for guidance every step of way, thats what Prayer does as you depend on seek him.
The Servant stands on the entrance of town and prayers in heart (Genesis 24:45) for God to give directions, with Signs and words to know that he is in the right place. Genesis 24:45 '“Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ '
A Praying sense comes only if you depend and walk with him daily, this prayer is different from your normal prayer. It can be a short one, not visible to anyone. Like how this servant did, it has to come from the heart to guide you.
Lesson for Us: We pray at the beginning, we don’t pray as we progress. Most often we ask Ask , we don’t seek God’s advice if this is the way to Go ?
Test to See if it’s God’s will
There were two test that the servant did
1st Test - He remained Silent to watch if she was the right person
After finishing the prayer, he see’s Rebekah and asks her some signs to be sure that she is the right person. Genesis 24:15 'Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. '
The servant does not jump to conclusions. He is at cross roads to decide. To decide if he was right or his instincts was right, He remains silent to wait and watch the will of God - Genesis 24:21 'Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful. '
2nd Test - Is this person from the Same Clan, that Abraham instructed to take
The Instruction from his Master Abraham was look from a Daughter of Canaanites and find a girl from his relatives. We read that in Genesis 24:3-4 'I want you to swear by the Lord , the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” '
So the servant enquires Rebecca on the family background and see if he can spend time Verse 23 all of the questions come true Genesis 24:24-25 'She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.” And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.” '
The Servant praised God for taking to Abraham’s relative, he gave the glory and honour to God and not put himself first. What a character to learn Genesis 24:26-27 'Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord , saying, “Praise be to the Lord , the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” '
Lesson for Us:
After God leads us to a path, we often get exited and may take that path, we never test to see if this is from Lord or from Impersonator (Satan), The word of God advices us to test and see if this is from God’s spirit - 1 John 4:1 'Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ' here the servant tests to see two times, before he praises God.
Learning to be silent and allowing God to guide us is a valuable lesson. Our inner self often becomes restless with anxiety when we try to remain silent. True silence, however, is a result of the fruit of the Spirit that comes from God’s Spirit of Self Control - Galatians 5:22
God gives his finest of finest in his perfect will, we are given with right wisdom to enquire to see if this is the right one, most often we fail to enquire and compare with God’s promise and plans. We are called to ask God’s wisdom - James 1:5 'If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. '
We often praise the messenger first before we give credit to Lord, its a sin. We need to Praise God first and Glory along the path.
Confirming God’s will
Genesis 24:50-51 'Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord ; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.” '
While the servant knows that this work is Lord’s will, The other persons (Laban & Bethuel) also confirm that its Lord’s will
Lesson for Us:
If its God’s will he will send the spirit of God to confirm thru others to us the same thing he has confirmed you. Most often it will be reassurance spirit that will be spoken thru the same words what’s spoken to you.
Expect the unexpected in Path to God’s will
Genesis 24:55-56 'But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.” But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.” '
Genesis 24:57 'Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” '
Enemy will come and try to thwart the plan of God
Satan does not want God’s plan to succeed, he will bring questions / confusions to make it look that questions are legitimate and perfect. Same thing that’s happened here, her mother and brother wanted to remain with them for 10 days and then go. But God has a time for every thing. If she had stayed there this entire event would have taken a different turn.
As they were walking with a prayer filled spirit, God fought the battle for them.
God’s is there to break the enemy’s plan & situations - Rebecca answered what was God’s will Genesis 24:58 'So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she said.
Lesson for Us:
Don’t assume as you walk in the will of God, its a bed of roses and no struggles, there will be enemies plans to confuse you and take the path of Permissive will instead of the perfect will of God. Seek God to give the common sense to discern and see if this is a deception or spin to make fail God’s plans.
Stay put and ask God to fight the battle for you. Don’t rely on your instincts, Always say “Thy will be done”, he will fight the battle and win for us, he knows people's motives thoughts / plans as he knows “End from Beginning”
Walking with God
While Rebekah was on the way to meet Isaac and Abraham, otherside Isaac was walking with God in meditation. We read the entire incident in verse 61 to 65.
Genesis 24:62-63 'Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. '
When all of this was happening the bridegroom (Isaac) was close to God, he was in the field meditating with God. Reverence and fear for God is in Action.
Lesson for Us:
Depend on God. He is the source of everything, when we walk closely the Holy Spirit will guide us to follow whats written 1 Thessalonians 5:17-22 pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. '
Summary
No matter where you are in life—whether you're pursuing a career, searching for a life partner, or seeking a job—surrender to God’s will. Seek Him through prayer, walk with Him daily, be guided by His word, and let the Holy Spirit lead you. Remember we are His sons and daughters, He desires to give us the very best, not the 2nd quality life we think we will get from God, its the finest of finest. Don’t be discouraged when things don’t go as planned or what you see in your eyes, Trust him with faith that He has something better in store. When one door closes, He opens another that is perfect for you. Let’s aim to follow the example of our father Abraham, living a Spirit-led life to fulfill God’s perfect will for us.
Amen