How to seek God’s will?
Gen. 24:1-67; 9/13/2026; BCBC/IOUC; Minister Flora Chen
Introduction
Brothers and sisters, peace be with you.
How to seek God’s will is a subject that God’s children often talk about, and it is also something that can leave us feeling confused. How, then, should we seek God’s will? How can we know whether what we are seeking is truly from God or simply from ourselves?
Genesis 24 records the story of Abraham’s old servant, who was sent to find a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac. As we look at the servant’s journey in searching for Rebekah, we can see how a person who fears God seeks Him in the mission God has entrusted to him, seeks Him through prayer, and moves forward step by step under God’s sovereignty and guidance.
The testimony of this old servant is worthy of being followed and learned from by every child of God.
Today, we will reflect on this passage from three aspects:
- Seeking God in the Mission
- Seeking God in Prayer
- Seeking God in His Guidance
Seeking God in the Mission
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.” In the process of seeking God’s will, when we lose sight of the direction God has given us, we can easily become like sheep that have gone astray, losing our way and stepping out of the path God has set before us.
As for Abraham’s old servant, he was the oldest and most trusted servant in Abraham’s household. Genesis 24 does not tell us his name. Some believe that he may have been Eliezer of Damascus, mentioned in Genesis 15:2, but the text does not clearly establish this. Therefore, what we can say with greater certainty is that he was a servant who had followed Abraham for many years, had earned his master’s deep trust, and had served him faithfully. By this time, Abraham was advanced in age, and Isaac had grown into adulthood. Finding a wife for Isaac had now become an important mission that Abraham entrusted to his old servant. For this servant, the most important part of seeking God’s will was to seek God within the mission he had been entrusted with.
So, how did he seek God in the mission?
1. Clarifying the goal
Genesis 24:4 says, “But you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” Finding a wife for Isaac was the clear goal Abraham gave to his old servant. But behind this goal was the promise God had given to Abraham. God had promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation, and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. Isaac was the son of promise. Therefore, finding a wife for Isaac was not merely a matter concerning Abraham’s family; it was also connected to the descendants God had promised.
The old servant had followed Abraham for many years, and he had witnessed how God had shown His grace to Abraham, guided him, and blessed him throughout his life. Therefore, what he was undertaking was not simply a task given to him by his master. He was faithfully carrying out what his master had entrusted to him within the promise and mission God had given.
Brothers and sisters, this is very important for us as we seek God’s will today. Seeking God’s will is not simply asking, “Lord, what should I do next in my life?” We also need to first ask, “Lord, what have You already entrusted to me?” God’s Word has already made many things clear to us. We are called to love God and love others. We are called to live holy lives, to be faithful in our families, our workplaces, and our churches, to serve one another, and to bear witness to the gospel.
Therefore, when we seek God’s will, we should not focus only on those personal decisions that Scripture does not directly address. We must first faithfully live out the will of God that He has already clearly revealed to us.
2. Discerning the direction
Once the goal is clear, the next question is the direction. If the goal was to find a wife for Isaac, then where should they go to find the wife God had prepared for him? Abraham took this matter very seriously. He instructed his old servant: “You shall swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” — Genesis 24:3–4 What Abraham cared about was not simply whether Isaac could find a wife. He was concerned that the family Isaac established would continue to walk in the way of God’s promise and covenant. Therefore, once the goal is clear, the direction must also be clear.
Brothers and sisters, this is a very important reminder for us today. We often ask, “Can I succeed in this?” But we also need to ask, “Is the direction I am taking consistent with God’s Word?” There are many situations in which the Bible does not tell us that we must choose A or B. But the Bible has already made it clear that whether we choose A or B, we must not violate God’s truth. Think about it. Can we sacrifice honesty in order to get a promotion? Can we compromise God’s principles in order to pursue a relationship? Can we hurt others in order to achieve success? Of course not.
Therefore, seeking God’s will is not simply asking, “Lord, what result do I want to achieve?” We also need to ask, “Lord, what kind of way should I take as I walk this path?” The goal is important, but the direction is equally important.
