The Believer's Purpose (and other devotionals)

The Believer's Purpose

Galatians 5:13

God has a purpose for your life. If that weren't true, He'd have taken you home to heaven at the moment of salvation. Do you ever wonder why He left you here?

The Lord intends to influence others through you. Our purpose is to be a vessel through which Christ overflows to others--touching those who hurt and desperately need a Savior. Once we are saved, Scripture teaches, our involvement is threefold.

First, we love others. Jesus clearly stated that this was one of the two greatest commandments (Matt. 22:38-39).

Second, we share the good news of salvation (Acts 1:8). Some travel across the world to spread the gospel, while others teach neighbors across the street. The Holy Spirit will direct us to the right people if we are willing to obey.

Third, we serve in a variety of ways, like helping those in need, sharing our resources, and lifting others in prayer. Jesus is our perfect example of all three. His entire life was marked by caring for people--both those who loved Him and those who did not. In fact, the Bible teaches that He humbled Himself and became like us, willing to give up His life for our redemption. There is no greater love; there is no greater act of service.

Scripture clearly defines the believer's purpose. Aligning ourselves with God's intentions for His children--loving others, witnessing, and serving-- bring us great satisfaction. In fact, we're still on earth not merely to hear more teaching but to act on it and share with others what we learn.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

__________________________

There was not left a man of them. - Numbers 26:65

Twice Moses numbered the people: on the first occasion Aaron was his colleague, at the beginning of the forty years; on the second occasion Eleazar, and this was at the end of the wanderings, on the threshold of Canaan. But only two had survived, Joshua and Caleb, because only they followed the Lord. God deals with a nation by dealing with individuals. He misses no one.

His love misses none. - The little sick child put her hand outside the coverlet before falling asleep, in the hope that the Good Shepherd would notice it, and not miss her, as He passed down the hospital ward. But there is no need to fear His missing us, whose eyes are like a flame of fire, bringing the light with which they see. He tasted death for every man; He seeks each missing sheep, each lost coin. "He loved me, and gave Himself for me."

His Spirit misses none. - If thou hast faith as a grain of mustard seed, it will attract His notice. If thou yieldest thyself to His Spirit, though thy lung be weak and diseased, He will fill it. If thou desirest to be endued with the gift of Pentecost, it will fall upon thy head, though thou art as obscure as the shepherd-psalmist of old.

Death and judgment miss none. - On each of these unbelieving men the Divine sentence was executed. One or two might linger, as autumn leaves on the topmost boughs of stripped trees; but ultimately they shared the fate of their companions. Unless Christ come first, our turn will come. In Adam all die. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. Each was born alone, must die alone, and alone give an account to the King. Prepare, my soul, to meet Him!

~F. B. Meyer~

____________________________

Peace in Him

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Most of us would agree that tribulations are very much a part of life. They come at different times for different reasons, but they no doubt come.  Do you ever wonder just where the peace is that Jesus was speaking about?  How about in your own personal life? Do you have peace in your daily routines? Jesus tells us that we will have tribulation in this world, a definite promise not just a possibility. But our only hope for peace is in Jesus. We must claim this verse as a direct promise from Him. He has overcome the world; therefore, we can overcome those things that try to take our peace by living for Him.  
          

Yet the words sound easier to do than the reality of actually living our lives this way. For me, my life seemed to be much better when I was in control of my circumstances. If I could somehow control the factors that influenced my day, then I could produce the peace I desperately needed. For a long period of time, my day consisted of doing those things that either mattered most to me or to others who expected a level of performance from me. I believed that being in control led to greater stability and less turmoil, a win-win for everyone around me.   
          

There were clues along the way that maybe this way of life was not so great for everyone else around me. One major clue came one night several years ago when my husband asked me if I was okay. Of course, I was okay. Our lives were good. Our marriage was fine, rarely a conflict or cross word. Our jobs were more than sufficient to meet our needs. We were young, owned our own home, had money, and enjoyed many of the world’s amenities. Why was he asking me what was wrong? He began to express his concerns to me about—me.  I could not listen to him without becoming defensive. After some discussion, I confessed to him that I often felt like an android, a machine on the inside but normal looking on the outside. Still, I was not ready or willing to accept that maybe I needed to change, that I needed help.       
  

Over time, the Lord has led me to make many, many changes in my life. I was deceived into thinking that I could make my own peace by controlling my circumstances and situations. The changes have come by surrendering my control to Jesus. There is no peace in this world without the Lord. I have known Jesus as my Savior most of my life, but only when I made Him Lord of my life did I begin to know His peace. He left us His peace. May we all let go of our need to be in control and trust Jesus to help us get through all things….both good and bad.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~

______________________________

I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness…And I will give her her vineyards from thence (Hosea 2:14-15).

A strange place to find vineyards--in the wilderness! And can it be that the riches which a soul needs can be obtained in the wilderness, which stands for a lonely place, out of which you can seldom find your way? It would seem so, and not only that, but the "Valley of Achor," which means bitterness, is called a door of hope. And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth!

Yes, God knows our need of the wilderness experience. He knows where and how to bring out that which is enduring. The soul has been idolatrous, rebellious; has forgotten God, and with a perfect self-will has said, "I will follow after my lovers." But she did not overtake them. And, when she was hopeless and forsaken, God said, "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her."

What a loving God is ours!

We never know where God hides His pools. We see a rock, and we cannot guess it is the home of the spring. We see a flinty place, and we cannot tell it is the hiding place of a fountain. God leads me into the hard places, and then I find I have gone into the dwelling place of eternal springs.

~L. B. Cowman~

______________________________

Romans 1:7

Called to be saints.

We are very apt to regard the apostolic saints as if they were "saints" in a more especial manner than the other children of God. All are "saints" whom God has called by His grace, and sanctified by His Spirit; but we are apt to look upon the apostles as extraordinary beings, scarcely subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as ourselves. Yet in so doing we are forgetful of this truth, that the nearer a man lives to God the more intensely has he to mourn over his own evil heart; and the more his Master honours him in His service, the more also doth the evil of the flesh vex and tease him day by day. The fact is, if we had seen the apostle Paul, we should have thought him remarkably like the rest of the chosen family: and if we had talked with him, we should have said, "We find that his experience and ours are much the same. He is more faithful, more holy, and more deeply taught than we are, but he has the selfsame trials to endure. Nay, in some respects he is more sorely tried than ourselves." Do not, then, look upon the ancient saints as being exempt either from infirmities or sins; and do not regard them with that mystic reverence which will almost make us idolators. Their holiness is attainable even by us. We are "called to be saints" by that same voice which constrained them to their high vocation. It is a Christian's duty to force his way into the inner circle of saintship; and if these saints were superior to us in their attainments, as they certainly were, let us follow them; let us emulate their ardour and holiness. We have the same light that they had, the same grace is accessible to us, and why should we rest satisfied until we have equalled them in heavenly character? They lived with Jesus, they lived for Jesus, therefore they grew like Jesus. Let us live by the same Spirit as they did, "looking unto Jesus," and our saintship will soon be apparent.

~Charles Spurgeon~