Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?
    Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?
    Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?
    Ebook237 pages4 hours

    Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?

    By Bruce K. Waltke

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    New edition of a popular, biblically based guidebook exploring God’s will
     
    Does the Bible teach Christians to “find” God’s “special will” for their lives? No, it does not, says respected biblical scholar Bruce Waltke, contrary to much popular evangelical teaching. In this acclaimed book Waltke clearly distinguishes between pagan divination (“guessmancy”) and solid, Bible-based guidance as he distills from Scripture a six-point program to help guide Jesus followers on their life journey.
     
    This expanded and extensively rewritten second edition of Waltke’s Finding the Will of God incorporates the best insights from many other books on guidance that have appeared since the first edition came out (2002), and it includes an entirely new chapter on learning to protect one’s heart. This edition also features thoughtful questions for reflection at the end of each chapter.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEerdmans
    Release dateFeb 4, 2016
    ISBN9781467445504
    Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?
    Author

    Bruce K. Waltke

    Bruce K. Waltke (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary; PhD, Harvard Divinity School), acknowledged to be one of the outstanding contemporary Old Testament scholars, is professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and professor emeritus of biblical studies at Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored and coauthored numerous books, commentaries, and articles, and contributed to dictionaries and encyclopedias.

    Read more from Bruce K. Waltke

    Related to Finding the Will of God

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      THE WAR FOR OUR YOUTH Why creation still matters

      Dec 30, 2019

      We’re being told by public education systems, universities, media, some parents, and unfortunately many church leaders, that parts of the Bible are not relevant anymore and that we need to reinvent God’s word. So, with this situation, in order to und

      3 min read

    • Article

      Getting to Know God

      Mar 16, 2020

      Getting to Know God
      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Dec 29, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      7 min read

    • Article

      Figuring Out Who We Are

      Oct 12, 2021

      What really defines us? Looking beyond our physical attributes or circumstances and considering our nature as God’s children offers healing, empowering answers.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Renew Your Mind

      Aug 26, 2022

      Many years ago I met a missionary in Hong Kong. He had a razor-sharp mind and a tender heart. I immediately knew I wanted to learn from him. His home was filled with books. While we were talking, he walked over to a bookcase, pulled out a thin paperb

      3 min read

    • Article

      Discover Your True Heritage

      Jun 23, 2021

      Looking for a better understanding of who you are and where you come from? Starting from the spiritual standpoint of our nature as God’s children frees us from limitations that would divide or pigeonhole us.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Samuel Rodriguez

      Jul 26, 2022

      Samuel Rodriguez
      2 min read

    • Article

      Worldview?

      Dec 30, 2022

      Worldview?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jun 24, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jul 21, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      6 min read

    • Article

      Jesus Does Not Expect Much – He Expects EVERYTHING!

      Dec 29, 2023

      I thank the Lord for the wonderful, God-fearing parents who raised me in the ways of the Lord, but in my early 20s I had to come to the realisation that information about God is not the same as an intimate relationship with Him; that the Bible is mea

      3 min read

    • Article

      How Should We Respond To Celebrities Coming To Christ?

      Dec 30, 2019

      If you’ve been following the news lately, you will have noticed a significant wave of celebrities who are turning to Christ. In what is referred to as a massive spiritual movement, the sinful city of Hollywood is turning more and more stars away from

      5 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Jul 30, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Apr 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      ‘Curveball’: When Spiritual Skepticism Leads To Sturdier Faith

      May 2, 2023

      In his probing spiritual memoir, “Curveball: When Your Faith Takes Turns You Never Saw Coming,” Peter Enns describes a dark period. He realized his religious assumptions since his teenage years – that every word of the Bible was fact – needed a secon

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Best Time to Share the Gospel

      Nov 19, 2021

      “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 Wow, it’s almost Christmas aga

      2 min read

    • Article

      Reader Testimony

      Dec 31, 2021

      For as long as I can remember, I have had so-called symptoms of Bi-Polar mood disorder. I can also claim symptoms of PTSD. At risk of giving anything not of God any kind of recognition or sense of pride in itself, I hesitate to write too much about t

