UNDERSTANDING GOD’S PURPOSE
By Glenda Ward
McDowell County
“At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.”
Numbers 9:23
Pray and seek God’s guidance and direction in finding your purpose in God’s Will for your life.
The Israelites traveled and camped as God guided them. When you follow God’s guidance, you know you are where God wants you, whether you are moving or staying in one place. You are physically somewhere right now: Instead of praying, “God, what do you want me to do next?” ask, “God, what do you want me to do while I am right here?” Direction from God is not just for your next move. He has a purpose in placing you where you are right now.
You were created by God for a purpose. At the present, your purpose may seem obsolete. You may have to search for it, but you can find it. Instead of looking for your purpose, look for God. He knows the plan He has for you. God placed your purpose in you. When you learn His ways your effort will involve aligning yourself with His Will and with His design to maximize your potential.
The Israelites spent 40 years on a journey that should have lasted 11 days. It wasn’t the distance that stood between them and the Promised Land. It was the condition of their hearts. God’s purpose went deeper than simply transporting a huge group of people to a new land. He was preparing them to live in obedience to Him once they arrived. (Reference Deuteronomy 1:1-2).
God will bring about your greatness. You don’t need to force it. Draw close to God, and He will fulfill your purpose for you and through you. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: …” (John 15:16). Jesus made the first choice – to love and to die for us, to offer us eternal life. We make the next choice – to accept or reject His offer. Without His choice, we would have no choice to make.
Your Spiritual life, power, and strength come from the Holy Spirit. Self-pity and blame both make you ineffective for the Kingdom of God. You must intentionally and personally pursue Spiritual growth and Spiritual maturity if you are going to have a lasting impact on the lives you touch. “If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). Apart from Him our efforts are unfruitful. The purposes in a person’s life are deep within, but one who has insight draws them out. God has a specific plan and Will for your life. How can you know God’s Will for your life? You have to be intentional and search for it! Most of the time you have to find God’s purpose in life. Your purpose doesn’t find you! One of the greatest honors we have is to discover what God has for us in our lives. In Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11 it is saying, God knows the future and His plan for our life is good and full of hope. He can provide our agenda and go with us as we fulfill His mission on earth if we make the right decision to seek Him out and the plan He has for us. We can have boundless hope and blessings.
Jesus is the good shepherd. He knows His sheep. “As the Father knoweth Me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one-fold, and One Shepherd.” (John 10:15-16). Jesus says, If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. If we do not remain in Jesus Christ and stay focused on Him in life, we are like a branch that is withered and thrown away; such branches are picked up, and thrown into the fire to burn. The reason so many people fail to discover God’s Will for themselves is because distraction is easy and satan is working overtime in people’s lives today. We can spend so much time on the means that we forget to focus on God’s purpose and the end result.
When you are stuck to who you were before deciding to find God’s Will and your purpose in life, you will need to redeem your past or you will never be able to move forward into your future to live out God’s purpose. It isn’t about forgetting the past. It is about finding value even in your greatest pain and heartache. One of the things you will discover when you find God’s Will and purpose in your life is that many times your greatest purpose in God’s plan comes from your greatest pain. Scripture states, “… and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation, that they should seek the Lord, … and find Him, though He be not far from everyone of us, for in Him we live, and move, and have our being …, For we also are His offspring …” (Acts 17:26-27). God marked our appointed times in history and the boundaries thereof. God did this so we could seek Him, reach out to Him, and find Him. Your past has a purpose, no matter how painful it becomes. See the purpose in your past and you will begin to see the purpose in God’s Will for your future. Prayer is the key to finding your Spiritual gift and God’s Will and purpose in your life.
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Glenda Ward is a member of Grand View Baptist Church in McDowell County and is a Christian writer/author of “Something to Think About” – weekly Christian Articles. She finds purpose and joy in writing Church Programs & Bulletins, VBS Material, Christmas and Easter Programs, Memorials, and now expanding to include weekly articles to other churches, as well as writings to include Christian-based articles on Relationships in Marriage; all material based on the KJV of the Bible. From personal experience, I hope to set an example of how to serve a risen Savior and live by the Holy Spirit with joy. My goal is to help people partake of the better option in life to experience the transforming power that is available in Christ Jesus today. You can read more, good, Christian news from Glenda HERE.
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