God's Purpose For You

          Do you know who you are?  Most people don’t.  We have ideas – some grandiose -- many under estimating – but we seldom are very accurate.  We have concluded about ourselves because a sinful world has distorted what we hear and accept.  We have measured ourselves with false, perverted measures.  The likelihood is that who we think we are is pretty far from the truth.  God knows who we are.  He has created and designed us.  He knows each of us separately.  He has a purpose and plan for each of us.  Only that plan will afford us full and rich lives.  So to start with we must walk close enough with the Lord Jesus Christ and be familiar enough with the Scriptures to discover who we are to be and how we are to live our lives.  As we walk close with God we will discover who He is and be more sensitive to how He would have us be.

            Life begins to take on meaning and purpose when I discover who I am, who God is and how we mesh in Jesus Christ..

            God has a direction for me.  It would be best for me if I learned it and planned my life around that direction.  Anything else will be foolish and destructive.  By drawing close to God I will find out who I am and what life is about.

            Wouldn’t it be tragic if I lived my life and discovered I missed my purpose and all I could have been?  Real tragedy is trying to be someone I am not and suffering needlessly because I missed the mark God has set for me.  Life in Christ Jesus is the eternal mark.  Knowing who God would have me be and accepting His grace to fulfill that design is my salvation.

Are You Living the Wrong Life?

            What if you woke up one morning and discovered you were living the wrong life?  What would you do?  There is no guarantee in this world that this wouldn’t happen.  How would you handle it?  “I have the wrong profession.”  “I made a losing investment.”  “I leaped before I looked.”  “If I could just cancel my mistake, forget it, and move on.”  Life in this world seldom affords this privilege.  We can’t erase the past.  What we sow we shall also reap.  Two plus two will equal four regardless of how we seek to ignore, forget, or disregard.  The natural way results in natural consequences.

            That is why we must reach beyond the natural – or better, be reached by what is beyond the natural.  Only the supernatural can cope with and overcome the natural.

            We must invite God into the equation.  He arranged it – only He can interrupt it.

            If I am going the wrong direction (and left to natural devices) nature doesn’t have the capability of changing itself.  To put it another way, “I can only do what I can do which is completely limited to me.  I need outside help.”

            God has a plan and purpose for me.  On this course old things are passed away – all becomes new.

            I can learn from the past.  I can be set free from its control.  God in Christ Jesus can get me out of the trap.  What will move toward disaster can be directed toward eternal victory.

            If I woke up one morning and discovered I am living the wrong life this can be the launch platform to open eyes and heart and eternal security.

Cast Your Cares on Him

We act out because we are in pain and nobody is listening.  We feel angry and frustrated.  We feel defeated and discouraged.  We feel there is no way to go and nobody cares.  We may cry out and the responding silence is deafening.   It seems that everybody is contained by their own issues.  There is no room for me.  This emotional prison may come from my not crying out to the right person.  Others may convey rejection. They didn’t have time for me.  Their struggles drown out mine.  Having gone to them is futile.

There is an ear that is always listening and receptive.  That ear is not only passively listening but actively inviting you to speak.  He has made it known that He would have you.  Cast all your cares on Him – He cares for you and me.  He is already tuned in to your frequency.  He was there waiting for your cry before you made it.  His assuaging hand and voice will respond, understanding to your plea.  All you need is to call to Him.  Admit you can’t; knowing that He can.

           

God’s plan of your salvation has already been set.  The arrangements have been made.  All you need do is call upon Him in Jesus name and you are being saved in your dilemma.  Acting out should look like, “O God, help.”