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It has been said, that there are two key moments in every person’s life. And they are the moment when you were born, and the moment when you realized why you were born! But when you are a child of God, it all takes on a deeper and more powerful dimension, for the key moment would be when you knew why you were not just born, but born again, receiving the gift of salvation, to know that God has a plan for your life, and a purpose that you need to work out in His kingdom. And walking in it is what can lead to satisfaction and fulfillment in you, even as you accomplish the will of the Father, that He may be glorified.
Therefore, may the prayer of David continue to speak into your heart, as the eyes of your heart are illuminated to be led to progress in the path of God’s will for you ,Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; May your good Spirit lead me on level ground. [Psalm 143:10] And you will find that the Almighty God, who is your God, forever and ever is one whose purposes can never be thwarted, even in situations that do not encourage growth. And it is precisely the state of affairs in many people’s lives right now, owing to the pandemic. But He is a God who can do all things. And therefore, it is all about knowing and abiding in His good and perfect will and plan for your life.
Isaac dwelt in the land ordained by God, though it was a time of famine, to be enabled to sow and reap a hundredfold the very same year. And the apostle Paul writes about knowing the grace of God, as he describes the right thinking of the Macedonian church, who were then able to joyfully and generously contribute even beyond their ability, though they were afflicted and in need themselves. [2 Corinthians 8:1-5] The power and sufficiency of God’s grace was the cornerstone of Paul’s personal transformation too, for, ‘I am what I am by the grace of God’ are his words, that leave no room for doubt concerning it. And the call of God upon his life, and the outworking of it by him, serves as a beacon, to show the right attitude and thinking that needs to prevail in you, as you run the race, to also finish it, knowing that what lies ahead is a crown of righteousness.
Pressing on towards the goal:
In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul writes about his own journey of grace and faith towards the goal, saying, Not that I have already attained it, or already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. [Philippians 3:12] It emphasizes the need for your thinking to be scripture based, for it is what you lay hold of that you receive from Christ, as a precious gift of grace, as something that can never be bought. Salvation is always a gift of God, by grace and through faith. And you were saved for a purpose; for such a time as this. God has a specific plan for your life, even in the midst of this health crisis. It is He who has added length of days to your life, and it is He who has placed you, chosen you to be born at a time like this. And it is so that you would be a blessing to the people around you. Knowing that she was in the palace, for such a time, when the lives of her own people was at stake was what transformed Esther, to proceed with prayer and boldness towards fulfilling the plan of God for her life.
Thus it is so very vital that even in your life, that you bring to remembrance, if it has regressed to the back of your mind, and be sure with certainty, what your calling from God is. It is the wise counsel that the apostle Peter gives, so that you may not err in the knowledge and obedience of it. Therefore brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. [2 Peter 1:10] And, he also makes the reason for it very clearly. It is so that you may not stumble or be led astray. For, the bible is replete with examples, of people who were called by God to fulfill a certain purpose. And sadly it also includes who being led astray by the desires of the flesh, to lose the privilege of being part of God’s wondrous plan. Samson, in the old testament, was called and chosen by God, anointed to have his spiritual eyes opened, so that he may have the wisdom and understanding, to fulfill his calling as one of the judges to lead the people of God.
But owing to his selfish and self made plans and desires that were contrary to God’s word and His guidance, ended his life, in captivity, in the hands of the enemy, with his physical eyes blinded. He was warned by God many times concerning the error of his ways, but sadly chose only to reject the voice of God. And recorded in the scriptures, it is a sober warning to you and I, emphasizing yet again, the focus and the certainty that needs to abide in us of the calling of God upon our lives. For, Samson’s path that ended in sad ruin, one of his own making, is not what God desires for you and I. And even though it still is a crooked world, it is still possible to lay hold of the plan of God ,That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God, without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Holding fast the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. [Philippians 2:15,16]
As the apostle has written, concerning the Philippians church, the key to laying hold of the plan of God, to knowing and accomplishing it, without getting deviated, lies in holding fast the life giving word of God. It is through it that spiritual rebirth became your experience, and the plan of God became knowable and workable in your life, so that you may go on to receive an eternal inheritance, rich rewards in heaven. Living in a wicked world therefore, need not deter you. And the Savior, has gone ahead, showing and preparing the way, that you and I may follow in His steps, empowered by the grace of God, not pressured by leaning on your own understanding. ‘ I have finished the work…’ ‘I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work You gave Me to do’. [John 17:4] This was the Lord Jesus praying to the Father, even before His death on the Cross, where His finished work burst forth in glory. His was a life that was free of regrets, unlike many who come to the end of their days here, wishing they could have done more, or having done something, regret the folly of doing such a thing; sins of omission and commission, if it could be called that!;and for which one ought to be thankful for the gift of redemption, the miracle of salvation.
