“Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:10-11, NIV, emphasis added).

There’s a lot of talk these days about the will of God. This isn’t entirely a bad thing, for so many of us desire to live into God’s plan for our lives. For some, however, who scrupulously try to discern God’s will in every nuance of their being, the pursuit of God’s will can be, in the least, frustrating and, at most, downright dangerous to faith.

While it’s important to consider the extent of God’s will, here’s what I’ve come to understand in view of Scripture. The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, his partner in the Gospel, these words, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4, NIV, emphasis added). This passage encapsulates what God’s will is, as well as what it’s not. Simply put, God’s will is that people would be saved by faith in the truth of Jesus.

Isaiah’s prophetic words above can and should be viewed in all of their severity. Still, I can’t imagine the Father taking any joy in the suffering of Jesus. God’s will was that Christ would die for the sins of the world, but I know that his heart was breaking as his only child’s body was broken on a Roman cross.

How do we fulfill God’s will in our lives? I believe that it begins with our faith in the sacrificial work of Jesus. But it doesn’t stop there. Many people have no understanding of the forgiveness of God offered through the cross. So, let’s share it. May God bless us in endeavoring this.