God's Will and Plan For Your Life (2026.11.08)

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:02

Hi, if you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the Bible to discover rock-solid truth for life and living from the God of the Bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi, and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website at beholdingbibeltruth.com, and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode. We finished up the book of Romans. We summarized the last few chapters this last week, so we're gonna do a couple of subjects.

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:56

I generally always do a book and go line upon line, precept upon precept. It's how I was built and, and grown from the very beginning. But once in a while I'll take a subject. So today we're going to talk about God's will and his plan for your life. God's will and his plan for your life. An easy, easy subject. No confusion around it. Just so I put down there, knowing God's will and plan for your life, what is it like for you? Is it like connecting the perfect dots? Ah, I gotta get— ah, what is it? You know, is it like finding hidden clues? Is it like figuring out the combination of a lock that you found? Like trying to pick a secret lock? Is it like a scroll unrolling? Think about what is it for you? What is it for you? And then answer, how clear would you say your sense of God's will and your plan for your life? How clear is it for you on a scale of 1 to 10? Low— 1 is the lowest, 10 is the highest.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:07

How clear are you about God's will and plan for your life? You don't

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:20

know a number, you can look at your neighbors.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:32

So how many of you— because you think about when it comes to this, some of this is how we're wired. How many of you like recipes in your life? Like, very clear, this is how it's done. This, then this, then this, then this, right? Very clear. How many raise your hand? How many like, I want recipes, right? Lord, give me the, give me the 10 steps. Very clear. So when Josh said, we want to go to Europe and ski together, Dad, we were going to go over to the Alps. He said, here's my plan. So we're going to fly and land, right? And then we'll just get out and we'll, you know, take a train or a cab and We'll go to some town and then we'll, you know, we'll, we'll get something to eat and then we'll look around for something that's open and, you know, maybe we'll stay there for a day and then we'll go another day and then we'll— I said, that's an interesting approach.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:25

And that's Josh. Right. He went to, he went to Europe for a year and he just went. He, he just went and he— so for him, the, the plan is a journey, is the journey. The plan is take a step, go, gotta move. For me, I said, that's an interesting approach, Josh.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:42

What?

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:43

Here's my plan. I'll know where I land. I'll know where the train is. I know which part of the train I'm staying in. I know where we're going to go, right? And how close it is to the slope and all of that, right? I'm wired very differently than he is. So some of that's kind of there. So what is that, right? So imagine if God's will was a guided journey. Imagine God's will as a guided journey.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:11

So I use this illustration for our advisors. We coach financial advisors. Then I'll say to them, you know, ask people, imagine if you were dropped into a jungle and you had to get out, and you ran into somebody who lives in the jungle, and he said, you know, I could kind of sketch on a couple of pieces of bark kind of the, the map. Right, the map. So you could have a static map that kind of leads you to where you go. Number 2 is I've got 3 phones that we could charge up, and I could give you the phone so you could connect to, you know, Waze, Google Maps, or whatever you use, right? And the 3 phones should get you all the way through. How many would take the map, the static map? How many would take the phones? Why?

Speaker C [: 00:04:57

Because the phones go out.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:59

Yeah, the phones, right? They're interactive. The third, he said, well, the problem with the phones is it doesn't know the unexpected. So it doesn't necessarily tell you where's the poisonous vegetation, right? Where, you know, what parts of the jungle to watch out for, where there might be dangerous animals. Should I eat that? Should I avoid that? So the third option is you could have me take you through the jungle. I've been through there 277 times. How many would take the guide? So when you think about, is the life that we've been called to in and through the Lord Jesus Christ a map where he gives us 10 steps? Is it more like, you know, interactive, you know, like online, or is it a guided journey? Is it a guided journey? So you think about that. So let's take a look at the will of God to kind of get a sense for— let's talk about the will of God. Keeping in mind that God is incomparable and indescribable and ineffable.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:06