But with the sinless and flawless Lamb of God, it was a mission accomplished even before He proceeded to be arrested and crucified. And it was in Christ, and through Christ, that the apostle Paul, even before his death, knowing that it soon awaited him, was able to victoriously declare, ‘I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race’; I have kept the faith. [2 Timothy 4:7] Therefore, when you stand amazed at the words of Christ, to think within yourself, that it was possible for Him, for after all He was and still is God, it is the truth of God’s word that can bring in you the wondrous assurance that, ‘Because He lives, you too shall live’! You may be weak in yourself, but you have a powerful and unlimited God, who is now in you, when you are a child of God; and you have a wonderful Savior, your Good Shepherd who leads you in the path of righteousness, for His Name’s sake.
Fulfilling God’s plan for your life therefore, need not be a distant and impossible dream, when you hold fast to the word of God, the scriptures that are God breathed, and given to you that you may be led, corrected and empowered by it, in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. And it is in God’s word that you find glimpses of how the Lord Jesus Himself, walked the earth, fulfilling the plan of God for His own life, as the long awaited Messiah, the Word who became flesh, to dwell among humanity.
Son of God & Son of Man:
Meekness and majesty, in incomparable display, was the revelation of the Lord in His youth, as He dwelt in Nazareth, growing and becoming strong in wisdom for the grace of God was upon Him. [Luke 2:40] And also when the time came He showed the importance of having an understanding of God’s plan, in order to lay hold of it. For, at the young age of twelve, He was in the temple, sitting in the midst of teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and answers. [Luke 2:45,46] He modeled even then the importance of placing yourself in an anointed setting where the word of God is taught, for it is by holding on to the word of God that you hold on to the plan of God. And failing to do it could find things going horribly wrong. It is what happened in the very beginning, when instead of reveling and prospering in all that God had blessed them with, Adam and Eve, were led astray from it all, because they let go of God’s word to them, to heed the voice of the evil one. [Genesis 3:1-6] But, the wondrous gospel of grace is that, what Adam lost, the Lord Jesus gained, so that you and I may not drift away, but can be in alignment with the plan of God for our lives.
For, in His own life, when the tempter came to test Him, and craftily try to draw Him away from His Father’s will, Lord Jesus withstood and overcame it all, and in the process showed that it was in holding on to the word of God that the Father’s plan for His life would be fulfilled. And the devil, who has nothing new up his sleeve, even today uses the same principle, as described by the apostle John in his epistle, to lure you away from God’s good and perfect will , His wondrous plan for your life. It is the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, or put simply, power, popularity, possessions that ever remain his principal weapons in order to distract you from the call of God, and end up diluting your very identity as a child of God. But the Lord combated it all, to progress in the path of sowing His life in alignment with the plan of God, for the glory of His Name.
1. Messiah, and not a magician:
Miracles, or signs, that He worked out of His love and compassion for the suffering multitudes was what defined the ministry of Jesus on the earth. It was never about performing an act of magic, or indulging in sorcery. He came to earth as the Suffering Servant, to suffer and die on the Cross, for the sins of the whole world. He was the Son of God. And He was also Son of Man, who after fasting for forty days, felt the pangs of hunger. It was then that the devil came up with his suggestion, that He after all could make the stones into bread and satisfy His hunger. It was a temptation to prove His identity, by doing what would have made Him an ordinary magician, when indeed He was the Messiah, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. The Lord countered and overcame the evil one, by holding on to the word of God and it’s sufficiency to declare, Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God’.
It is the wisdom of God that you need therefore to counter the wily suggestions of the enemy that could satisfy an immediate need maybe, but end up reducing and diluting your high calling from God, the privilege of being part of His plan. And God’s wisdom is freely available to the one who asks of Him. And submitting to Him will see you resisting the crafty offers of the devil, that would ultimately destroy you.
2. Savior and not a stuntman:
He came to be the Savior of the world. And it was through the painful Cross, where He would willingly lay down His life in love, knowing that it was His Father’s will. It was the Father’s plan through which His Beloved Son would be lifted up in the eyes of the world, as the Risen Redeemer, to live forever. It was this eternal and glorious plan of God, that the devil tried to tempt Lord Jesus out of, by bidding him to do a stunt act instead, to capture the attention of the world, and show that He was indeed the Son of God. And it was to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple in the Holy city, for it was written that God had given His angels charge over Him, and in their hands they would bear Him up, lest He dashed His foot against a stone. [Matthew 4:5,6] There is a thin line that separates faith and presumption, one that the evil one can exploit, to tempt you to lean towards presumption, for the sake of gaining popularity in the eyes of the world, and through it achieve your self made goals in life.
But the Lord turned to the word of God, to lay hold of it, in order to refuse to be a king orchestrated by the devil, and hold on to the plan of God, saying, ‘It is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God’. [Matthew 5:7] And He leads you even today, in a triumphal procession. It is for freedom that Christ has set you free; freedom to do the will of God, to walk in His plan for your life, by, knowing the truth; the truth of God’s word. No matter what your need or your circumstance is, it is covered in the word of God, for you to imbibe it in faith into your heart, to then confess it with your mouth. So often in the course of a heated argument you can see people questioning the veracity of a statement, by asking if it was written somewhere that it was so.