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Finding the Will of God

    4.5/5

    19 ratings2 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      The title of Waltke’s book demonstrates his determination to prevent people from seeking the will of God in a superstitious manner. He begins the book with a number of examples in which Christians seek God’s will through coincidence or impressions. Waltke’s basic stance is that “God is not a magic genie. The use of promise boxes, or flipping open your Bible and pointing your finger, or relying on the first thought to enter your mind after a prayer are unwarranted forms of Christian divination” (12). Waltke agrees with Sanders that God equips people with gifts to match their calling and other Christians will affirm the person in that calling. Our calling is revealed through our relationship with God rather than through any special signs or “hunches” that he might provide.Waltke has specific chapters on the basic ways in which God guides us: through obedience to the Bible, through matching our desires with scriptural principles, through wise counsel, through God’s providence in the world in line with his recorded will in scripture, and through rational sound judgment based on scripture, ability, giftedness, overall strategy and circumstances. He concludes with a chapter on divine intervention in which he focuses on “our getting to know [God] through his word and letting him shape our character, our hearts, and our desires. Then as we know the mind of God we can live out His will. He expects us to first draw close to Him, then allows for seeking wise counsel as confirmation, or taking our circumstances into consideration and using our own sound judgment to make a decision” (168-69).This book is helpful in leading Christian to find the will of God not through superstitious means but in light of his divine revelation to all people and the specific talents, giftedness and ambitions that he has instilled in them personally. It balances well the fact that God desires for each person to fully walk in the Spirit in a personal way with the fact that God does not give everyone an itemised list of what they are to do in life.
    • 5/5
      This book is an easily read book concerning God's will. The author shows that Christians should not find the will of God, but rather we should follow the guidance of God. Waltke begins by showing that Christians all too often try to find God's will as if it were hidden. Therefore, if we can coerce God through formulaic rituals, we may find the illusive will of God. Waltke shows that this is the way pagans sought after a god that they were afraid of or could not find. The author elaborates on instances where people seemed to search out God's will in the Old Testament such as laying out a fleece and casting lots and shows how how believers in the New Testament followed God's guidance. We don't need a formula to find God's will but simply to read His Word in which His will is revealed. When we do this, our desires, the counsel of others, circumstances, and even our own judgment will be helpful to us in making the decision that confronts us. This is a book that takes a lot of familiar pieces and puts them together to understand what most people seem to think is a complicated subject.

