HOW BADLY CAN WE VEER OFF FROM GOD’S WILL? — Part 9a

The View From Above: Thoughts To Help With Everyday Life

October 9, 2026

Pastor Paul Stephens

HOW BADLY CAN WE VEER OFF FROM GOD’S WILL? — Part 9a

Well, all we have to do is look at Adam and Eve.

God’s will was clearly spelled out for them:

Genesis 2:15–17

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”

That wasn’t too much to ask of Adam in light of the blessing of God that he entered into upon his creation.

We can only imagine what he could have enjoyed for a lifetime and for eternity had he not sinned.

One act, sometimes that’s all it takes, one act of disobedience can really mess up your life and the lives of those around you.

That’s why we must live cautiously and so very carefully.

Far too many live their lives foolishly and carelessly, not giving due consideration to God’s will.

Defying God’s will for your life can be catastrophic, although it may not seem so in the immediate.

Sometimes it’s a series of bad decisions that play out over a season in our lives.

We don’t realize we’re veering off track until it’s either too late or we’ve created a mess that is going to be very difficult to extract ourselves from.

For Adam and Eve, the consequences were immediate and swift…but that is not always the case with us.

Therein lies the danger, and Jesus warned us about this:

Matthew 7:24–27

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

You can very unwisely build your house on sand…there will be no consequences, maybe for years…but eventually the storms will come and the quality of the foundation you have built your life upon is going to become apparent.

What does it take to avoid that?

The “wise man” in the above text built his house, his life, on a solid rock foundation.

How did he do that?

By living within the very narrow boundaries of obedience to the will of God.

We all have choices to make in life…we are free to do so.

Life really is all about the choices you make…your decisions have already taken you where you are and they will continue to propel you to the future that you are choosing day by day.

It’s best, of course, to align your life with Jesus Christ and His Word.

I’m free, I have a free will and I can choose as I please, but I have learned that the best course is to make choices defined by what is pleasing to God.

I can easily discover that in His Word.

Maybe you have veered off course. Now is a good time to right the ship, as it were, and re-align yourself with God’s will for your life.