The verse is Philippians 2:13; let me read the Berean Literal Bible translation, “For God is the One working in you both to will and to work according to His good pleasure.” And here’s the same thing in the New Living Translation, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
I want to think about this. Let’s put this together with David wanting to build God a temple. And the prophet says, “The Lord is with you, do whatever is in your heart.” And then the prophet comes back and says, “You know, it’s a good idea but it’s not for you. Your son’s going to do it.”
God puts His will in us. We have a transformation of will. This is one of the things we can believe. He gives us the desire to do His will, His life, His choice for us. He gives us the power to do it. So, when we’re saved we live in a broad place of freedom. Before we’re saved, it can feel like a list of dos and don’ts, constraining us, and we’re fighting against it because it’s not what we want to do. Romans 7. This is law making us… we should do this but we don’t want to do this and we keep not doing it. But Romans 8 is walking in the Spirit. We can walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh because it’s God who works in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure.
In David’s will he had this desire to build a temple, and it was okay for him to have that desire and he started working on it. He gathered up all the materials and stuff, but God intervened and showed him His better plan for how that was going to be accomplished. It was God’s will to build the temple. God showed him the better way, to wait. David just prepared and he wasn’t going to finish it off. He works in us His will, so how do we know His will?
One, we believe that He’s in us, working this in us. It’s not something we have to seek like, “God, what is Your will?” and then we know it. Because why do we want to know it? Because then we can go do it. It’s not for us to go do. It’s Him doing it through us. So, it’s not necessarily just going to be—boom, now you do it. He doesn’t want to send us off. Hopefully you don’t want to just go off and do His work. You want Him to do the work; you do it together.
When we know God’s will, it’s something in our spirit. The Holy Spirit in us is what knows God’s will. He’s not putting it in our flesh so we can work it out in our flesh. God works through our spirit. You know you exist. You’re not having this thought, I am. You know you’re alive. It’s not this thought in your head. You just know it. When you know His will, it’s just something in you that knows it. It’s our thoughts that we take captive, every thought. Taking every thought captive. That’s not where you’re going to know. Your thoughts are where you say—this sounds like a good idea—pros and cons, and you’re working it out in your own understanding. This isn’t going to necessarily go well when you go that way. That’s working it out in our own understanding.
Lean not on your own understanding but acknowledge Him. Lord, I acknowledge that You are working in me to will and do according to Your good pleasure, so let’s go together. This is what I know and I don’t know how to carry it out. I don’t know how it’s going to go, but You’re going to go with me, so it’s going to work out because You’re going to do the work. And that’s how we follow God’s will. I hope that makes sense to you. It can be a hard lesson.
Take those thoughts captive. That’s not how we get to know God’s will. We seek Him, not His will. We seek Him, not His direction for us. Seek Him. Seek Him. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. Thank you that You’re with me. Thank you that You’re walking with me. I surrender my life to you. My day is Yours. Order my steps. It’s all Your work to do today, Lord. Give me the privilege of going with You while You’re doing it.