Knowing God's Will II

If we're honest most of us at some point in our lives of making decisions and following Christ hit a point of frustration: why does God make it so hard? Why can't God just tell us what the next step is?

Jesus gave his disciples a "knowing God's will" talk that I think addresses some of these questions:

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

Here's Jesus' priorities in his "knowing God's will" address, his last words to his disciples before he leaves them:

1. He is Lord. He has all authority and all power everywhere.
2. They are to go. They have work to do and they are not to shrink back from doing it.
3. Jesus is with them.

I think that the disciples, like us, would have liked a written point-by-point list of what was to happen next. Where should they go? What should they do? It would seem only reasonable that he might give them advance warning of the trials and challenges that lay ahead of them.

But instead of that, he gives them a much greater gift: the promise of Himself. He is with them always. He would never leave them. I think that most of us think of this as the conciliation prize, the thing that we get since we can't know more "real" things about the future. But Jesus does not. This is his best gift. His presence is the most significant thing that he can possibly give to us.

We would prefer a road map of our future. But the one who is Lord over all road maps is in the car with us. He does not give us a road map because he does not want to relate to us as one who is a dispenser of road maps. He wants us to lean into his very real presence. The full reality of his with-ness is most profoundly experienced in the times of trials and significant decisions.

Is God himself enough for us?