Category Archives: Purpose

Drink From the Fountain That Will Never Run Dry

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“Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land….”  Psalm 63:1

There is a deep well within us that must be filled up daily.  When this well has not been filled, you will find yourself dry and thirsty.

Jesus said, “If any man thirst let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus is the fountain where we go to drink; He is a fountain that will never run dry.  When we spend time with Him praying and reading His Word, we are drinking from the “living water.”  The Word brings life and refreshing to our spirit just as a drink of natural water refreshes us when we are dry and thirsty.

Are you stressed, tired, and burned out from the pressures of life?

If so, I would like to encourage you to get up early in the morning and spend some extra time drinking from the Word of God.  Drink until you are filled up with a renewed strength.  As you spend time in the Word, you will also experience a renewed hope that everything is going to be all right.

God is the Destiny Developer

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“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

God has given the wonderful privilege to parents to train up their children in the way they should go. “Train up the child in the way they should go” requires the parent to be observant of the child. They should look at how God has gifted each child, see what their unique characteristics are, and then train them up accordingly.

A child is given identity through their parent’s encouragement and affirmation.  An adult who struggles with identity has most likely not had positive input from their parents.  It is the father who draws a child’s spirit to life.  His affirmation will give the child the confidence that they can accomplish great things.  It is the parent’s responsibility to help their children discover their identity.  Parents who do not help their children discover who they are will send them out into the world seeking the answer to this question.  The world’s answer to who you are is always based on performance.  The world says you are what you achieve.  Destiny is determined by God.

Many times the destiny of a person is written before birth.  There are many examples in the Word where God revealed to the parents the destiny of their children.  Mary was told that her son Jesus would be the Savior of the world. Hannah knew that her son Samuel was called to be a prophet, and she took him to live in the temple with Eli.

David also saw his son Solomon’s destiny.  God told him that his son, Solomon, would be the one who would build the temple.  Many parents today have the same awesome responsibility to call their children into their destiny.  David affirmed his son publicly.  Jesus was also affirmed by God publicly.  At his baptism God said, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.”

Destiny developer:
God is the destiny developer.  What He has called you to do; He will equip you to do.  Over time, as you experience His hand of mercy and grace, He will deposit into you the strength of character to carry out what He has called you to do.  What He has begun in you, He will complete.

Destiny “Distracters”:
There are many destiny distracters.  We know the distracters are the things in life that get us off track.  These are the things that we do that lead us in another direction.

Some Christians get easily turned away from their calling by pursuing their own grievances and enemies.  This will ultimately turn the direction of their life completely around from pursuing God’s high calling to their own cause. This distraction can keep one pulled into a whirlwind for many years.
Another distraction is believing the lies of the enemy.  Satan is the father of lies, and he plants lies in you so you doubt that you even have a destiny.
Fear is another distracter.  You will fear that you cannot do what God has called you to do, and then give up.

Be a Destiny Searcher

Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God; Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

Ask God to reveal your destiny. He is the destiny establisher. Submit yourself to the Lord; He is the destiny developer. Resist the enemy; he is the destiny distracter.

Who Are You?

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You may look to your place of birth and the family you grew up in to find out who you are.  Whether you were born into a rich home, or born into poverty, it doesn’t really matter. Your family background does not define who you are. Your family background is simply the ground in which you were planted. This is why we are referred to as “Oaks of Righteousness” in Isaiah 61. Now, who are you?

As a little girl, I would go to visit my grandfather every summer. He lived in a big beautiful home in the mountains, a stately mansion with two boxwood trees as an archway you passed through at the entrance. As our car traveled up the winding road I felt my excitement rising. I felt like I was going to see the most important man, a statesman, a King. My grandfather was that impressive to me. He was very wise, kind, and I admired him and loved to visit with him. He enjoyed having company, and if he knew we were coming, he would stand on the porch watching for us to arrive. A visit with him in his big, white, stately house made me feel like I was somebody special. If he was important, then I must be somebody important too.