3. Letting go of anxiety
The old servant had received the goal, and he knew the direction. But he still had concerns. Genesis 24:5 says, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” This is a very real question. The old servant was not without faith. Rather, he knew that what lay ahead was full of uncertainty. “What if I go there and the woman is unwilling to come back with me?” “What if things do not happen the way my master expects?” These are also questions we often face when we seek God’s will. Many times, it is not that we do not know that God wants us to be faithful. What we fear is this: “What if I am faithful, but the outcome is not what I expected?” Abraham said to him, “The LORD, the God of heaven… will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.” — Genesis 24:7
Abraham believed that God would go before the servant and lead him. But notice this: Abraham did not require the servant to control the final outcome. Genesis 24:8 says, “But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine. Only you must not take my son back there.” In other words, the servant was responsible to faithfully fulfill the task entrusted to him, but the final outcome remained in God’s hands. So, what is the key to letting go of anxiety? It is to hold firmly to God’s Word and to godly values, to entrust to God the results that we cannot control, and to trust by faith that God will go before us and lead the way.
As our Lord Jesus said: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow.” — Matthew 6:33–34 Brothers and sisters, faith does not mean that we know all the answers before we move forward. Faith means that even when we do not know all the answers, we still trust that God is already going before us. Therefore, the old servant did not stop simply because he did not know the outcome. He arose and went. He moved forward according to the mission his master had entrusted to him.
So, the first main point is this: To seek God’s will in the mission He has entrusted to us is to clarify the goal, discern the direction, and let go of anxiety about the outcome, faithfully moving forward in obedience.
Seeking God in prayer
After receiving the mission, the old servant set out on his journey. Genesis 24:10 says, “Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia.” From this passage, we see that when the old servant arrived at his destination, he did not rely on his own experience or abilities. Instead, he turned to God in prayer. Genesis 24:12 says, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.” Therefore, the old servant’s seeking was not only expressed through his actions; it was also expressed through prayer. He did not simply go forward and then ask God to bless what he was doing. He sought God as he moved forward, bringing the mission God had entrusted to him before the Lord in prayer.
1. Asking God to open the way
When the old servant prayed, he first asked God to show steadfast love to his master Abraham. Then he asked God to prepare the way for him, so that he might find the right woman for Isaac. He even presented a specific request to God. Genesis 24:14 says: “Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” Here, we need to recognize that the servant’s approach took place within a unique historical context. We should not turn his approach into a formula and assume that every time we seek God’s will, we must set up a condition and ask God to answer us through a particular “sign.” But we can learn from the servant’s attitude in prayer: he knew that he did not know, and therefore he asked God to lead him.
Brothers and sisters, this is something we greatly need to learn. Many times, we make our decision first and then ask God to bless it. “Lord, I have already made my decision. Please bless it.” But the old servant brought the unknown road before God: “Lord, I do not know whom I will meet along the way. Please show me Your steadfast love. Please lead me.” Therefore, when we face important decisions in life, let us learn to pray before we act, and pray as we act. We pray before we take action, and as we move forward, we continue to pray.
2. Waiting quietly on God
Then something remarkable happened. Genesis 24:15 says, “Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder.” The old servant had not even finished praying, and Rebekah appeared. But the old servant did not immediately draw a conclusion on God’s behalf. Genesis 24:21 says, “The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not.” Brothers and sisters, this is a precious spiritual attitude: he watched carefully, and he said nothing. He did not rush to say, “This is the woman!” Instead, he observed. He waited. He discerned. He continued to place the matter in God’s hands. Brothers and sisters, is this not a kind of stillness that we also need to learn? After we pray, can we resist the urge to immediately draw a conclusion for God? Can we say, “Lord, I do not know yet, but I am willing to wait for You”?
Are we sometimes too quick? We pray for a few minutes and then rush to make a decision. We experience a certain feeling and immediately say, “This must be God’s will.” Something happens by coincidence, and we say, “This must be the sign God has given me.” But the old servant shows us a different attitude: after praying, we also need to learn to be still. Being still does not mean doing nothing. It means refusing to rush to a conclusion in the presence of God. We need to ask: “Does this situation align with God’s Word?” “Am I treating my own thoughts as if they were God’s will?” “Am I being so anxious to move forward that I have not given myself enough time to pray and discern?”
Therefore, brothers and sisters, waiting on God is not passive. Waiting on God is an attitude of trust. I believe that God hears our prayers. I also believe that God has His own timing and His own way of working. Therefore, I am willing to be still and wait for Him.
3. Giving thanks and praise
When the old servant saw everything Rebekah had done and learned that she was a relative of Abraham, he bowed down and worshiped the Lord. Genesis 24:26–27 says: “Then the man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD and said, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the LORD has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.’” Notice the servant’s response. He did not say, “I really know how to choose.” He did not say, “I was really lucky.” He said, “The LORD has led me in the way.” This is the life of prayer. When God opens the way, we give the glory to God.