In other words, he is beyond, beyond, right? He is beyond. But he reminds us that he, he has let certain things known. So if you look at Deuteronomy 29:29, the secret things belong to whom? The Lord. The Lord our God. Oh, I'd like to know what those secret things are. We like those, right? We go on a journey of special secret things. He says, no, those belong to Yahweh our God. But the things— what? Revealed.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:37

The things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of the law. Observe. So he's saying the things that I've revealed to you are where? In his word. Yeah, it is literally in his word. He's saying these are revealed. So the first, the first category, if you will, of God's will is God's sovereign will. Well, there's Kepher again talking about God's sovereignty again. His sovereign will, often also called his decorative and hidden will.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:17

So I put in there, God is the only sovereign who ordains all things. So his will is sovereign in the fact that he sits above all things, right? His sovereignty reigns over some things? All things. All things, right? So we see God's sovereignty reigns over all. God's sovereignty reigns over all. We're reminded of that, right? It's, it's called decorative because it involves God's decrees. The things that he would decree will come to pass, and it is hidden because we usually are unaware of that part of God's will until it's been decreed to come to pass. So what does that mean? God is sovereign over all things. So I put in there from Acts, in this city they were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:16

So this is exactly how sovereignty works. He's showing us in the life of my Son, this is how it works. Both Herod and—

Speaker D [: 00:08:26

Pontius Pilate.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:27

Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. So who Right? Who crucified the Lord Jesus? Well, in some sense, all of those, right? That would be true. All in some sense, all of those. So he's saying, look, who is, who is involved? Herod, Pontius Pilate, Gentiles, and Jews. They were all involved. What were they doing? To do— underline— whatever your hand and your purpose predestined to occur. That's sovereignty.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:05

Yeah.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:06

How does that work? I don't know. How does it work where people with individual will, evil in, in, in often cases, right, not in, in tune with God's will, sits under the sovereignty, right? That's God's sovereign will. His sovereign will. His decrees are things that will come to pass. So the Lord Jesus on the cross was decreed before time began. It was decreed before time began. We didn't understand it until it came to pass, and sometimes even after. And that's why in Ephesians it says, underline, the mystery of Christ.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:47

That's why it says it's hidden. It only means it's hidden in the sense of we don't understand it until some time in history. I get that? Which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets. That's the hidden part of it. So it was decreed to come to happen that the Lord Jesus Christ would die on the cross, right? Herod, Pontius Pilate, Jews and Gentiles Who did it, right? God's sovereignty. When did it happen? In a period of time, right? In a period of time, this happened, decreed to happen. And before this, it was a mystery in the sense of we didn't understand it. Not in the sense of it needed to be found out, but in the sense of God didn't reveal what it would mean.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:46

And then he was saying, what is that mystery? In Christ, Right. Jews and Gentiles. All right, so that's God's sovereign will. It's decretive in the sense that it was decreed to happen at a certain point in time, and then it was a mystery in the sense it wasn't revealed till after. That makes sense? Well, sort of. So we're talking about the will of God. So if it— sometimes you go like, uh, So that's God's sovereign will. God also has a dispositional will.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:23

A dispositional will. What does that mean? What pleases or displeases him? God has things that he's pleased about and displeased about. God's disposition, underline, toward the lost. What is it? Displeasure. God desires all to be saved. Will all be saved? No, no. God's dispositional will— his heart desires all to be saved, but not all will be saved. His desire, so his dispositional will.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:03

Again, we're trying to describe the indescribable one, if you will. Based upon what he's revealed to men. So there are things that please him, things that displease him. Because it pleases him doesn't mean it's going to come to pass. It would please him that all would be saved, but all won't be saved. Then there's God's revealed will. God's revealed will. God's revealed will, sometimes called his preceptive, preceptive, or will of command.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:41

That's his will revealed in the scriptures. His will revealed in the scriptures. Who was it? Um, either Ben Franklin or someone like that who's not, not a believer who said it's not I know it was Ben Franklin, one, one of the other kind of writers. He said, it's not the things in the Bible I don't understand I have a problem with. It's the things I do understand. So even a nonbeliever would look at it and say, there are some things that are really clear in here, and that, that's, that's hard. That's a problem. Of course, we understand it points us to the Lord Jesus, right? So let's look at God's general will for all Christians.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:30

