Monday, February 28, 2011

Personal Destiny

Change is inevitable in life. Interestingly it often comes slowly, however; there are those events that change our lives in an instant.

This week we'll be talking about where or how we think God is leading us, what our personal vision is. Obtaining a God-given destiny is not a competition, but the fulfillment of His personal promise to each one of us.

For those of us that are middle-aged or older, we have enough history to look back and see God at work in the different seasons of our lives. That length of experience can be good, or it an actually cause us to be jaded about life. Think about the woman who had the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20) or the man born blind (John 9:1). God changed their life in an instant. Even the twelve were going along in life and then Jesus showed up; it was radical.

Conversely, there are Bible characters that spent years after an encounter with God, seemingly doing nothing; like Moses for example. Even Paul spent years in Arabia after his conversion (Galatians 1) before the big stuff started happening.

For those of you who are regular readers of Kingdom Bloggers or Fire & Grace, you know that I have struggled with this very concept. As Christians, I believe that we all do. I have heard the following verse preached many times; especially as part of corporate church visions.

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.


As I was teaching my class a few weeks ago, I realized that not only had I given up on desiring spiritual gifts, and in fact, even using the ones I already had, but worse, I did not have a personal vision. It was a meditative ride home to say the least. Alone with my own thoughts, soft instrumental music playing, I thought about all the failures. Why is it that I continue to forget my own redemption and that the mind is the battleground of the Devil?

I am what God has made me, and He's pretty happy with the results - snap out of it David!

I decided to start to pray and meditate on my own destiny. In fact that is how my new book came about. I had to remind myself of the ways in which God touched my life in so many different ways over the decades. I needed to remind myself of what I am no longer because I have experienced Jesus - the real Jesus!

My personal vision is to be there for my family, and I pray for them twice each day. I am part of a local church body, and I pray an hour or so each week about how I can serve them (not what they can do or me). I have decided that he destiny that God is creating here, will in fact be different from all the rest because I have a promise. (I have had it all along.) Regardless of what life looks like, God is on my team, and there is work to be done before I achieve glory.

I used to think that there was some grand plan that I needed to figure out in life, but there isn't. Sure, God has spoken certain goals for my life through prophetic people, but that is not the plan, nor the vision. Who among us that has been saved for 10+ years doesn't have some sort of idea where God would like to use us?

The answer to David's destiny, is this:

John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.


As a son of the Most High, all I have to do is learn to see what the Father is doing, and then do it. It takes a lot of pressure off, and I can start right now. I only need to do the next God thing. Whew!

How about you, are you seeing the little step that reach to a rich destiny in the Kingdom?

2 comments:

Tony C said...

I think you are ahead of the game my friend. Some people spend their lives throwing darts at a destiny board thinking they miss all around the target...when there is really no target.

God created us as eternal beings to love. We are His...and that thought brings me great joy.

Tracy said...

I've always appreciated this phrase of yours:

"learn to see what the Father is doing, and then do it"

Rather puts things into perspective.

As always, your sincere, search before God to be about His business encourages me in my own faith.