Pr Joshua Yong

“And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.” (Genesis 24:27)

Knowing God’s will is one thing; obeying God’s will is another. We have already considered the Directive Will of God – this is the aspect of God’s will which directs and shows us what to do or where to go. God will use His Word and His providence to direct us. But what should we do once we know God’s directive will for us? We must respond with willing obedience. When we obey God’s will and walk in it, God is pleased and glorified, and He will bestow His blessings and help us. This submission, obedience, and divine help from God are known as the “Cooperative will of God. 

The Cooperative Will of God is an aspect of God’s will that speaks of our response to His will. Many often focus on seeking or discerning God’s will; but the real challenge for all is obedience to the will of God which has already been revealed. If God has already revealed His will and we do not respond in obedience, then we will have to come under God’s Chastistive Will. But if we respond in obedience, then we are “cooperating” with God and are in God’s Cooperative Will. 

The Cooperative Will of God is taught in the account of Abraham's servant, who went to find a wife for Isaac. Genesis 24:27 records for us his testimony: “And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.” [emphasis added]

Cooperate with Obedience

The Bible says the servant was on his way to Nahor as he prayed for the Lord’s help to find the right woman for Isaac, his master’s son. The Lord heard his prayer and answered immediately. The servant worshipped and blessed the LORD “who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth.” The will of the LORD in the lives of Abraham and Isaac was fulfilled through the servant’s obedience and faithfulness. 

The context here is that of Abraham finding a spouse for Isaac. Abraham sent his servant to Mesopotamia, to the city where Nahor lived, to find a wife for Isaac. Isaac was not to marry a wife from the land of Canaan. If he did he would become part of the family of the Canaanites. Like Abraham, Isaac’s calling was to remain separate from all Canaanite cities and to live in tents like nomads. At the same time, the servant, not Isaac, must be the one to go to Mesopotamia to find a wife. If Isaac went, he might not return to Canaan. Isaac’s future wife must leave her home and go to Canaan. With no ties to any Canaanite city, she would live like a nomad together with Isaac.

As Abraham’s servant walked toward Nahor, the LORD had already prepared the right woman for Isaac. Finding a wife for Isaac was an impossibility. There were too many unknowns for it to succeed. That was why the servant would be free from the oath if he could not find a woman who would follow him back to Canaan to marry a man she had not seen before, and all based on the words of a stranger. 

As long as we who are God’s children obey God’s will and way in our lives, one step at a time, God will prepare all involved to accomplish His holy will in our lives. We may not know what a particular outcome might be, but if we know that the Lord has called us to a certain place, then we must go in faith and obedience. If we are in God’s way, the Lord will lead us so that we might accomplish His purpose and will. 

Cooperate in Witnessing

The Cooperative Will of God is seen in witnessing and evangelism. God is the one who has chosen a sinner unto salvation, and God is the one who convicts the hearts of sinners and saves them, but God has given us the privilege to be His witnesses and His instruments to preach the gospel unto their salvation. 

The cooperative will in witnessing is seen in the “Macedonian call” of Apostle Paul described in Acts 16. In Acts 16:6, Paul wanted to go east toward Bithynia to preach the gospel, but the Holy Spirit redirected him westward to Troas. In Troas, Paul saw a vision of a man calling him to go to Macedonia. Acts 16:9-10 says, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.” 

Without hesitation, Paul and Silas immediately crossed over to Macedonia, being assured that God had led them. The Bible says that Paul went “with a straight course” (Acts 16:11) towards Philippi, the chief city of that part of Macedonia. In Philippi, Paul and Silas met Lydia, a seller of purple “whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul” (Acts 16:14b). The Lord had opened Lydia’s heart, thus as Paul preached the gospel in obedience to God’s directing, He led Lydia unto salvation. Notably, the Bible says that Lydia was of Thyatira (a city in Asia Minor), yet she was found here in Philippi where the Lord had also directed Paul to. This is the unfolding of God’s cooperative will. God had prepared the heart of Lydia to receive the gospel in Philippi, and Paul answered the Lord’s call, thus the Lord accomplished His will in bringing Lydia to salvation. The fruit of Paul’s obedience to God’s call is seen in the establishment of the Church in Philippi (Philippians 1:1). 

God continues to lead and direct us according to His preceptive and directive wills. We must go where God sends us to preach the gospel. Salvation is of the Lord, and the work of conviction is the Lord’s, and as He prepares the hearts of the hearers, we who have been given the privilege to witness and preach the gospel must do His will. 

When we faithfully obey God’s directive will, we will experience the working of God’s cooperative will. Have you experienced God’s cooperative hand working to accomplish His purpose in your life? When we walk in God’s way and experience God’s guiding hand in the unfolding of His will, we must praise and thank God.