God’s personal Will for our lives will always be within the context of His general Will of which we are privileged to be a part.

‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ (Matthew 6:33)

The Will of God is not about seeking what is best for my life but what is best for God. When I was 18-years-old, I left England and went to work on a large farm in Zimbabwe for a couple years. About 150 men worked on the farm each day. Part of my responsibility was to oversee many of those workers. We met each morning at 6:30. When I gave them instructions I didn’t say, ‘I have a wonderful plan for you today.’ Instead I said, ‘I have a wonderful plan for the farm today.’

These are two very different perspectives. Instead of the work being built around each worker’s personal interest, the work was built around the interests of the farm as a whole. The same is true of the Will of God. We can have an interest in God’s Will that is purely from a selfish perspective, assuming His Will will be for my well-being. But the issue is much bigger. We must ask, ‘What is best for God’s agenda?’

When Joseph suffered years of misunderstanding and imprisonment after his brothers sold him as a slave to Egypt and was eventually used by God to save Egypt, he looked back over his life and said to his brothers, ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good’ (Genesis 50:20). It took decades before Joseph could look back and say that with understanding.

Lord, give me grace to seek Your Will today.

Bible in one year: Psalm 20-21 | Leviticus 17