But for you and I, every word of God that comes as a promise to you in your need has been definitely written, and much more, has been signed by the Blood of Christ. You can therefore certainly hold on to the word of God, in order to lay hold of the plan of God for your life, until it comes to a flourishing finish. You can stand your ground, for you are on Holy ground, and refuse the devil’s offers to make you a king, however tempting they may appear. For the Lord has made the way, and shown the way, that you and I may not fall prey to his crafty snares, but rise in the Lord to victory.
3. The Creator and Possessor of all:
The earth is the Lord’s and it’s fullness thereof. He is the Maker and Creator of all, and all the silver and gold in the world is His. And yet, because of the fall of man, the evil one had the audacity, to suggest to the Lord who came to redeem it all through the painful Cross, that if only He bowed down to him once, He could have it all. An act of worship was what he desired, from the One who was and is the Lord of all. And Lord Jesus turned once more to what was written, to lay hold of His Father’s plan, saying, ‘Away with you Satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’. [Matthew 4:10]
The temptation of attempting to gain satisfaction by amassing worldly possessions is very real even today, as you live in a materialistic world, where seemingly money power is the order of the day. But it is not the creed that God wants you to live by. And it is possible, when instead of bowing to the devil, you raise your hand in humble adoration to the Possessor of heaven and earth, the Maker and Provider of all, from whom all blessings flow.
Not a different agenda:
Even when the evil one comes up with an imaginary scenario, to tempt you, it is by turning to the word that you can stick to God’s plan for you, in the perception and understanding that comes to through it. The Lord withstood and overcame such temptations, and more than once, as it is written. Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were coming to make Him king by force, He once again, went to the mountain alone. [John 6:15] It was a political agenda that the Lord knew that He had to stay away from even though it would have made Him a king, for it was a kingdom royalty that awaited Him in His Father’s will, through His plan of redemption, and gift of salvation that is yours and mine today. He humbled Himself to the point of death, but the Father raised Him up on the third day, and gave Him the Name above every other Name.
When you surrender to God’s plan, to live by it through His word, He will certainly lift you up in due time, and He will keep you there. Self promotion will only land you in the hand of the devil, who will when the time comes, pull you down. Therefore, even if you are right now pressured to move away from it all, just hold on to the word, and His plan for your life, submitting under His mighty Hand, for His way of exalting you is always the best way. The Lord knew what to stay away from, to hold on to what was written in the word. And therefore, what happened in His life was a fulfillment of what was written concerning Him. For, When evening had come, they brought many who were demon possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. [Matthew 8:16]
And it was because:
It might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying, He Himself took up our infirmities, and carried our diseases. [Matthew 8:17] And what has been fulfilled is in the present continuous. For He is still healing the sick, even today. It is what we remember, as we partake of the Lord’s Table. His broken Body through which we are made whole; and His Blood shed for us by which we are cleansed continually of all unrighteousness, fulfilling what has been written , And they overcame him [Satan] by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. [Revelation 12:10] Our precious Lord and Savior is still healing, and still restoring broken lives even today., so that it might be fulfilled, what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah. [Matthew 12:17-21] A bruised reed He will not break; And a dimly burning wick He will not quench, Until He leads justice to victory. [vs 20] In a world where injustice seems to reign, be assured, oh, hurting, and victimized one therefore, that the Lord is watching over you. He will keep you, heal you, and will never give up. Your circumstance might seem beyond all redemption, but He will establish justice, to lead you to victory.
‘ It is finished’, was His victorious cry of fulfillment on the Cross of Calvary. And, how were His words established as truth, to be the accomplishment of the one perfect sacrifice? The Father raised Him up on the third day, to acknowledge that what was written had been accomplished. [Luke 18:31,33] And what is being fulfilled now is that He lives to make intercession for you with the Father. [Hebrews 7:25] And if God is for you, who can be against you, or condemn you, rendering you useless? [Romans 8:31,34] You can be sure, for you know that you are in the hand of God, and He considers you useful. And it is written that He will be with you until the very end, and that He will come back to take you to be with Him forever. [Matthew 28:20, John 14:3]
Laying aside sin, laying hold of God’s plan:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles us, to run with endurance, the race set before us, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [Hebrews 12:1,2] He will never give up on you till He leads justice to victory. And may He therefore, lead you from where you are, to where He wants you to be in your life. Holding on to His word is holding on to His promises. And His grip is stronger as He holds your hand to lead you, for He is a faithful God, who will never let go. Even as the flood waters rise to trouble you, your God, the Father is King over all.
Be at rest therefore, for on the Cross, the Lord has accomplished it all. And may your heart be lifted up with thankfulness, for His plan that is now unfolding in your life, for His hand that is now holding you to lead you towards a flourishing finish, that God the Father may be glorified.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