The Apostle Paul also teaches us in Philippians 4:6–7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Therefore, prayer is not only about asking. Prayer is also about giving thanks. We do not pray only when we have no answers. We also worship when we see God’s grace at work. From the moment the old servant set out until he witnessed God’s guidance, he continually placed himself in God’s hands.
Therefore, the second main point is this: To seek God’s will in prayer is to ask God to open the way, to wait quietly on Him, and to offer thanksgiving and praise when we see His grace at work.
Seeking God in His guidance
As the old servant sought God in the mission and sought Him in prayer, we finally see something even more important: The true main character of this entire story is not the old servant, but God. Throughout this process, the old servant was faithful. Abraham was faithful. Rebekah also responded in faith. And yet, from beginning to end, God was the One who was in control. He was sovereignly guiding every step of the way.
1. God goes before us and prepares the way
When the old servant arrived at the well, he did not know who Rebekah was. But God knew. Rebekah herself did not know that the person she would meet at the well that day would change the course of her entire life. But God knew. After Rebekah’s family heard everything the old servant had told them, Laban and Bethuel answered: Genesis 24:50 says, “The thing has come from the LORD.” That statement is very important: “The thing has come from the LORD.”
The old servant did not succeed by relying on his own wisdom and controlling every detail along the way. He simply remained faithful to the mission entrusted to him. But ahead of every step the people took, God was already at work. Brothers and sisters, this is also a very important truth for us as we seek God’s will today. Just because we cannot see what God is doing does not mean that He is not working. Just because we do not understand does not mean that God does not have a plan. Even when we do not yet have the answer, it does not mean that God does not have an answer. The all-powerful and all-knowing God often goes ahead of us. Before we ever see what He is doing, He has already gone before us and prepared the way.
2. We faithfully fulfill our responsibility
God’s sovereignty does not mean that we have nothing to do. The old servant knew that God was sovereign, yet he still set out. He prayed. He searched. He asked questions. He explained the situation to Rebekah’s family. He faithfully fulfilled the mission his master had entrusted to him. This shows us a very important truth: God’s sovereignty and human responsibility are not in conflict. In fact, because we know that God is sovereign, we should not become more passive or simply sit back and do nothing. Instead, we should become even more faithful. We do what we are called to do. We fulfill our responsibilities. We remain faithful to God’s calling in our lives. But we do not try to hold on to the results that are beyond our control. We let go and entrust the outcome to God.
Therefore, brothers and sisters: We can be faithful, but we cannot control the outcome. We can work hard, but we cannot do God’s work for Him. We can move forward, but we cannot control tomorrow. This is faith. As the hymn says: “There are many things about tomorrow I cannot understand. But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know who holds my hand.”
3. Responding in faith
At the end of the story, the old servant was ready to take Rebekah back with him. Her family asked her, “Will you go with this man?” Rebekah answered, “I will go.” — Genesis 24:58 Brothers and sisters, these two simple words carry tremendous power: “I will go.” Rebekah did not know what her future life would be like. She did not know what kind of man Isaac was. She did not know what she would encounter after leaving her family and her homeland. But she was willing to respond. Rebekah was willing to take a step of faith. And this is the final part of how God guides us: God leads, and we need to respond. God can prepare the way, but we still need to cooperate with Him. God can open the door, but we still need to walk through it by faith.
Therefore, seeking God’s will is not only asking, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” It also means asking: “Lord, if You show me the next step, am I willing to obey?”
Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, the next time we face an important decision in life, I hope we will remember three things:
First, return to God’s Word and confirm the direction.
Second, bring it before God in prayer, and learn to discern as we wait on Him.
Third, when God reveals the next step, respond in faith and obedience, and entrust the outcome to God.
Perhaps some of us are waiting for an answer. Perhaps you are praying about your work, your marriage, your family, or your future. We long to know, “Lord, what will tomorrow bring?” But brothers and sisters, we do not need to know everything about tomorrow in order to follow God. We only need to faithfully take the next step that God has placed before us today. We can be faithful, but we cannot control the outcome. We can work hard, but we cannot control tomorrow. The outcome is in God’s hands. The next step is right before our feet.
Therefore, seeking God’s will is ultimately not about finding a complete map for our entire lives. It is about seeking the God who holds tomorrow. May we, like Abraham’s old servant, remain faithful in the mission, look to God in prayer, and respond in obedience as He leads us. And one day, when we look back, may we also be able to say: “The LORD has led me in the way.” Thank God!
Let us pray together!
Gen. 24:1-67
1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia[a] to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this[b] I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden[c] whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel,[d] and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way[e] to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!”[f] 61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way. 62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
