Lynne Little Ministries - Higher Realm

Little by Little - Part Five - God Has a Will—No, It’s Not Hidden Behind Three Doors

• Lynne Little

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Decisions can feel like fog—so many voices, so many choices, and no clear path forward. We take that tension head-on by reframing God’s will as something far more concrete than a riddle: think of Scripture as a testament that names your inheritance and sets your footing, and think of the Holy Spirit as a trusted friend who speaks into the moment with clarity and peace. From there, the next step stops feeling like a gamble and starts feeling like a guided walk.

We start by unpacking two vital words: logos and rhema. Logos points to the written word of God and to Jesus as the Word made flesh—the steady, reliable foundation for every decision. Rhema speaks to timely, specific guidance—the Spirit’s nudge that aligns with Scripture and meets you in the present. You’ll hear why these two never contradict and how obedience to the general will sharpens your ability to recognize the specific word when it comes.

Then we move through four core principles that make guidance practical. Salvation welcomes you into God’s family and identity; water baptism anchors your allegiance in public; the fullness of the Holy Spirit brings real-time wisdom, courage, and comfort; and daily fellowship through prayer, Scripture, and worship keeps your heart tuned. Along the way, we share how surrender transforms anxiety into trust, why waiting can be an act of faith, and how acknowledging God in every way leads to straight paths—without pretending life is simple.

If you’re tired of pros-and-cons lists and wish the next step came with peace, this conversation is for you. Listen, share it with someone who needs clarity today, and if it helps you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us where you’re seeking guidance right now.

Lynne:

You are listening to Higher Realm with Lynne Little. Our program highlights biblical strategies for moving through life's difficulties and finding your path to healing. We tackle issues particular to those who have experienced painful loss in any form. Lynne is the founder and president of Lynne Little Ministries and the author of Missing Lisa, A Parent Grieves, and Finding God in Death and Life, A Passage Through Grief. Now, here's Lynne. Hello, and welcome to the fifth episode in our series entitled Little by Little. I created this series as a step-by-step introduction to basic Christian beliefs, also known as doctrine. In past episodes, we discussed the terms original sin, sin nature, born again, saved, and baptism. Today we will address the question: How can I know the will of God for my life? Need to know answers abound. And questions range from the practical to the esoteric. From whom should we marry? What career is the best fit? Where do we live? How can we receive physical or emotional healing? How do we parent our children properly? And what is our purpose? Or do our lives even matter? The variety of topics are as infinite as the universe, and where do we even begin? The default for most seems to be relegated to what we can think up. We seek a sign, ask someone's opinion, make lists of pros and cons, do some research, and when in great extremity, we sometimes pray. Any of these methods can help us arrive at consensus for important decisions. But is it possible for an individual to really know the correct way to go? Or is the process nothing more than mere guesswork? This raises another question. Are such decisions supposed to be this complicated? Today we'll examine this dilemma from a biblical viewpoint. The scriptures offer refreshingly clear guidance on, well, guidance. Much of what I'm about to say applies to believers. Those of you who have yet to embrace Christ through salvation may decide to go in a different direction. But before you turn away, it might be a good idea to find out what you're missing. Now, the general will of God for our lives is revealed to us through the Bible, commonly referred to as testaments, specifically the old and the new. Most of us know what a will is. Some of us have even prepared one. But another name for a will is a testament. A testament is simply a written directive that states a deceased person's intentions for the distribution of their assets. And wait for it, it spells out what the surviving family members inherit, what belongs to them through the death of the testator. The scriptures spell out our inheritance as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. What the will says you can have. To state the obvious, the will maker has to die before the inheritance is passed down. So Jesus died, and then he came back to life to execute his will through his disciples. So the New Testament is essentially the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. The two testaments in the Bible clearly enunciate what we have inherited as believers. So it would naturally follow that if we want to know what belongs to us as believers, what the will of God is for our lives, we need to read the will. I'm sure we can all agree that it would be beneficial to get God's thoughts on our respective situations. So let's first distinguish between the two primary ways God speaks. The first way is through the logos. Logos is a Greek word and a noun that occurs 330 times in the Greek New Testament. It means word, speech, utterance, or message. But it most particularly applies to the written word and to Jesus as the word made flesh. The Gospel of John identifies the Christian Logos as something divine. These are not just words. The word identifies Jesus Christ as the incarnate logos. In other words, the word of God come to life. It is the revelation of God to the world through Jesus. Hebrews 1:1 sums it up. "In the past, God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. In these last days, He has spoken to us through His Son, the living Logos." Tracking so far? The second Greek word translated word is Rhema, which refers to the spoken word. Rhema literally means an utterance, delivered either individually, collectively, or specifically. Examples abound. One is found in Luke 138. Here, Mary is talking to the angel Gabriel." I am the Lord's servant, she said. May your word, (Rhema), to me be fulfilled." And here's another example in Luke 3:2. The Rhema word came to John the Baptist. "During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the Word of God came to John, son of Zechariah in the wilderness." Again, Luke 5:5 reads, "And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night and yet have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at your word, Rhema again, I will let down the net." Take note, the Rhema word came to these individuals regarding specificities, not generalities. Consequently, Christians have come to view the Rhema as the voice of the Holy Spirit, the inward witness speaking to them regarding specifics for the present moment. So we have both the logos and the rhema available to us when making decisions. A word of caution is in order here. Both the Logos and the Rhema should completely align. God will never speak anything to an individual that is contrary to his written word. So, what we've just described are a few of the tools that the Lord has set in place to assist us with all the affairs of life. Therefore, our starting place is to learn about, practice, and adhere to the general logos will of God as outlined in the written word. Failure to obey the general precepts set down in the Word will pretty much inhibit someone hearing God's Rhema voice, and they will miss much-needed instructions regarding specifics. How this helps us in our everyday lives will become clear as we go. So here is a short list of some of the general principles in God's logos. Principle one, the crystal clear starting point, is God's will for all mankind to be born again. 1 Timothy 2: 3 and 4 states, "for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth." Jesus said in John 6:40, "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life." God sent Jesus to bear our sins on the cross, as it is written, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For God has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Salvation is for everyone. Jesus said in John 3:37, "The one who comes to me I will by no means cast out." The way to God through Jesus is made clear through this scripture. Romans 10: 9 and 10 reads," If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." So if you haven't yet received Christ as your Savior, we'll stop a moment and give you the opportunity to pray. Pray this very simple prayer with me and believe it with your heart. Heavenly Father, I believe that you sent Jesus to die on the cross and pay the price for my sin. I believe that he rose again on the third day. Jesus, come into my life, forgive my sins and make me brand new. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Amen. Principle two, God's will for us is to be water baptized. In Matthew 28: 16 through 20, Jesus commanded his followers to baptize believers. When Jesus came near, he spoke to them and said, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. So, wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." The Book of Acts contains a number of references of the church baptizing new believers. Now those who may be interested in water baptism can consult our podcast on baptisms. Principle three, God's will is for us to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' last staff meeting with his disciples before he went to the cross, he spoke of sending an advocate to assist believers. The speech is found in John 16: 7 and verses 12 and 15. Listen carefully to his words. "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I don't go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when hHe, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he'll not speak of himself, but whatsoever He hears, He shall speak, and He will show you things to come." According to these passages, the tasks of the Holy Spirit are described as speaking, showing, and guiding. These roles are presented as part of the process related to understanding God's plan for every individual. Does that sound like guidance to you? It does to me. The Holy Spirit is a friend we can call on for wisdom and understanding. He will speak through a still, small voice, and specifically through the written word. Ephesians 5:18 commands us "to be filled with the Spirit." Jesus instructed his disciples in Luke 12:49 to wait for the promised Holy Spirit with these words. "Behold, I send the promise of my Father to you, but tarry in Jerusalem until you endued with power from on high." Now the whys and hows of this experience, known as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, is covered at length in another podcast, actually, several. I encourage you to listen and receive this wonderful benefit of empowerment through the Holy Spirit. Principle four, God's will is fellowship. God desires us to connect with Him through prayer and reading His Word. There is a plan. The word is clear on this topic. Jeremiah 29: 11 through 13 speaks God's heart. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Have you ever tried to strike up a conversation with a perfect stranger? It is usually slow going, isn't it? Why? Because there's no relationship established. It's awkward and often unproductive. But when you know Jesus, your avenue to communicate with God has already been established. Jesus is our mediator, our go-between. In 1 Timothy 2: 5, Jesus said, "No one can come to the Father but through me." But once that provision is accepted, we become the true children of God to the point that we can call God Abba Father. We become adopted into the family of God. Galatians :4 6 reads, "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father." God created man for fellowship. He doesn't need mankind, he wants mankind because he loves us. We are his children. Fellowship with God through prayer, reading the word, and reverential worship is an intentional mindset. Many talk about him or talk around him, but do not talk to him. Imagine a relationship where two people rarely speak. Could that even be considered a relationship where no one relates? When we fix our attention on God, something happens. Our minds and spirits have somewhere else to go beyond our earthly concerns. By doing these things, we are positioning ourselves to hear Him, and His voice comes through loud and clear. The beauty of this provision is that we can hear. It is written,"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the hearts of man what God has prepared for those who loves him. But God has revealed them to us by his spirit." And the treasures of the multiplicity of benefits is astounding. Guidance, healing, prosperity, wisdom, joy, fellowship, and the abundant life is all there for the taking. Receiving guidance comes down to answering this simple question honestly. Are we willing to follow God's protocols to discover God's plan? At the end of the day, the will of God for our lives is knowable. It takes a willing surrender on our part. We close with this final promise found in Proverbs 3. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Thanks for listening. We'll see you next week as we discuss what is faith. Thank you so much for listening. Linlittle Ministries is a 501c3 whose mission is to assist those who have suffered loss and to help them discover hope, peace, and restoration. For books, resources, or to make a tax deductible donation, go to lynlittle.org.