God's Will

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NRSVUE)

Over the years, I have heard the expression “God’s will” used in all kinds of moments—after the loss of someone dear, before a difficult surgery, in the middle of a crisis we never saw coming. There are two very different ways this phrase can be understood.

One interpretation suggests that whatever misfortune we face is not only beyond our control—which is true—but also somehow desired by God, as if the pain itself were part of a divine lesson plan.

The other way—the way I believe scripture prompts us to see—is that God’s will is not about the tragedy itself. God’s will is about our orientation in the midst of whatever happens. It’s about how we stay rooted in God when life unravels around us.

When Paul tells us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, he is not asking us to pretend that everything is good. He is not telling us to be grateful for the diagnosis, the heartbreak, the injustice, or the loss. He is not suggesting that God orchestrates our suffering to teach us something.

If we take the witness of scripture seriously—from Job’s cries, to the laments of the psalmists, to the compassion of the human Jesus who, on the cross, cries out, “My God, my God”—we see a God who stands with the wounded, not a God who wounds. Evil exists. Bodies fail. Systems harm. Life breaks us open in ways we did not ask for. None of that is God’s desire.

What God does will—what God longs for—is that we not face any of it alone. God’s will is that we stay connected to him through prayer, even when the words come out as groans. God’s will is that we remain receptive to grace, even when joy feels like a distant memory. God’s will is that we look for signs of God’s presence in the cracks and dimness, trusting that gratitude can still flicker in the darkest places. That even in the midst of darkness, we can still see his light. 

God’s will is not the circumstance. God’s will is the companionship, the strength, the steady resilience that rises within us because God is near.

So today, whatever you carry—grief, fear, uncertainty, exhaustion—hear this gently: God’s will for you is not the burden itself. God’s will is that you be held, strengthened, and sustained. God’s will is that you remain fastened to the One who refuses to let go.

Holy God, in the shifting seasons of our lives, draw us close to Your heart. When circumstances overwhelm us, steady us with Your presence. When joy feels far away, kindle in us even the smallest beam of hope. When our prayers falter, hear the ones we cannot speak. Teach us to rejoice in Your nearness, to pray with honest hearts, and to give thanks for the grace that meets us in every valley. Hold us, guide us, and orient us toward Your love, today and always. Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Tim