Louise Gevers

“Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:3

If you want to do well in a test, you have to know all the facts; if you want to assess a situation, you need the facts. Prospective employers find a CV helpful because it provides a record of all of the potential candidates’ qualifications and experience, because they need all the facts in choosing the best one. God knows that the transformed mind also needs to know all the facts to test “His perfect will”, so He gives us access to His CV to negotiate our way through life.

The Bible is God’s CV, the most illustrious imaginable, and available to all. In it we find His management of every possible situation on earth, to name a few: love and betrayal, wisdom and folly, disease and healing, rape, injustice and redemption – we just need to look. There is no situation too hard for Him. He’s given the Word because it “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of Godmay be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Every experience is an opportunity to renew the mind and grow in our knowledge of God’s will, which then prepares us for the next experience. It’s continuous.  Whatever the situation, He prepares us and we always have a connection to His will.

Paul knew God’s Law thoroughly, as a Pharisee, and was very proud of his heritage, but when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was transformed. This experience meant testing and approving God’s will in the brand new way of the gospel, which was from a whole new perspective, Jesus fulfilling the Law. The old Saul would never have sat in prison singing hymns to God, but the new Paul could test this experience with a renewed mind, and his prison cell became a place of worship. (Acts 16:25) Humility, acceptance and joy saturated his understanding – his clear approval of God’s will for him at that time.

What’s your prison experience?

Like Paul, we can have joy in all circumstances. We’re in a dynamic place because we have the Word. We’re able to test every experience we endure, and grow in “his good, pleasing and perfect will”. It changes our attitude and way of viewing things and our head knowledge becomes heart knowledge as we experience “God (working) for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

What a privilege and joy to have the facts.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m never more alive in heart and mind than when I’m alive to You. May You transform me daily to empower me to test Your good, pleasing and perfect will for me. Amen.