Yes. There's some who would like all to be saved. So God desires in his heart that all would be saved. God would desire in his heart that Adam would never sin. But Adam sinned. We're trying to understand, right? For, for these things, my thoughts are as high as the heavens are above the earth. My ways and my thoughts are as high as the heavens are above the earth. 90 billion light years.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:02

So we're trying to, in our finite mind, understand God who is infinite, righteous, and holy and just. So we're trying to understand. So we, we put the scriptures here to try and get a sense of how do we explain it, Linda? How do we explain it? Not totally, right? Not totally. So we just know that there are things that please him, but not all of that will come to pass. That's why there must be different, um, different wills, if you will. Does that make sense? No, not totally. Perfect. That's okay.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:38

Okay. They, they, they just are. You just— we're left with— this is us trying to explain. Just— this is just what he's revealed, by the way, which is just— you imagine, right? Imagine the glory of God. Like the actual sun that was created, 10,000 degrees, right? With light that would, would, would burn you up if you're within 4 million miles. It burns up a spaceship within 4 million miles. So here we are. So if you crack the door of his glory and a little crack of, of light came through, that's all we're seeing.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:12

We're saying, well, I don't get all this. Well, imagine if you opened the door. So one day we— he will open the door. We will stand in the presence of his glory blameless, and we'll see his glory. For now, this is what he's revealed. So his general will for all Christians is glorify God. Of course. What's the first question in the Westminster Confession? What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to Enjoy him forever.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:47

Glorify God and enjoy him forever. I got that right, right? Then he says, whether you think about, right, whether you eat or drink— he took very, very average pedestrian normal activities— whether you eat or drink, and whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. So that's God's will for every Christian: glorify God. We are to love God and love our neighbors. Right? He asked him, the attorney asked him, what's the, what's the, the chief command? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. That is the first and foremost command, the greatest command. Second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:34

And these 2 commandments depend the whole law and the prophets. That's everybody. We are to offer worship, praise, and thanksgiving. We're to offer worship, praise, and thanksgiving. What's God's will? Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and everything give thanks. Thanks be to God. Thanks, for this is God's will. So the verbs are rejoice, pray, give thanks.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:11

What's God's will for me today? Rejoice, pray, give thanks. Lord, what do you want me to do today? Rejoice, pray, give thanks. Things seem really unclear. I don't know what to do. Rejoice, pray, give thanks. Oh, he says this is God's will for you. He also says this is God's will. This is the will of God, your sanctification.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:42

So inward fruit is sanctification. He desires that we be sanctified. We be sanctified. Specifically says abstain from sexual immorality. But sanctification, inward fruit, that's every Christian. And outward fruit. And outward fruit. Outward fruit.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:12

What is that? Gifts, calling, and service. Gifts, calling, and Service. So we're saying inward, what's God's will? We'd be sanctified. Sanctification. Outward, that we understand our gifts, our calling, and our service, which leads us to God's custom will. God's custom will for each Christian. God's custom will. Which, by the way, when you start and say, what do you mean? Does God have a custom will for each person? A will just for you? Right? So we know he has a general will for all Christians.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:04

Does he have a custom will just for you? Well, let's look. So in Jeremiah, Jeremiah says, now the word of the Lord came to me saying, Before I formed you in the womb— before— he's saying, before I formed you in the womb. When is that? Before you were born. Right, before you were born, I knew you. Before you were born, I consecrated you, and I have appointed you. So before you were born, you were consecrated and appointed. You were consecrated and appointed. To which, if you want to argue, you'd say, well, it was Jeremiah.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:59

That was Jeremiah. So either that's just Jeremiah, or that's what he does with each and every Christian. Well, let's look further. He says, you, in Psalm 139, you were— for you, you formed my— where's the you there? Who's that?