    Book preview

    Finding the Will of God - Bruce K. Waltke

    `book_preview_excerpt.html\rH(d7m2-YSjY[["(0:Ge>aQ_2GU3}@,ϟ/е^]kfγO7#%g<ɶEeꐽ kSonP|`2+,{̞jѺbeg9<\?Çwg-6Rjj݅7H_tmƝ(Fwq'GG'ipU$KƯ,ObQ'gG;s]E:Sf/Zwc;r9{x.֟bKv|t6,{4{cl6s75}5Ѻ \-v3 Բm]nݢ5#oH8`) G=t<7"f:*)xZMRͨo4yfFzr̳n6>ABWf?8<:|ptɽfq=%~49>XTMlb]kw!33׶Ζp|͞E xk70`#mo_^BBيg a}p&qL } jʅ bl|[W$i2tE[/49QiqgCִ]N_d._2d8v0evYXdg7 h+Q`7;LQ%W,6tFag~U }0uq-.ٟ)U%]؏o W;YݛsNcwܟgW^C羯-K븁ՋOG]+oi" *0zOiWngC_O`p'p +|VY %E7!(y?Eh3.另4uoLbî;Zilgk05q[P5_J.X5S} }s:syS vKެA82zԧv5^[/!!+^tò+/~qꕯM U߮K.%5qD:aWpH\f[뺼jpY:1]r( 95wweyQvQy r 5Ǖ{q-AU0IU>Ǿm%F~ kq}xn׼wf 0q ꡊz0a*"ޘm4Z2԰;plbPKj'BVkZo[J%QWJLËv`vY6Ɖqw,0C#ueg/`iґb E0Hcx<x\0O*)ˠJ:lf}95؁ĤШ&zg,wV`5؍ ^l߻)|EoY%O EN ƃ@5-. U"dyv2H;ԁlD}]370_5[!Ās-BPEH XZt?2l#6dc3c&U 2֮4 8p#0h6f. Nj6r+{pWO uy3ҶӉoJrt2<{σҴh(*NPҔʷp Lw ~O>x_A8ôs޲/Qs^h P`=z` %!ae',PĮ˸00 P-F=ھ[p;9FJ#7Qk;LR_GYv8`Ru*KܺQDɁPօIIvh0LDө+%z@6zBjm"r+*Gϕ&MCS9#!uB]pb`~qcbw7DIw4YmMy8B$g PJXycDI()#.T3(VhDӭLK2cH @CdrwvٗkZ^̒W$8=ޕKpxF1W= pB85&9^pfD #s@5.5t&D㊮@ß3% 9D(a( b/4=Zo>%t D?~ͤ1 gѩT| #m#=t wTm\^YYs|1lr⌍pDX 2ؓ eWF\:av{΄ 3KN*n]B,Ƞ7f]Ɉ/ 6&v9x )S I4K/ưY0%fJeBA)&4KD{l<%;“dKɃچDR {$%/m=JHwaU-X jc LU&ש])E% mrP._d.""(n%Á Sr Hb:f-ƨgh# $dM% |IUb|aNVpz-3˜ŌX=h:ϤL$1u " KiJuqc3&98*ɮ(9"X OOH*黥$%[13MhMD_%MΧ`+$[Vt؋XǼ1ϭ]yhK\֍i A'ѩtj"d d^rw ѵׄEȆ=֮R--sD̒JwJ} imZA 6B;rt"e;%}fXPX'w),K@; &1K&I dp/Yf0,խ`c@ǽ!\F.XQhPRI6bML]+R{$tb9$M~8gUBR~H&ڀTkRaw**)s/k Cbk(#R#PYgyϫ YAm_HmwzI^TL=S xHD<[+MGыOTs%z Q$e \6p:I`J1օ8Io>g ƕn+=Pd=NZT,;1]Dpm8i8QpVZ2HF yJwk0B=e;4Y@xKz+!@c!QCEKI-d}O?d|Ypwrc|WL`(&lYmJ/Et)^$cI$KC$GVtBr%/>Y\bx 1d_(/ӯw[R IK䙢9jJEhBEe uDM`Saց%]Ip$~ئR!F̳wf#= *UJ-|hN7C@?]Ry|[HٷAdwY+Vj-t͂!K nc!2jk t¯t-J3_F!1w/ĨnXl%ZjQޥ2n$?j7;a%竑,g3U-OP(dJLh2!&3LJSP Osl/ "b ?-(ȴmom&k@\<,jjfcz׵c ;e$gD1HIJҐ\UKkMWjފlԼ٘1]8%^sD75`R 㚨y'X `Wֲ(&ܬ 9иV)XF;ߙTrS)LcaBޟ\ wKEmm}+.?-H2(. &6I *'DbR2>~k[F~ 1I|a,Z[e毬f5`jvF[G=mp"Y4K[\PJEfƠR_R#WEUfj|s]65D|̂M)7ڿ>N6flBIA2S h$^I;lS?e`%i'E_dAe vIƍn=]ҞR@t8b򴱵TN kղ7rvClMWYcOі(|^j`LlSظOwLX| }`V5գ^[+YĶ1H\=솹;M |bɡ-UȤTy@~_j^Ejc-Y(hv ^r :Kcm3hޢR޺K\!vh 6$[i Z#ཤODf\F!itT2R˵؄cٲ2E x>vh*GKB>aMx*9NK2!Z$ UzM%L$;F-d+f50>0!mEs 0YЁVOOϏ/57ہ f] XR%NGvp30+D߈0t q{ea!MV aNKo/c53DHL<AyJc2;;?i[UDB2|"1Π9k۳au#*0ymyWfaTrߤ 4;%c&4л*.S{ճ;(CN[N3ZnULKώDl(U7F q|XH^tqektN0>d;vd6DHbKmkLi ="s%K}2ۓx+i'LH;\KY& 1RRcXvxeߍg(LhIr}^ƫV6;z#-n>8ӆ6/%7FZ?<;m4MI>ZYzII[ k]jl}`YIInJߠt@ؿiNAc~MNA5F}-v4dT&!)yPMیf @( >)cqP=#j(èwʝIGL߭ȍ:p>;`U64윑tg4^rX܅1Cҽ싕X ;%Z& _6.%Dm!/Dp}F$v{kt 4-SG>ֆR7JtCBSv.*"͘E/o~݅Njʌc3yClZ̍=rTpʷ\CIx96wk;/;pQ{elb[Rc6ذ^$0-$zZsn;Z>`[R%<޹g,CFlS|ϪE*}S-ޙ;,4M7 A]壱x IŦDwscZR vG~TUMy@lVT{2P0xtj;?eVc>KɋȢi!v+KZ|dIHb/5~@_*&I
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1