Why God Hides His Will: Understanding the Mystery and Finding Direction

Why God Hides His Will for You

Have you ever found yourself in a place of confusion or uncertainty, unsure of what God wants you to do next? You pray, fast, and seek wise counsel, yet still, you feel like you are in the dark.

It’s not uncommon to feel this way. In fact, many of us struggle with discerning God’s will for our lives. But have you ever stopped to wonder why God sometimes seems to hide his will from us?

In this article, we will explore the reasons why God might be hiding his will for you and what you can do to find it.

The Mystery of God’s Will

God’s will is not always straightforward. Unlike a GPS, which gives you turn-by-turn directions to your destination, God’s will can often seem like a mystery. In fact, the Apostle Paul speaks of the “mystery of God’s will” in Ephesians 1:9.

So, what is this mystery? Simply put, it’s the fact that God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). We cannot fully understand or comprehend his will, because it’s beyond our finite minds to do so.

But this doesn’t mean that God’s will is completely unknowable. In fact, there are many things that God has revealed to us about his will in the Bible.

What God Has Revealed About His Will

The Bible is full of guidance and instruction on how we should live our lives. Here are just a few examples of what God has revealed about his will:

God’s Will is for Us to Be Holy

In 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Paul writes, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” God’s will for us is to be holy, to live lives that are set apart for him. This means avoiding sin and pursuing righteousness.

God’s Will is for Us to Love Him and Others

In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and the second is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” God’s will for us is to love him and others with all that we are.

God’s Will is for Us to Make Disciples

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gives us the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” God’s will for us is to make disciples, to share the good news of Jesus with others.

These are just a few examples of what God has revealed about his will for us. But what about the specific details of our lives? How can we discern what God wants us to do in a particular situation?

Why God Hides His Will for Us

While God has revealed many things about his will for us in the Bible, there are times when he seems to hide the specifics of what he wants us to do. Here are a few reasons why:

1. To Test Our Faith and Obedience

God often allows us to go through seasons of uncertainty or difficulty to test our faith and obedience. In Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. This seemed like a direct contradiction to God’s promise to make Abraham into a great nation through Isaac. But Abraham trusted God and obeyed, even though he didn’t fully understand what God was doing.

Similarly, God may be testing our faith and obedience by not revealing his will to us in a particular situation. Will we trust him and obey him, even when we don’t understand?

2. To Grow Our Dependence on Him

God may be hiding his will from us to grow our dependence on him. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul speaks of a “thorn in the flesh” that he asked God to remove. But God’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul learned to depend on God’s grace and strength, even in the midst of his weakness.

Similarly, God may be hiding his will from us to help us learn to depend on him more fully.

3. To Protect Us from Harm

There may be times when God is hiding his will from us to protect us from harm. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas wanted to go to Asia to preach the gospel, but the Holy Spirit prevented them. Instead, God directed them to Macedonia, where they were able to share the gospel with Lydia and her household.

God may be hiding his will from us to protect us from danger or to direct us to a better path than the one we had planned.

How to Find God’s Will

So, what can we do if we find ourselves in a place of uncertainty or confusion, unsure of what God wants us to do next? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Seek God’s Face

First and foremost, we need to seek God’s face. We need to spend time in prayer and in his word, seeking to know him more intimately. As we draw closer to God, he will reveal more of his will to us.

2. Examine Your Heart

We need to examine our hearts and make sure that there is nothing hindering us from hearing God’s voice. Are there any sins that we need to confess and repent of? Are there any areas of our lives that we are holding back from God?

3. Seek Wise Counsel

We should also seek wise counsel from other believers who can help us discern God’s will. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

4. Trust in God’s Sovereignty

Finally, we need to trust in God’s sovereignty. Even when we don’t understand what he’s doing or why he’s not revealing his will to us, we can trust that he is in control and that he is working all things together for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28).

Conclusion

Discerning God’s will for our lives is not always easy. But even when God seems to hide his will from us, we can trust that he is still at work. He may be testing our faith and obedience, growing our dependence on him, or protecting us from harm. As we seek his face, examine our hearts, seek wise counsel, and trust in his sovereignty, he will reveal more of his will to us.

So, let us press on, knowing that God’s ways are higher than our ways and that his will is always for our ultimate good and his glory.