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:21

God.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:22

God did. God formed your inward parts. God wove you in your mother's womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well. Goes on to say that you were intimately and intricately woven in the womb. And what do I know about God? God is a designer. God has a design, and with every design is purpose.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:52

You can eat soup with a fork. It'll work. It's just not exactly what it was made for. So he's formed you in the womb. So before you were born, you were known, formed, and loved. You were known, you were formed, and you were loved. And he says, this, this thing— he says, this thing, this concept is, is beyond my comprehension. He says, when I Consider your thoughts towards me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:30

They are more than the sands upon the seashore. That's God's thoughts toward just one person, more than the sands upon the seashore. How many sands are there on the seashore? I go to the Jersey Shore. I can tell you there's a lot of sands. Just there, right? It's on the beach. You're on all the sand on all the seashores. How many thoughts is that? That's God's thoughts towards you. I get tired of thinking of me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:10

So custom, right? Custom. So the Apostle Paul in Galatians said, when God who— what? Set me apart. Underline that. Even from my mother's womb, and he called me through his grace. So he says you were set apart and called through grace. Called through grace. For what? He was called for a purpose. So you're called for outward fruit and good works.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:42

Called for outward fruit and good works. So which you'd say, well, that's the Apostle Paul. So, so far he's done that for Jeremiah and he's done that for Paul, but only those 2 because he was an apostle, right? Well, let's flip it over and see what it says. He says you, or we, are his— Underline workmanship. Custom designed, created in Christ Jesus for Good works. Underline good works. Which God prepared when? Beforehand. God prepared beforehand, before you were born, so that you could walk in them.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:35

You could walk in them. So just not Jeremiah, just not Paul, but you. It's you. So God, who is a designer, designed you, gifted you, right? Wove you, put you together with purpose. So the Apostle Paul said, so that I might— he said, I was set apart so that I might

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:09

What? Preach him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:09

Preach him where? Among the Gentiles. So Paul says, I— God, God wove me, set me apart from before the womb with a verb. And, and, and, and, and who? With a, with a, a purpose. And a who? What was his? His verb was to preach him, which was His gifting, his gifting, the carrying out of his gifting was preaching, right? Among whom? The Gentiles. So if you were to say, if you wrote this down, and if you've never done this, you should. This is your version 1.0. God set me apart and called me through his grace so that I might— what? That's the question. Preach.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:59

So I have a phrase on there. God has given me spiritual gifts so that I can— verb— who? So that I can lead, so that I can serve, so that I can help, so that I can administer, so that I— right, think about gifting, right? Gifting. God has given me Me, it's teaching faith so that I can instruct, challenge, and equip you. Who? Adult believers. My calling, adult believers. My who's very clear. I always say, when they say, hey, we need help in the nursery, I don't have to pray. Don't have to pray.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:49

Right? When they say we need more evangelism, I don't, I don't disagree. That's not my prime calling. Can I share them when and if I can? Yes, absolutely. But me, it's very clear. All right, very clear. My who is adult believers. You all dig deep, right? Challenge and equip you. Challenge and equip you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:07

Challenge and equip you. Same thing. So I can't get on the horse. I can't get on the horse, or the horse dies, and I'll get another horse. So God is giving you gifts so that you can verb, right? Who? You might say, I don't really know. That's okay. Do a version 1.0. Because your gifts are, are an information— God's design, giving you gifts so that you could serve, serve for the common good.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:43

It says serve for the common good. So you look at what's your verb and, and, and who's the outcome. Now, if you're like Jeremiah, you might say, Lord, excuse me. Excuse me, Lord. He said, hey, alas, Lord, you're probably not clear. So this is what Jeremiah said. Hey, Lord, you're probably not clear. I can't speak.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:11

So you want me to be a prophet to the nations, but I can't speak, and I'm too young. So I'm too young. There you go. Double. I can't do it, right? Can't do it. Moses said the same thing. I can't do it. Thank you, Lord.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:24

But yeah, can't do it. Alas. So he says, alas, Lord, like, behold. Hey, God, don't you know? Aren't you the one who formed me in the womb? But maybe you're unclear. So you might think I can't. be used by God because— what, what is it for you? Because I've blown it in the past. Because I'm not able. If I'm not courageous.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:48

