Following God's Plans For Your Life.

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jer. 1:5.

Sometime ago, newspapers carried the story of a young fellow named William, who was a fugitive from the police. The young man had run away with his girlfriend because the parents had been trying to break them up. He decided he must remain as hidden as possible so that they don't find him out. What William didn't know was that an ailment he had been seeing the doctor about was diagnosed, just after his disappearance. He has been going for a regular check up now the test result is out. He was discovered to be nursing an early stage of cancer. The earlier he submits himself for treatment the better for him. Now, here was William, doing his best to elude the police, lest he lose his love, while they were doing their best to find him, lest he lose his life. He thought they were after him to punish him; they were really after him to save him. William is representative of every man, whose guilt tells him God is after him to straightjacket him in this life and torture him forever.

You must stop running away from God and His will for your life. Running away allows a person to prioritize their own plans, desires, and understanding over God's directives. It is the belief that one knows better than God regarding what makes life fulfilling, a concept explored in the story of the Prodigal Son. I understand that in nature, when given a difficult task, a person may run away because they feel incapable of fulfilling it. Similar to what Jonah did when he was sent by God to go to Nineveh, Jonah rather bought a ticket to Tarshish which was practically to run away from God and His purpose for His life. You must quit being another Jonah. God understands your destiny more than you do, it's wisdom to align with him and submit to him. I also understand that some other people always flee from God’s purpose because it requires holiness, discipline, or sacrifice, whereas the alternative offers immediate gratification, through temporary, worldly pleasure or sinful comfort. Your case must not be that of being hoodwinked by the devil into a trap he has set for you.

God does everything with intention. He has created us all with a purpose, and no life is insignificant. We are not meant to float through life without cause. We do ourselves and God a disservice when we think in this way. However, it can be difficult to identify our purpose. In order to recognise and walk in our purpose, we need to walk closely with the One who created us. We will struggle if we try to find our purpose outside of Him. Jesus’ follower Mark makes a profound statement about this in his gospel. Before Jesus sent His followers out to preach and to spread the word about Him, He first got them to spend time with Him. We cannot pursue our purpose if we are not in a place of closeness with the Father. Just like the disciples, our purpose is birthed from a place of closeness with our creator. Following God’s purpose can lead to rejection by peers, family, or society. The fear of being mocked, misunderstood, or persecuted can cause someone to hide their calling and run to conform to the world. A common reason for abandoning God's path. Finding pleasure in pursuing God’s purpose is a transformative shift from obligation to joy. May this be your portion, that you joy in following God's plans for your life. Selah!

FURTHER READING:

“that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach” Mark 3.14.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,  and he will make your paths straight” Prov. 3:5.

DECLARATION: 

Dear Abba Father, I thank You for the gift of life and the privilege of salvation. Lord, I ask for wisdom and courage to discern Your will and purpose for my life. I ask for the strength to follow it, removing any distractions and obstacles that hinder my calling. I surrender my agenda to You, trusting in Your timing and operation. May my life serve as a testimony to Your grace, in Jesus' name, Amen. 

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Job. 2:1-13.

Job. 3:1-26.

Job. 4:1-21.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“You Can Never Come Out Second Or Last If You Make God's Plans First.”