Deo Volente

Deo Volente is a phrase that is not used much in Christian circles today. There was a time when it was quite popular to say D.V. to one another.  It’s a Latin word meaning ‘God willing’ or ‘If the Lord wills’ It’s a biblical term we find in James 4:15 where he says to believers and unbelievers alike, “…If the Lord wills, we shall live, and do this or that.”  Now I’m not suggesting that we should go back to using that phrase in a repeated manner, frightened if we don’t use it somehow the Lord will be very displeased and angry with us for not acknowledging Him. We may end up trivializing it. Like saying, “I’m going to have Lasagne for dinner tonight, DV. Or “I’m going to mow the lawn tomorrow. DV.” But what I am advocating, is that we get the sense of it, and understand that God’s will for our lives is something He orders, and we should bow to His superior knowledge, because as the scriptures say, “He knows the end from the beginning” (Is. 46:10) David said in Psalm 31:14 “My times are in Your hand” Our ‘times’ are not really in man’s hands, or in the Devil’s hands, they truly are in God’s hands. 

So, by saying/acknowledging Deo Volente we are recognizing that our lives are under God’s control and subject to His will. This is in effect, recognising God’s sovereignty.  That is not to say that we are robots or puppets. God does actually give us choices; we have the freedom and power to make decisions. We too have a will. But it does mean that God has our best interests at heart, and that He knows more about ourselves than we do. He alone knows what lies ahead in our lives. And even if we make plans for tomorrow there is no guarantee that we can fulfil them. Therefore, we should always and at all times acknowledge His sovereignty over us, and accept His will.

James 4:13-16 “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” Yes, of course we should make plans and put dates in our dairies. Yes, it’s sensible to plan ahead, but recognise God in it all.  Allow Him to make changes and adjustments when necessary.  Say, “Lord, I’ve thought about this, I’ve prayed about this, as best as I know I’m trusting it is in Your will for me. But if You want to over-rule and mess up my plans – go ahead! You always know what’s best anyway, so I cannot lose if I’m in your perfect will, for my times are in Your hands.” Prov.16:9 “A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.” So again, even though I am not suggesting that we should use the phrase D.V. in a repeated, unthinking way, yet we should always recognize God’s will is paramount, and He should have the final say in our lives.

- Pastor David Goudy