Because I'm fearful. I'm all of those things. Because I wake up every day and— Think about it. What is it? I'm too old. I'm too young. So think about what is it for you? What is it for you that is the voice that says, okay, God can't use me, or he can't use me fully, or he can't keep using me, or he can't use me more deeply, or he can't, he can't, he can't, can't? Because what? What is it for you? The answer is on your paper. What is it for you? There's a voice in you that says, ah, you can't. God can't do more for you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:30

God can't use you. God can't. Was that thing you did in the past because of— because of your sin, because of your weakness, because your brokenness, because of what? So it's important to understand what is that for you. So whether you say it out loud to the Lord— here's what the Lord said to Jeremiah. Yahweh said, do not, do not say— Say. He says, don't say that. Do not say what? I'm a youth. He says, do not say.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:04

So these are your do not says. Well, Lord, I can't because— he says, don't say that. Why? Because everywhere I send you, you shall go. He said, so all I have to do is send you, all you have to do is go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. All that I command you, you shall speak. To which you'd be thinking, but he was smart enough at that point in time probably not to say it out loud. Oh, I still can't speak. So the Lord says, well, that's fine.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:36

So he says, you're afraid, you're afraid, you're afraid of where I'm going to send you. You're afraid of what it'll mean. You're afraid of them, right? You're afraid of them. So he says to the— he says to Jeremiah, do not be afraid. Isn't that great? I love that the Lord Jesus Whenever he shows up, he says to people, do not be afraid. At first I thought he was saying, do not be afraid. I was saying, do not be afraid, in the sense, I know you're afraid. He's been tempted in all ways as you have, yet without sin.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:11

I know you're afraid. I know you're afraid. In some ways you should be afraid of God's purpose for you and desire to use you because it's bigger than you believe. So you should be afraid. But he said, do not be afraid. And, and inside he's saying, well, yeah, that's fine, but I still can't speak. So the Lord did what? He stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, behold, I put my words in your mouth.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:43

In other words, you've been superpowered by the Lord God. carry out the purpose he has for you. You've been superpowered, empowered. God superpowers and equips you. God superpowers and equips you. He superpowers and he equips you. Growing up a geek, I was, you know, into comic books and Introvert, you know, that kind of stuff. And I always thought, I want to have superpower like the Avengers, you know, you want to have like superpower.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:23

And the Lord says, I gave you a superpower. You don't need— you don't need Avengers superpower. I've given you a superpower, superpower to carry out the purpose that you've been designed for, which means you will have a deep sense of purpose, deep sense of purpose. So he says, do not be afraid. He stretched out his hand. Okay, thoughts or questions on that? God's custom will for you. That's custom will for you. So at the core of that, the question is, do I believe that God has a custom will for me, which means a custom purpose, which means the thing that only I can carry out? God has custom designed me for a purpose he has for me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:08

And I always say, if you're still here and breathing, he's got a purpose for you. He's not done using you, otherwise he'd call you home. When he's done with you— how do you know he's done with you? Call you home. He'll call you home. Any questions on that? Yes. So remember I said, when you see that, when it says so that, it's like therefore. It's point— it points to the purpose of something. Purpose.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:38

So when, when, when Paul said that God set me apart and called me through his grace so that I might preach to the, to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ. So this is your so that. This is your so that. And the world wanders around saying, what's my purpose, right? What's my purpose? A lot of tools on how to do purpose. But God, who is the designer, says, pay attention how I gifted you, right? How I've gifted you, wired you, right? Designed you as clarity about your purpose and how I use you, where you see fruit being born. That's how I wired you. He superpowered you. So that's fine.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:26

Lord. So there's, there's, there's a general, right, sort of foundational will that he has. And then from that, there's, you know, God's will for all, right? For all, all Christians. And then there's a custom, his custom will for you. It's custom will for you. But Lord, then I need to, to live day by day, right? Day by day. And there's the day-by-day stuff. So what helps day by day? What helps day by day? Well, first of all, I want to make sure I had this custom will, a version 2.0, 3.0, whatever it is.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:19

written, right, somewhere, right? This is your so that. So that, right, you might— the grace of God so that you might verb, right? Gifts to verb. That's a general kind of general custom directive. Does it make sense? So you look at that and say, this is how God's wired me. This is my purpose statement, whatever you want to call that. It's how God has wired me, my purpose statement. So daily, what do I do? I surrender daily. Surrender daily.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:57

