What is God's will for teaching me?

Can you learn from a bad circumstance in life? Yes, but that doesn’t mean that the bad circumstance was God’s will. Can God bring something good out of a bad circumstance? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean the bad circumstance was God’s will. God can bring something good to you without a sickness or trial having to precede it. We live in a fallen world with Satan as its god…

2 Cor 4:4 NIV
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Eph 2:2 NIV
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

John 12:31 NIV
Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.

1 John 5:19 NIV
19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

We will have to endure trials and fight through them using the promises of God. We can count it all joy that we have another opportunity to come forth victorious. Praise God that He will work on our behalf in all situations (good or bad) to bring us to a good outcome but that doesn’t mean the bad situation was His will to begin with.

Rom 8:28 NIV
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

* Note: Rom 8:28 in the Greek can be interpreted and translated differently (in a more negative sense indicating that all things work for our good, that would include sickness and disease) – see other versions of the Bible. You figure out which one is correct. From my understanding of God’s nature, the NIV has this one correct. God will help you no matter what the situation is, but God wasn’t necessarily the one who caused the situation to begin with.

Does the Bible say that God roams around seeking someone to devour? Or that God’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy? Of course not. The Bible tells us who our adversary is:

1 Peter 5:8 NIV
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith…

John 10:10 NIV
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

God has given us a way out of the bad circumstances in this life – it’s through His promises. You will be attacked by the devil in this life – but with the promises of God and your shield of faith you can resist and stop the devil in his attacks against you.

Ephesians 6:16 NIV
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

God is not firing flaming arrows at you, the devil is. If sickness, disease, trials and tragedies were how God teaches His people, then we would all be spiritual giants by now, because we’ve all had plenty of the pain. Furthermore, if sickness, disease, trials and tragedies are how God teaches us, then why aren’t we praying for God to give us more cancer, pain, poverty and car wrecks? After all, shouldn’t we desire to be taught so we can learn and grow in God? Why aren’t we praying for more children to be crippled, or die of cancer, or to be kidnapped? I’ve heard it preached that God has taken children, meaning - in His sovereignty He orchestrated their death, so that He could reach the parents. Why aren’t we praying for more of this teaching from God? Any sinner would say, “You are nuts. I can sit at home and get all of this pain, why would I want to come to your church so your God can give me more?”

Oh how God must be grieved when Satan attacks His children and His children think it is Him. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

So, what is God’s will to teach us? He teaches us with His Holy Spirit.

John 14:26 NIV
26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Luke 12:11 NIV
11"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."

James didn’t say that if you need wisdom to pray and ask God for sickness and trials. He said to ask God for the wisdom and believe that God will give it to you.

James 1:5-8 NIV
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt…

His Holy Spirit will discipline us:

Heb 12:7-13 AMP
7 You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline?
8 Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God's children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all].
9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live?
10 For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.
11 For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness — in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].

The discipline and instruction of God is for our certain good! It is designed to get you back on God’s plan for your life, not to kill you. The Holy Spirit’s discipline is spiritual, not physical. It is for our certain good, not death. Just because it’s spiritual doesn’t mean it isn’t painful: no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful. There are promises of God to stop the sickness, disease, stealing and killing. But there are no promises to stop the correction and teaching of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is God’s will for instruction and discipline toward His children.