Devotion 4 - Strengthened by our Destiny
Pro.29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that kept the law, happy is he.”
Many people lose hope and lose meaning in life when their lives do not have a clear direction. The lack of a solid vision for our lives often causes us to lose courage. On the other hand, if we truly believe our destiny, it gives us strength and courage to fight for our dreams. Gandhi put it very eloquently:
“Our beliefs become our thoughts. Our thoughts become our words. Our words become our actions. Our actions become our habits. Our habits become our values. Our values become our destiny.”
Design for Destiny
The word of God leaves us in no doubt that everyone of us is created for a special mission and purpose on this earth.
Eph.2:10 - “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”.
While no one has been saved by virtue of good works, the born-again believer is expected to perform good works. In attempting to identify our individual calling and destiny, we cannot neglect to ask ourselves, “What kind of good works is Paul referring to?” They refer to the good works that God has prepared beforehand for each one of us -- even before we came into existence on this earth.
Samuel, Jeremiah, Samson, Jacob, John the Baptist, Paul and Jesus Himself were all prophesied of before they came into the world. Hence, we see that prior to our conversion, and even before we were born, God had already mapped out a spiritual plan for us to fulfil His highest purpose. In other words, God has a distinctive blueprint for every life. God is the great designer and we are all designed by Him for destiny!
How many of us have perhaps lived our lives carelessly so far, looking to our relationship with God as essentially a passport to earthly blessings? How desperately we need a personal revelation of the call of God on our lives, for it is only upon receiving such a revelation that Paul and many other great men and women of God were strengthened to sacrifice earthly comfort and satisfaction for the heavenly reward ahead. Laying hold of our destiny is one of the major keys to strengthen ourselves in the Lord. This itself should encouraged us to continue to run the race no matter how tough the journey.
One Thing in Paul’s Mind
Paul understood that the Lord took hold of his life with a goal in mind. And this is true for all of us. Thus, the one thing on Paul’s mind is to finish the race well. Despite all his suffering, he strengthened himself and focused on running the race well and he successfully fulfilled his destiny.
Philippians 3:13-14 – “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
We see in his letters to the Corinthian Church how much he had suffered for the Lord and kept himself strong and determined to finish the race. It is like the athletes who train tirelessly for a gold medal at the Olympics. When they get tired and discouraged, they imagined what it would be like to stand on the platform and hear the National Anthem of their country being played. That mental image spurs them on.
2 Cor.11:23-27 - “Are they ministers of Christ? —I speak as a fool—I am more: in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness—"
So, what is the prize that should spur us on? What image should we keep in the forefront of our minds? Maybe I could paint some pictures,
- the image of us standing before the Father to hear Him say, "Well Done!"
- Having our lives reviewed without any sense of regret or shame
- being surrounded by those whose lives have been redeemed and restored partially because of our faithful witness
- the joy of that first moment when we see Jesus
2 Tim 4:6-8 - “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”