By the mercies of God, present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice. Living and holy sacrifice. So do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the The, the, the, uh, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. So we surrender daily. The second thing is daily, or at least mostly, mostly daily personal time. Personal time alone. With God. That's scary.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:39

And this is for worship, confession, manna mercies, guidance. Worship, confession, manna mercies, and guidance. Personal time alone with God. So I love this one, Psalm 143. What's he say? Let me hear your Loving kindness in the morning. It's loving kindness. What is his loving kindness? The, the, the word is hesed. It's his covenant love.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:10

It's his unchanging, eternal, everlasting, never wavering love which he has set upon you. Let me hear that. When? In the morning. Don't you want to start your day like that? As you get up in the morning, you're like, everything's hurting. You get out of bed, another day. What's going on? It's happening. Lord, let me hear your loving kindness in the morning. It says, for I trust in you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:39

Better than that is, so that I can trust in you. I need refreshment every day, don't I? Then he says, teach me the way in which I should walk, for to you I lift up my soul. There's sort of the daily surrender. Lord, where does it start? Show me your loving kindness. Pour out your loving kindness, right? Upon me. We need to confess our sins. He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins. Why? I need to wash away the guilt of my sin so I can lean afresh into intimacy with him, right? We confess our sins.

Scott Keffer [: 00:37:15

Lord, search me and know me. It's a great prayer. Lord, search me and know me. Pray for a heart. Lord, unite my heart so I may fear thy name, right? Unite my heart that I may fear thy name. The Lord's loving kindnesses might come to an end. There might be a day when I get up. Don't you wonder? I wonder.

Scott Keffer [: 00:37:42

I get up today and I wonder, does the Lord still love me? Like, you— do you see last night, Lord? Or yesterday, or you wonder, is his loving kindness wavering? So he says what? The Lord's loving kindness. By the way, it's not a loving kindness, it's loving kindnesses. It's plural. It's plural. And they never cease. They're an eternal fountain is the picture, right? They're an eternal spring of kindnesses, loving kindnesses, covenantal love. For his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.

Scott Keffer [: 00:38:33

Great is thy faithfulness. Those are manna mercies. They're mercies for the day. Just like manna, you can't stack them up. You don't get mercies for tomorrow. You don't get loving kindnesses for next week. You get mercies for the day. God means you to have enough for the day.

Scott Keffer [: 00:38:53

Give me more manna mercies tomorrow. Worship, confession, manna mercies. Daily personal time alone with God. Next, of course, be in God's word. Be in God's word. By his Spirit. By his Spirit. So understand, to me, there's a difference between Bible study is not personal time alone with God in his word.

Scott Keffer [: 00:39:25

They're very different. Bible study is very different from personal time alone. Personal time, I'm, I'm reading small section of scripture, talking to God about that. Bible study, I'm digging deep. Bible study typically engages more of my mind, right? But I want to make sure it's by the Spirit. That, that make sense? But I want to be in God's word and make sure I'm in there by his Spirit. Never go into God's word without his Spirit. So he said, how of thy law is my meditation All the day.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:04

All through the day. That's the whole idea. Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies. How many of you want to be wiser than your enemies? Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers. I know more than that kefir. Why? Why? Thy testimonies are my meditation, right? I understand more than the aged, right? More than the elders, if you will, because I have observed thy precepts and memorized to meditate, meditate to obey. It's the picture.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:47

And then of course, thy word is a lamp directly to my feet, so I don't stumble and light to my path. Sometimes I want God to light longer. I want to get like the flashlight with greater distance, right? I want to get that superpower. Have you ever— one of those— I got one of those flashlights and there's 2 clicks on it. The first one you can just barely see here, the second one blinds everybody, right? You ever want one of those flashlights? It's super cool. That's what we want. I don't want the one just for walking here. I want to see what Everything that's going on down there.

