1 Samuel 19:1 (ESV) - God's Will

"And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David."

1 Samuel 19:1 (ESV)

David was minding his own business one day, tending sheep, when God called him to be a king. He didn’t ask to be king, but God said he was the one. He turned out to be a great king. David had a heart modelled after God’s, according to the Bible.

So, since God had chosen to bless David in such a way, why do we later find Saul trying to kill David? In fact, for some time Saul chased David. David hid out, all alone. David was God’s choice for king and yet he was placed in incredible adversity.

You might ask, “What does this all mean to me?”

It says that sometimes in the middle of the trials in our lives we can be in the middle of God’s will.

That’s right. His will for our lives.

I am learning that I cannot determine whether I am in God’s will based on whether or not my life is peaceful. Just because I have trials in my life, doesn’t mean I am not in the center of God’s will for my life.

Alistair Begg once said, “We should not seek to confirm God’s will by the absence of adversity.”

Think about Biblical characters who faced great trials.

Abraham who faced the trial of leaving his homeland, then the years of infertility.

Moses wandered in the wilderness forty years.

Joseph was sold into slavery.

Ruth lost her husband.

Nehemiah had to fight off naysayers.

Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den.

John the Baptist was beheaded.

Paul wrote some of his best work in prison.

All of these great servants of God faced persecution, heartache, and trials beyond most of our imaginations.

Yet, all them, during the adversity, were right where God wanted them to be, in the center of His will.

Yes, we would all like life to be peaceful. It is true that we can have inner peace and joy even in the middle of the storms of life. But God has not promised us a life free of problems.

In fact, we can be perfectly within His will and still be facing adversity. It is often through the process of life’s difficulties that God makes us more like Jesus, and teaches us more about Him and ourselves.

Trust God, regardless of your circumstances! He is always working a plan!