Part of Why I Struggled to Know

The will of God is not hidden, nor does it imply some unknown or unforeseen instructions for the future:

"15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5: 15-21)

Why I struggled to understand the will of God was that I believed that the Spirit of God would come or go in my life depending on what I was thinking or feeling.

In our minds, in our bodies, we still have sin in our flesh. We are born again in our spirit, even though the outer man may be perishing every day.

I have received a spirit of adoption, and I am sealed as a son of God forever.

In fact, God sees me in His own Son Jesus, and loves me as much as He loves Jesus:

"Herein is love perfected among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

My sonship before God does not change, no matter what I think or feel, no matter what I say or do.

He is moving within us to take care of key things in our lives, and He has granted His mind and His peace, which leads us in all things.

I used to think that how I felt, what I thought, and the circumstances in which I found myself would affect whether I would hear from God or sense His presence in my life.

Nonsense!

The spirit of adoption grants us all a new identity in Christ, in which we can know and believe in His love for us (1 John 4: 16), that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13: 5), because we are seated in Christ at God the Father's right hand (Ephesians 2: 4-6)