Living Boldly Beneath the Will of God
“Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.’” — James 4:15 BSB
Deo Volente.
Two Latin words carrying a profound Christian truth:
God willing.
For centuries, Christians used the phrase Deo Volente, sometimes simply written D.V., when speaking about future plans.
“I will travel there next month, D.V.”
“We will begin the work next year, D.V.”
“I hope to see you again soon, D.V.”
It was more than religious vocabulary. At its best, it was a reminder:
I may plan tomorrow, but I do not possess tomorrow.
That is the wisdom behind Deo Volente.
Plan—But Do Not Presume
James gives us one of Scripture’s clearest warnings about our relationship with the future:
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.’ You do not even know what will happen tomorrow!” — James 4:13–14 BSB
Interestingly, James does not condemn their ambition.
They were planning.
Traveling.
Doing business.
Making money.
Thinking ahead.
None of those things were necessarily wrong.
The problem was presumption.
They were speaking about tomorrow as though tomorrow belonged to them.
James provides the correction:
“Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.’” — James 4:15 BSB
There it is:
Deo Volente.
God willing.
The Christian does not stop making plans.
The Christian simply remembers Who stands above the plans.
Sovereignty Does Not Cancel Responsibility
There are two ditches we can fall into.
One says:
“Everything depends upon me.”
That produces pride, anxiety, control, and eventually exhaustion.
The other says:
“Everything depends upon God, so I’ll just wait and see what happens.”
That can become passivity disguised as faith.
Scripture gives us something better.
“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9 BSB
Notice both parts.
Man plans.
God determines.
Human responsibility and divine sovereignty are not enemies.
I have real decisions to make.
I have work to perform.
I have responsibilities to fulfill.
I have opportunities to pursue.
I have risks to evaluate.
I have seeds to plant.
But I do not control every circumstance surrounding those decisions.
So I plan boldly while remaining humble enough to say:
Deo Volente.
Open Hands and Working Hands
This creates a posture I like to think of as:
Open Hands • Working Hands
My hands should be working because God has given me responsibility.
My hands should remain open because the results ultimately belong to Him.
The farmer illustrates this beautifully.
He prepares the soil.
He plants the seed.
He removes weeds.
He protects the crop.
He works.
But he cannot manufacture sunlight.
He cannot command rain.
He cannot dictate every circumstance affecting the harvest.
His responsibility is participation.
The outcome involves providence.
Life works much the same way.
Do everything faithfully within your responsibility while trusting God with everything beyond your control.
That is Deo Volente.
Jesus Lived It Perfectly
The ultimate expression of this posture came from Jesus in Gethsemane.
Knowing what awaited Him, He prayed:
“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” — Luke 22:42 BSB
Jesus expressed His desire honestly.
Yet He surrendered that desire completely.
Not My will, but Yours.
That is not weakness.
That is not fatalism.
That is not apathy.
That is faithful acquiescence.
We can bring our desires boldly before God while simultaneously placing them beneath His wisdom.
Ask boldly. Work diligently. Desire deeply. Surrender completely.
Deo Volente.
Sometimes Providence Redirects the Plan
One of the hardest lessons in life is discovering that a good plan is not necessarily God’s plan.
Paul learned this during his missionary journeys.
He attempted to enter Bithynia:
“But the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.” — Acts 16:7 BSB
Think about that.
Paul wanted to preach the Gospel.
Good man.
Good mission.
Good intentions.
Yet God closed the door.
Soon afterward, Paul received the Macedonian vision and headed in another direction.
Sometimes a closed door isn’t defeat.
It is direction.
That is why Deo Volente requires discernment.
Sometimes resistance means:
Persevere.
Sometimes resistance means:
Adjust.
Sometimes resistance means:
Wait.
And sometimes resistance means:
Go another way.
Wisdom learns to distinguish among them.
Many Plans—One Prevailing Purpose
Proverbs gives us another important balance:
“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.” — Proverbs 19:21 BSB
I love that Scripture permits many plans.
Think.
Dream.
Strategize.
Set goals.
Build businesses.
Develop ministries.
Create things.
Travel.
Learn.
Compete.
Invest.
Serve.
Attempt something difficult.
There is nothing particularly spiritual about living without ambition or direction.
But place every ambition beneath one greater ambition:
that God’s purpose prevail.
That changes success itself.
