Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV)

The author of Hebrews wrote this prayer to remind Christians that God will supply their needs so they may continue to do his will. He works on our internal needs by equipping us with his word and knowledge. He also provides us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us to aid our understanding of what the Lord is telling us. There is always something to learn, something wise and insightful that he reveals to us that is applicable in any area of or lives. He provides instruction on how to be a spouse, parent, friend, and co-worker. He emphasizes the importance of relationships, first with him and then with others, teaching us the benefits of grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy.

Our Father does not neglect our external needs either. He supplies us with work, shelter, clothing, and food; those things are promised to us as believers in him. For Matthew 6:33 says: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

With regard to the will of God, we may try to discover what that is for us as individuals. Am I living out the purpose and plan that he mapped out for me? How do I know that I accomplishing his will? The pastor of our church offered a short and profound answer that he learned in college. He said that the will of God is to make us more like Jesus every day. So it now makes sense why the Lord will work on our hearts and minds first. Our spiritual growth begins from the inside; and as our comprehension of his word matures within us, then his Spirit moves us to put our faith to work so that whatever we say or do, people will see the character of Jesus displayed right before their eyes. And when that display sparks their curiosity, their desire to learn more about him, then that is what brings glory to God because we acted within his will by exercising obedience and yielding to the instruction of his word.

A good habit to get into is to reflect how on we were shaped to be more like Jesus based on past activities of the day. If there were great shining moments, we can praise God for his guidance. And if there were moments of regret, we can rest on his mercy and thank him for revealing something in our character that we can improve upon. I personally want to be better than I was yesterday.