Scott Keffer [: 00:41:22

Where are the turns? Where do you want— right? I want to— I want a Waze map. Like, like, lay out all the turns, Lord, and then I'm going to prove, because I want to see, like, the 3 alternate ways to get there. Right? We think that God's will is like the Waze map. Give me 3, and I'm going to pick, oh, that one's better time, that one's less cost, this one is— he doesn't do that, does he? Yeah. He doesn't do that. Of course, when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. So when you go into the word, be sure that you engage the Spirit of God. So Proverbs says, the man of— the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:08

So plan your ways, plan your ways. However that might be. For Josh, it's just go. For me, it's plan, right? Plan your ways, and then let God direct your steps. Can God direct your steps? Because the mind— a man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps. Hey Lord, direct my steps. Direct my steps. Well, I've always thought if you have a big decision, and a big decision changes the course of life, for you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:42

When we were thinking about should we buy the house, then we go into a deeper process because that's a— to me, that's a big change. Change a job, change a city, change— buy a house, right? Things that will change in a big way, right? So there is a deeper process of doing that. So be sure you seek godly counsel. Seek godly counsel. Seek Godly counsel. Seek godly counsel, which be mature, godly counsel. We always ask for a verse. We always ask for a verse.

Scott Keffer [: 00:43:28

Where there's no guidance, but in the abundance of counselors there is victory. And Psalm 119 says that his His testimonies are my counselors. So I want to, I want to, I want a verse. And I think about that when God gave a verse for Beth's, uh, health through the midst of this, that he was, he was going to keep her safe and heal her. When I say that to the Lord, I said, look, I'm not commanding this verse because I don't command you, but I am standing. I don't want to command a verse, but I stand on a verse. So I believe God has given me a verse, and that's why for a big decision Why? Because when I start to question, is this really— was it right to do? Should I have? Because I don't want to be looking back. I want to say, Lord, you gave me a verse which I believe confirms this is what you want me to do.

Scott Keffer [: 00:44:17

I can stand on that verse. Could stand it, not command it, but stand. Everybody see the difference? I want to— I want to— I want a verse. The biggest— this is when, when, when And in an age where everybody wants to seek guidance, you can surrender, surrender to, to convenience, surrender to convenience. And this is the biggest danger for AI. Do I believe in AI? Yes. Should you use it? Yes, you should master it and use it. Master it.

Scott Keffer [: 00:44:56

Don't let it master you. One of the ways you let it master you is you start to ask it for advice. Do not do that. It is neither artificial nor intelligent, right? It is very helpful, but I'm telling you what it— what it's teaching Christians to do is look for quick answers. I'm tired of waiting. I don't want to wait for that. That's too hard. You got to be kidding.

Scott Keffer [: 00:45:19

So to look at God's word, okay, how's he going to answer that? Oh, how's he going to speak through his word? I mean, come on, right? Then you're like, okay, okay, there's the answer. So this is what I caution you— any convenient way— I'm tired of waiting for the Lord to give me an answer. Tired of the Lord. Even the seeking godly counsel, seek it and weigh it, it's not the answer. You want to be hearing directly from the Lord. That makes sense? That's why I was asked for a verse. Then as we walk, we walk by the Spirit who Walk by the Spirit. What does that mean? I don't know.

Scott Keffer [: 00:46:03

I really don't know. The Spirit's the biggest mystery to me. I don't really know. It's— is it a feeling? Is it— I don't really know, but I trust, Lord, you know, you're in me. Spirit's in me. You're in me. The Son's in me, right? How's that work? I don't know exactly, but direct me. Lead me and direct me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:46:20

That's what I'm— that's what I ask. Guide me through your Spirit. What's he say? Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight. So trusting that the Spirit of God, by saying, look, I seek you, here's what I heard, I'm going, and I'm trusting that you're going to direct my steps, trusting that you're going to make my path straight. Does that mean That make my path easy? No. And that's why it's important to know, Lord, this— I believe I've heard from you because it's not always going to be easy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:46:59