Success can no longer mean merely:
“I got what I wanted.”
Sometimes God’s greatest work in our lives occurs when we don’t.
Acquiescence Is Not Resignation
This is where Deo Volente becomes the art of acquiescence.
Acquiescence can sound like reluctant surrender:
“Fine. Whatever.”
That isn’t the posture we’re after.
Biblical acquiescence is willing surrender to God’s greater wisdom.
It says:
I will pursue what I believe is right until God shows me otherwise.
I will work without demanding.
I will pray without manipulating.
I will persevere without presuming.
I will adjust without despairing.
I will surrender without quitting.
And I will trust God without requiring Him to explain everything first.
That takes maturity.
Deo Volente and True Success
Eventually Deo Volente changes how we define success.
If success means getting exactly what I planned, life will continually frustrate me.
But if success means faithfully participating with God in whatever He places before me, circumstances lose some of their power over me.
I still pursue excellence.
I still measure results.
I still learn from mistakes.
I still set goals.
I still want to win.
But results are no longer my god.
I can say:
I did what was mine to do.
And then:
I trust God with what belongs to Him.
That is freedom.
A Deo Volente Life
So perhaps Deo Volente can become more than something we occasionally say.
It can become a way we live.
UNDERSTAND before deciding.
PLAN wisely.
PRAY continually.
WORK diligently.
WATCH providence.
ADJUST willingly.
TRUST completely.
And over everything place two small words:
Deo Volente.
God willing.
Not because we are afraid to make plans.
But because we know our plans exist beneath a greater Plan.
Not because we lack confidence.
But because our ultimate confidence rests somewhere greater than ourselves.
Not because we refuse responsibility.
But because we understand the boundaries of our responsibility.
Head • Heart • Hands
HEAD — Understand
I can plan tomorrow, but I cannot possess tomorrow.
Seek wisdom. Count the cost. Make the decision. Understand what belongs within your responsibility and what belongs to God’s providence.
HEART — Acquiesce
“Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Hold desires sincerely but surrender them willingly. Trust that God’s wisdom reaches beyond what you can currently see.
HANDS — Participate
Open hands. Working hands.
Do everything God has placed within your hands with faithfulness and excellence while refusing to clutch the outcome.
Ponder This
“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9 BSB
What am I responsible to do faithfully today—and what outcome am I trying to control that actually belongs in God’s hands?
Plan boldly.
Pray humbly.
Work faithfully.
Adjust willingly.
Trust completely.
Open hands. Working hands.
Deo Volente.
God willing.
SONG
Listen Here
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I can make my plans for tomorrow
I can set my course and choose my way
I can work with all the strength You give me
But I cannot hold the coming day
I can build, prepare, and keep on moving
I can plant the seed and tend the ground
But the rain, the harvest, and the timing
Are in hands no power can command
[Pre-Chorus]
So I will walk with open hands
And do the work You’ve placed in mine
I’ll trust the road I cannot see
And yield my will to Yours in time
[Chorus]
Deo volente, God willing
The art of acquiescence
I will plan, but not presume
I will work, but trust in You
Deo volente, God willing
Your purpose will prevail
I’ll surrender every outcome
And follow without fail
[Verse 2]
I will not use Your sovereignty
As an excuse to sit and wait
I will rise and do what I am called to
While I leave tomorrow at Your gate
I will seek the wisdom You provide me
I will act with courage and with care
When the door is closed, I’ll call it guidance
When You turn me, I will meet You there
[Pre-Chorus]
For every step and every season
You are faithful, You are near
I can labor without fear
I can trust You with the years
[Chorus]
Deo volente, God willing
The art of acquiescence
I will plan, but not presume
I will work, but trust in You
Deo volente, God willing
Your purpose will prevail
I’ll surrender every outcome
And follow without fail
[Bridge]
Not my will, but Yours be done
Not my timing, but Your own
Not the path that I demand
But the road beneath Your hand
I will pray without demanding
I will trust without control
I will labor without boasting
You alone will keep my soul
[Chorus]
Deo volente, God willing
The art of acquiescence
I will plan, but not presume
I will work, but trust in You
Deo volente, God willing
Your purpose will prevail
I’ll surrender every outcome
And follow without fail
[Outro]
Open hands and working hands
The art of acquiescence
I will do what You have given
And leave the rest to You
Deo volente
God willing
Deo volente
Your will be done