Devotional – September 18, 2025 

God’s Will in 4 Easy Steps (by Divine Reverberations)

Okay, to be fair, the title is a bit misleading. I’m not sure there’s really anything easy about discerning God’s will. But, in the process of writing my next book, I have been thinking a lot about discernment of God’s will and how to make the ideas accessible to people. In the process, I have come across a few suggestions I share with you now.

1. Discerning God’s will is never about choosing between a good option and an evil option. You don’t have to discern God’s will when it comes to evil, injustice, oppression, or sin. Those are already revealed to you. Discerning God’s will is about choosing between two or more good options.
2. Discerning God’s will requires an open-handedness about all options on the table. This does not mean you cannot have preferences or desires. It means that to truly discern God’s will you must have a holy ambivalence. Own your desires. Name your wants. Let God know of your preferences. But then leave them to God. Between the time of your naming your wants and God revealing God’s will, you can work on this holy ambivalence and contentment.
3. Simplicity of life is key. A life of chaos and business will never allow us to hear God’s voice. We need simplicity, silence, and even solitude to hear God’s voice. God’s voice is a still, small voice. God will not shout at us. We must decide what is important in our lives and cut out anything that distracts. Only then can we hear God’s voice.
4. Community is essential. Because of our own proclivity to self-deception, we need people around us to help us discern God’s will. I always tell people, “You need someone to whom you can say anything and from whom you can hear anything.” This is a prerequisite to hearing God’s will. There needs to be an alternative, affirming voice. There needs to be loyal opposition.

Peace Be With You. – Paul