The Lord Jesus said, I set my face like flint. It doesn't mean it was an easy path. Paul says, I see in front of me like grave dangers, but this is what the Lord is calling me to do. So there's a difference between a straight path and an easy path. The straight path sometimes may be hard. So I want to know, Lord, am I on the right, right path? Walk by the Spirit, trusting God to lead, not just direct, but to lead. Lead. That's why I said, imagine that God's will is a guided journey, a journey with the Lord Jesus going before me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:47:39

You want a guide in life? Do you want a map? You want a phone, right? Technology to tell you what to do, or do you want a guide? Lord Jesus guides. That's why he says, abide in Christ. Abide in Christ. Abide in Christ. And he says, if you abide in me, I'm the vine, you're the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit. Why? I'm the vine. He bears the fruit.

Scott Keffer [: 00:48:08

He bears the fruit, and the fruit is your so that. Fruit is your so that, right? By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit. That you bear much fruit. So prove to be his disciples. We bear much Fruit. So God has a sovereign will over all things. God has a dispositional will, what pleases him and not. God has a revealed will, the general will for all Christians.

Scott Keffer [: 00:48:47

He has, he has a general will, then he has a will for all Christians, and we glorify and love our neighbors, right? Worship him. There's a custom will for you, and then a day-by-day carrying out of that. So thoughts, questions, insights? Thoughts, questions, insights? Write them down. We'll talk about them. Yeah, some would suggest faith is demanding that God does it, right? So I remind myself, don't demand, don't command, just stand. Just stand. Peace that passes all comprehension. Yeah, so they said to Paul, don't go.

Scott Keffer [: 00:49:47

Peter said to Jesus, don't go, right? So there's those around you who could say don't go, because that doesn't look like a good path to me. So that's important. Who else? Well, you, you said at the beginning Proverbs is, uh, wisdom principles. They're principles, they're not promises. They're clearly principles, right? They're, they're prescriptive and proactive principles, right? If you, you know, if you, um, if you operate with, uh, discipline and discretion, you'll be wealthy. Well, that's not a guarantee of wealth, it's just Right. It's a, it's a, it's a principle. So you, you have that right.

Scott Keffer [: 00:50:25

It's a principle, not a promise. To indeed. So think about it. It's God's will, a guided journey. We've been invited to a journey with the Lord Jesus Christ as our guide, our protector, our defender, the one who goes before and the one who comes behind. He is in you and through you and over you and on you, right? It's a guided— it is a guided journey. And so the, you know, I mean, the picture is, okay, Lord, where are you going? Where are you going? And guide me, guide me today, guide me today. So God's will for you, the general, the will for all.

Scott Keffer [: 00:51:06

There's a custom will and a day-by-day will. So I'd say wherever you are in terms of knowing his custom will for your purpose in life. If you don't know, ask somebody who can help you know, right? But clear— write a version. I don't care if it's version 2.0, 1.0, 3.0. Doesn't— you should revisit it from time to time. And generally, it's not going to change unless he's giving you clarity about who that is. And that purpose should be somewhere. You should memorize it, hang on the wall, because it informs where you are, right? It's the mission that you're on.

Scott Keffer [: 00:51:40

It's the mission Paul was on, no matter where he was geographically. No matter where he went, he carried that mission with him. So that would be the challenge for you. Make sure you're really clear about what that is. And as long as you're here, he's still got work for you. May the God who's called you out of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved Son, may he bless you, may he keep you, may he cause his face to shine upon you, may he lift up his countenance and grant you shalom deep in your soul. That you were— you know that you were known by him, consecrated by him, appointed by him for a purpose. And may you walk in that purpose every day.

Scott Keffer [: 00:52:21

May he be your guide. May he bless you and keep you always. Amen.

Speaker E [: 00:52:31

Thanks for listening.

Scott Keffer [: 00:52:32

I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life, and a deeper Trust in the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you His peace, His shalom, in your soul and in your life. Until next time, may God bless you and keep you. Amen.