PURPOSE
“…exhorted…that with
purpose of heart
they would cleave unto the
Lord.” Acts 11:23
This word, “purpose”, means setting forth a
plan, will; to arrange or appoint. It is
a conscious decision based on a desired outcome.
For example, God set forth with a purpose to
create and then, to restore his creation through Christ. His purpose is fully revealed in
Scripture.
God purposes to work all things for good (Rom
8:28) and to give us an inheritance (Eph 1:11).
These purposes of God will stand (Romans 9:11), are eternal and are in
Christ (Eph 3:11) to save and call by grace (II Tim. 1:9).
He has not hid his purpose (II Tim 3:10). His ultimate goal is that man would glorify
Him.
Man’s purpose is therefore set forth. We are to live unto Him by whose purpose we
exist. Daniel exemplified this as he “purposed in his heart”. The Psalmist said, “My heart is fixed”. To
purpose is to, by deliberate intention, accomplish a goal.
I like what Oswald Chambers wrote: “When God gives a vision, transact business
on that line, no matter the cost.” It
reminds me that God’s leading in my heart has a purpose. The visions and dreams He gives me are on
purpose. They are there to spur me on;
to give direction and motivation. I am
not just pawn…I am a piece of the whole...I am here on purpose! And – I have a purpose!
What goals do you believe would be set by one
seeking to fulfil God’s purpose in their life?
How about you? What is your
purpose in life?
PURPOSE
“And let fall also some of
the handfuls of purpose for her and leave them, that she may glean them, and
rebuke her not.” Ruth 2:16
Love does amazing
things. Boaz is so infatuated with Ruth.
He makes a gesture that all those around him recognize as he orders the men to
purposefully drop grain so she can pick it up.
She is probably just counting her good fortune or thinks this is just
part of the culture. But as she returns
home and tells her mother-in-law of the day’s events, she is made aware of the
fact that Ruth has captured the attention of a kinsman.
How many times do we
go through a day thinking we have been lucky or just had a good day and failed
to recognize that the Hand of the Lord was leaving good things for us to
collect along the way? He loves us and makes gestures throughout our days to
show us that love. Yet, many times, we
don’t even recognize it until someone else points it out.
The next time you
hear the word, “lucky” in your vocabulary, stop and look to see what handfuls
have been left on purpose for you to collect and remember to acknowledge the Hand
that left them there.
PURPOSE
“Every purpose is
established by counsel: and with good advice make war.” Proverbs 20:18
This usage of the word, “purpose”, means a
thought, plan, scheme or plot. It has
the idea of a well thought out plan with parameters.
Matthew Henry comments, “Ask counsel of God,
and beg direction from him. What is done
hastily and with precipitation (acting rashly with the idea of throwing down)
is repented of at leisure. It is
especially our wisdom to be cautious in making war. Consider, and take advice, whether the war
should be begun or no, and, when it is begun, consider how and by what arts it
may be prosecuted (carried out), for management is as necessary as courage.”
I really like that last phrase, “for
management is as necessary as courage.”
I have had colleagues who pride themselves on living life by the seat of
their pants. (with rash abandon) But their end does not justify their
means. They usually end up with more
heartaches and difficulties. On the
other hand, I have known colleagues who simply cannot live without tight
parameters. Their life seems to be
lacking lustre and joy as they try to control and define every area of their
lives.
Surely these are two opposite ends of the
pole. I think the real teaching is that
we are to be wise and thoughtful in what we do and we are to seek advice in
order to make sure we have thought through our plans. When we know our direction we are much more
confident. Wise management creates freedom, joy and safety.
Our plan might be quite adventurous. It might hold some dangers and difficulties,
but with the support of godly advice and the counsel of God, we can be
established in our goings and successful in our ventures.
What about you? Do you “fly by the seat of your pants”? Or, do you keep such tight control that life
is joyless? Can you see that balance is
somewhere in between?
PURPOSE
“…for every purpose of the
Lord shall be performed…” Jeremiah 51:29
This is the same word meaning thought, plan,
scheme or plot. God has a plan for the
ages. His plan is intricately thought
through to every detail, yea, every moment is watered and tended by him so that
his eternal purpose will be accomplished.
We can read in Ecclesiastes that there is a
purpose to every thing under heaven. The
passage in chapter three goes on to list many of the ordinary everyday things
that we experience: weeping, laughing, dancing, mourning, embracing, sewing,
silence, speech, love, hate and even war.
Not one thing that we experience is outside the purpose of the Lord.
As we then read in Romans 8:28, that all
things work together, we should come to understand that all of our life’s
experiences are a part of God’s bigger plan. Sometimes we can forget that life
is not really about us. The whole world
does not revolve around our lives. There
is a much bigger picture and we are but a part of it.
That random person behind the counter has a
purpose - God may use them to encourage or challenge you, or, He may be using
you to encourage them. That unanswered
prayer that keeps you on your knees has a purpose. That child in your home that really tries
your patience is teaching you patience.
God began a work in you and as Philippians tells us, he will perform it.
When I allow my mind to dwell on this fact,
which is called the sovereignty of God, I find myself relaxing. I find myself less het up about controlling
my life and I begin to simply enjoy the fact that someone else is in control;
someone who has thought of everything and knows exactly how to make it all
work.
Oswald Chambers wrote: “I will never think of anything my Father
will forget, so why should I worry?” How
comforting!
Can you relax in God’s sovereignty?
PURPOSE
“…Daniel purposed in his
heart….” Daniel 1:8
This usage of the word has the idea of resolve
or to set in place, to be established.
If we cast our minds back to the Bible story of Daniel and his three
friends, we will see that they were captives in a strange land. There was no hope of returning to their home,
but these young men were of strong character and though there might not have
been anything unlawful about them eating the food put before them, they were
acting from conscience. They were Jews and lived by a strict dietary code. They also knew that to eat with someone was a
form of a bond in their culture and they did not want to lessen their stance or
put themselves in a place where they might be tempted further. Also, they knew that their kinsmen were in
dire straits and for them to enjoy the king’s food would be as if they had
forgotten the suffering of their people.
For these reasons, possibly, or for whatever other reasons, Daniel
decided that he would not partake. He
was strong in his faith, and God blessed him.
Standing for the Lord in hard situations takes
resolve. It requires us to stand upon
what we know to be truth and to fully trust God. The outcome for Daniel was positive. For others who have stood for their faith,
the outcome was martyrdom. Yet, as we
read about them in Hebrews 11 we can see that God recognizes their purposeful
hearts and does not discount their sacrifice.
In this day of doing whatever we want, it is
rare to find someone who actually sets their lives apart for God and who
refuses to allow the world to manipulate them.
Christians should be people of high character. Christians should be living by purpose, on purpose, and for a purpose.
What
is your purpose in life? What is your
purpose in your Christian life and service?
Are you willing to stand for what you believe?
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