WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR MY LIFE?

For many, the question “What is God’s will for my life?” is the deepest cry of the heart, especially for those hungering for more—more purpose, more progress, and more meaning. We long for clarity, for direction, and for the reassurance that where we are today is where we are supposed to be. Yet, the wilderness seasons of life, those dry and difficult periods, often raise doubts. We wonder if the provision we receive in such times—barely enough to get by, and always last minute—is a sign that we are in God’s will.

But here’s the truth: God’s provision is not always a sign of His approval. To be clear, the fact that His provision is so last minute, barely enough and leaves us hungry is to motivate us to move from where we are to where He wants us to be—the promised land.

The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, not because of God, but because of them. They were sustained by daily manna, yes, but that desert was not where God wanted them to stay. His provision was grace, not an endorsement of their circumstances. The desert was Plan B not Plan A.

As the saying goes, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there,” and the problem with ‘there’ is that it usually isn’t where you want to be” Without clear direction, we risk aimlessly wandering through life, settling for less than God’s best. As Scripture so clearly says:

“My people are destroyed because of ignorance” (Hosea 4:6)

If we’re honest, this ignorance is largely self-imposed because we fail to recognize our human predicament, God’s plan, or how to align ourselves with it. This is entirely avoidable if we simply read what is written in the Bible and put in a little effort.

The Bible wasn’t given to decorate our shelves. It was provided to give us the vital information we need. This includes what belongs to us, what the devil is up to and how he operates. It also tells us how we can avoid his traps and how to intelligently cooperate with God’s plan. It reveals the promises that are rightfully ours as children of God. It equips us with the wisdom to recognize and counter the enemy’s schemes. It teaches us how to live in alignment with God’s purpose.

By ignoring its guidance, we not only leave ourselves vulnerable but also miss out on the abundant life that God intends for us.

THE DANGER OF COMPLACENCY

Yes, God provided for the Israelites, but the wilderness was meant to be temporary—a transitional space, not their final destination. that is why it is uncomfortable. There is nothing really there except you and God. They were never meant to die in the desert. Their failure to enter the Promised Land was a direct result of their unbelief and disobedience, not God’s plan for them. Psalm 106:24-25 makes it plain:

“Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in His promise. They murmured in their tents and did not obey the voice of the Lord.”

When we settle for Plan B—when we grow comfortable with just enough to survive—we risk missing out on the fullness of God’s promise. God’s plan for your life is not just to “get by.” His will for you is abundant life, a land flowing with abundance:

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land…a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing.” (Deuteronomy 8:7-9)( Also see John 10:10).

However, when we waver in faith, when we stop pressing forward, we can delay or even forfeit what He has in store.

As Matthew Henry says in his commentary on Psalm 106,

“They despised the pleasant land. Canaan was a desirable country, but their hearts were alienated from it, and they preferred the wilderness.”

If we are not cautious, we may despise the generosity of God, preferring to live the squalor our own efforts produce. This attitude of complacency, voluntary ignorance and unbelief kept them from entering God’s promise.

PROVISION IN THE DESERT

It’s critical to understand that God’s provision in the wilderness—manna, quail, and water from the rock, protection light, guidance—was given in mercy, but it was often at the last minute, in the midst of their discomfort. Why? To keep them moving ahead, to remind them that the wilderness was not their home. The desert was meant to shape their dependence on Him, but not to become their place of rest.

The Hebrew word for “desert,” midbar (מִדְבָּר), derives from the root dabar (דָּבָר), which means “word” or “speak” in Hebrew In the wilderness, God speaks—stripping away distractions so that we may hear His voice with clarity.

This empty expanse, where the horizon fades into obscurity, is the sacred space where heaven touches earth. It becomes God’s pedagogical landscape, guiding us toward maturity and awakening our sense of responsibility—the ability to respond. Here, in the desolation, we learn to respond to His call and embrace the profound truths He wishes to impart.

Yet, it is also where many died—because they refused to listen. They heard God’s words but did not believe, and they perished in the place of transition.

Here we are faced with a choice; we either become bitter or we become better.

If anything, the desert is an indication that we must move up and on, fighting for our share of the Promised Land. In Joshua 18:3 we see a stark reprimand,

“How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?”

The desert is a call to action, not a place to acquiesce and settle. “Acquiescence” is a good word, it means, ” agree tacitly,” and “to concur.” We either agree with God’s program to actively progress to the promised land. Or we agree to the constrictions the enemy would place on us in.

THE COST OF UNBELIEF

Matthew Henry, commenting on Psalm 106, reminds us that unbelief is not just an intellectual struggle. It is a heart issue, a refusal to trust God’s goodness and faithfulness. The Israelites’ failure to trust God’s promises led them to forfeit their inheritance. The same can be true for us if we grow content with mere survival in our spiritual deserts. This is a tacit agreement with spiritual stagnation.

PLAN A: THE PROMISED LAND

God’s Plan A for Israel was the Promised Land, and so it is for us. His will is for us to live in His abundance, to experience His promises, to walk in the fullness of His purposes. Hebrews 3:19 warns us that

“They could not enter because of unbelief.”

This directly links the failure of the Israelites to enter Canaan with the warning for Christians not to also miss entering God’s rest in the same manner. Hebrews 4:1 thus urges us to

“Be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.”

Just as Israel had to contend for the Promised Land, we must contend for the promises God has made over our lives. We are called to fight for our inheritance, to press into God’s best for us, and to refuse to settle for spiritual wilderness and anything less than God’s best.

CONCLUSION: DON’T SETTLE FOR THE DESERT

If you find yourself in a season of desert-like existence, don’t mistake it for God’s final destination for you. His provision in such times is real, I have personally experienced His faithfull provision many times, but it is not approval of where we find ourselves. It is a very real reminder to keep moving forward, not a signal to settle down—the discomfort should be the clue.

Like the Israelites, you are called to press on toward the prize. You are called to trust in His plan. Choose to believe that God’s will is a path to your progress, not a destination of stagnation. Remember, to not choose, is also a choice and agreement to continue in misery.

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IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY: remember that the desert is a place of transition, not a home. Let faith propel you forward, and enter into the fullness of what God has prepared for you. Keep walking in faith, and you will see His will unfold in ways beyond your imagination—Don’t settle in Plan B when God has already ordained a glorious Plan A for your life.

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