Like Paul and the noble Bereans in Acts 17, my lifelong desire (II Pt. 1:12-15) has been to exhort believers to search God’s Word daily (Acts 17:11) for their every thought, word, action, etc…. So, dear reader, search God’s Word (II Tim. 2:15) about myth #16. Let me give you some passages and thoughts to get you started:

–Is the above quote or similar statements from God’s Word? No.

–What does God’s Word say about God’s will on earth?

• Mt 6:10 “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
• Believers are to pray for God’s will to be done on earth. Why? Because God’s will is not done on earth like it always is in heaven. (Examples of such prayers: Mt. 26:39, 42; Acts 21:14)
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–God’s will is for all to be saved.

• II Pt. 3:9 “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
• I Tim. 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
• (also Eze. 18:23, 32, 33:11; I Pt. 3:20; II Pt. 3:15)
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-Are all saved then and God’s will fulfilled? No. (See Mt. 7:13-14; Lk. 13:23-24)

–Surely God’s people always obey God’s will? No. There is a reason why we lamentably say certain believers are “out of God’s will”. Even though God works His will and pleasure in every believer (Phil.2:13), God’s people must choose to obey and work out God’s will (Phil. 2:12). Some do (Ps. 40:8, Ps. 143:10); others do not (“would not” – Deut. 1:26, 43, 8:20; Mt. 23:37; Lk. 13:34).

• –There is much more on God’s will for you to study, but I want to conclude this brief study answering one way in which Myth 16 has been used against suffering believers, including this evangelist:
• -If God’s Word promises that all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28), then believers who have bad things happen to them are not in God’s will, since whatever happens, happens because it was God’s will, right? God making sure all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose doesn’t mean nothing bad happens to believers in God’s will. God’s will includes His children suffering for good (I Pt. 3:17), being persecuted for godliness (II Tim. 3:12), and even suffering need (Phil. 4:12).
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• Concerning suffering need, it is not always God’s will for His children to have their needs supplied (Phil. 4:19) immediately. Considering that God’s will is for “men” (Lk. 6:38) to give to those who have need (Eph. 4:28; Mt. 5:42; Lk. 6:30; Deut. 15:8) and not to shut up their bowels of compassion for fellow believers (I Jn. 3:17), God’s will for provision does not always come through immediately because God’s children are not always right with God (Deut. 15:7 “harden thine heart”, 10 “heart shall not be grieved”). The blame and sin is then not on the needy, obedient believer following God’s will, but on those not fulfilling God’s will to give and provide.