“Discerning the will of God is about so much more than doing His will. Discerning His will is about knowing His heart, and that happens only when you get close enough to hear Him whisper.”- Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson continues Chapter 7 of Whisper as he defines faith as “taking the first step before God reveals the second step.” Sometimes, though, that first step results in failure. The door slams shut – sometimes with our fingers still in the doorjamb.
Yet, through failed attempts God gets us where we need to be. Failure’s nothing short of His grace. Thus, we can show gratefulness for closed as well as open doors. Generally, Pastor Batterson observes, closed doors lead to open doors.
When it comes to discerning the will of God, Mark sometimes wishes we could just cast lots. Like the disciples did when choosing Judas’ replacement. However, that “option” takes intimacy out of the equation. And intimacy = the end goal. Furthermore, discerning the will of God consists of much more than doing His will. It’s about knowing His heart. And for that to happen, you must be close enough to hear God whisper.
Therefore, Pastor Batterson describes five tests he employs when discerning the will of God, the voice of God. Mark discusses the first test today.
1. The Goose Bump Test. Mark notes an intriguing name Celtic Christians had for the Holy Spirit. Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit An Geadh-Glas, meaning “the Wild Goose.” In fact, Pastor Batterson has written a book on this topic called Wild Goose Chase.
Mark loves the imagery and implications of the name, as it reflects an element of unpredictability about the Holy Spirit and what He does. Even though we’re on a Wild Goose chase most of the time, we’ll get where God wants us to go as long as we’re in step with the Spirit.
In conclusion, when you pursue a God-sized dream or God-ordained calling, you should feel goose bumps now and then. And like a game of hot and cold, your desires get hotter and hotter the closer you get to God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Today’s question: How have you experienced a Wild Goose chase as you live a Spirit-led life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The peace of Christ – peace in the perfect storm”
