If you are a saved, Spirit-filled and sanctified person — if you are following God’s will as we’ve been examining it in previous blog posts — then it is understandable to ask the question, “What do I do now?” If you are a college student, you may be wondering about your plans for next semester. If you are single, you may be wondering who to marry. For many or most of these questions, there is no clear, specific answer in the Bible.

That said, the Bible still has an answer for how we should approach these questions. In Psalm 37:4-5, David writes, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

Now let me ask you a question. If I’m saved, Spirit-controlled and sanctified, am I delighting in the Lord? The answer is clearly yes. And we know from Psalm 37 that if I’m delighting in the Lord, He will give me the desires of my heart. Of course, this doesn’t mean He’ll give me whatever I want. It means He’ll make me want what He wants for me. In other words, He will give me His desires, and then He will satisfy those desires.

So what is God’s will for your life? Whatever you want. Because who is controlling your wants? If you are obeying God’s will in salvation and sanctification, then He is working to make sure your wants coincide with His.

People often ask me, “Why did you choose to become a pastor at Grace Community Church?” And through the years I’ve said, “Because I wanted to.”

Then they’ll say, “But how did you know it was God’s will?” And my response is, “Because I wanted to. And I believe that if I delight in the Lord, He’ll give me the desires of my heart.”

1 Timothy 3:1 says this about eldership in the church: “If a man desires the office of an elder, he desires a noble thing.” How do you get called into ministry? By the desires arising from a heart that is right with God.

Whether you are looking for God’s will for next semester, clarity on choosing a spouse, or direction in your career or ministry, start with what you know for sure about God’s will. Start with examining yourself against the fundamental elements of God’s revealed will in Scripture. Are you saved? Are you filled with the Spirit? Are you keeping yourself separate from sin? If you’re not a Christian, you’re not being saturated by the Word and you’re not living a pure and sanctified life, you don’t have much chance of finding God’s will for the details of your particular circumstances.

My hope for students at The Master’s University is that the Lord will refine their desires as they learn to be faithful to what God wills for them. As their hearts learn to follow God more closely, they will be freed to follow the desires of their heart, knowing that those desires come from God and are pleasing to Him.

This post is based on a sermon by Dr. MacArthur. In addition to serving as the pastor of Grace Community Church and the voice of Grace to You, Dr. MacArthur is the chancellor of The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, Calif. You can learn more about TMU at masters.edu.