A number of years ago I traveled up the same winding road, but this time everything was different.  My grandfather was gone and the excitement of seeing him standing on the porch was no longer felt. It had been almost ten years since I had seen the old home and walked up the steps of the big house where he lived. The same road that, as a child seemed to go on forever, was actually just a little “one lane” gravel road. As the house came into view, I realized it was also different than what I remembered. What a shock!  The big mansion on the mountain was so little; just a farm house sitting on the side of a hill.

This experience began a journey for me that I now titled: “The Journey From the Little House to the Big House”. It is a teaching on how we travel from our family of origin to find who we really are. I began this journey that day, searching for my true identity, worth, and purpose in life. If my grandfather wasn’t really a statesman living in a mansion, then who was I? If he was just a farmer in a little farmhouse, as his granddaughter, who am I?

Even within the same family, each person must discover their true identity apart from their family. Our true identity is not earthly it is heavenly. We were God’s plan in the first place. God created each of us differently, as a unique expression of his handiwork. Our life is a beautiful, hand woven tapestry with thousands of stitches all carefully placed in a design. Early in life, our tapestry is a lot of different colored threads. However, as time goes on and we lay our life into the Father’s hands, He gently weaves the threads of our life together and a beautiful tapestry is revealed. Each tapestry God weaves is a “one of a kind” and He has a different purpose in mind for each unique design. When you finally find out who God says you are, you are a tapestry to be used in His house. God’s house, His kingdom on earth; is the “Big House.” It is a dwelling place of peace, as you embrace and live in who He says you are. He loves what He creates; He has a plan and purpose for each unique creation.

For me, those wonderful days at my grandfather’s house planted a desire in me to find the “Big House”. I have found it, and it is grand. Now I know I am somebody special, because I know who He says I am.

It’s Time That We Acknowledge God First

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“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me” (Psalm 131:1)

If we allow it, pride can get the best of us.  It can steer us into areas where we believe we’ll benefit the most, and lead us away from the more practical areas. It can puff us up into believing we are the best, we are in control, and we don’t need anyone else.  Pride can lead us to the top and assure us that we are right where we need to be.

However, the Bible tells us a different story about pride. It says, “A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs. 29:23).  The humble attitude of a person will elevate them to the place of honor.  Having a humble attitude means separating ourselves from our own accomplishments or achievements, and acknowledging the fact that God is the One who has given us the ability to achieve what we desire.  Always acknowledging God first will help us to maintain a humble attitude and steer us clear of pride.

“In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths” (Proverbs. 3:6)

When we acknowledge Him first, God is the One who will lead us to the place of honor!

 

He Drew Me Out of Many Waters

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“He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.”  Psalm 18:16

“Send thine hand from above; rid me, and delivered me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children.”  Psalm 144:7

“Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.”   Psalms 69:1-3

He drew me out of many watersIn these passages the Psalmist David is calling on the Lord to deliver him out of deep water.  In Psalm 18:16-17 the deep waters are referring to someone who hated him and have spoken words against him.

When I think of great waters I think of an ocean with huge waves crashing in one after the other.  When you have received too many critical words they can have this same effect.

If you are engulfed in these great waters you may feel like you are sinking.  You become overwhelmed like being in an ocean with one wave after the other hitting you and pulling you under.  If you take these critical words into your soul, it is like taking water into your lungs and after a period of time you can drown.

The Lord is reaching His hand down from above to lift you up.  His love is a life raft that He is throwing out to you, so reach out and let Him pull you up.  He will reach down and lift you up in many different ways.  It may be through a loving friend’s call or an act of kindness. Just when you are so overwhelmed the call will come in and you will be lifted up out of those critical words where you have been drowning.   Once you have been lifted up and encouraged in the love and kindness, don’t go back out into dangerous waters without a boat to hold you up.

Find security in knowing who you are in Christ so that the words of criticism cannot touch you.  Let the words that God says about you soak into your spirit. Then, you will be able to float on the top of the water, not allowing critical words to come into your soul.  Don’t let the words of men define who you are. Know who God says you are.

God loves you and will never leave you or forsake you. He is for you and not against you (Psalm 56:9). Spend more time listening to what God says about you and re-arrange your schedule so you are spending plenty of time with family or friends who also speak words of encouragement.

The Path: Find ways to encourage others daily and you will be encouraged.