Created for a Purpose

The app is incredible. Google SkyMap. I can point my phone up to the sky in any direction, and the application will tell me which stars I'm looking at.

Pretty mind boggling. 

In Google's own words, "If there’s a specific constellation you’re looking for you can search through the application’s database, and SkyMap will help you find it in the sky, using an intuitive arrow system to tell you which direction to turn. When you get close, a circle will appear on the screen surrounding the stars that make up the constellation. It’s really a stargazer’s dream come true."

This amazing technology has made me more aware of a marvelous Creator! I'm convinced of the Psalmist's words, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork," (Psalm 19:1; KJV).

Imagine how handy this tool would have been 2000 years ago. I can picture the wise men holding up their smart phones, searching for the star that would lead them to the new-born King. But God's plan was infinitely better! 

An easily recognizable star, shining in the east, that would lead the men directly to the Savior.

Their journey was long. They came a considerable distance from the east to Jerusalem. Their excitement mounted as they made their way through the crowded streets to the palace. But no one knew anything about a baby.

King Herod called the priests and scribes together to do a little research. Where would this baby be born?

The scrolls contained an answer, "In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel," (Matthew 2:5-6).

Cold chills must have gripped the King as he contemplated this potential menace to the kingdom. He feigned kindness to his guests, telling them to find the baby and return to the palace, so he could go and worship the baby too. His unspoken plans played out in his mind. When the wise men returned, he would send his troops to do away with this threat to his throne.

The wise men continued their journey, destined for Bethlehem. They searched the sky. Sure enough, there it was: the star that had led them faithfully thus far. "...And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy," (Matthew 2:9-10).

The star had been created for a purpose - to shine in such a way as to guide these men to the Savior. 

It did its job: "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh," (Matthew 2:11).

See the connection? You were created for a purpose too. 

Just like the star of Bethlehem, each of us is given the opportunity to shine for Jesus, pointing others to Him. Don't let the hustle and bustle of the season dim your light. Instead, choose to be like that brightly shining star of long ago, leading others to the truth of a loving Savior who was born to reconcile sinful man with a holy God.

When your light is shining brightly, it won't take a neat app to find you, you'll be clearly visible. Doing your part to make your Heavenly Father known!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity to shine for You. During this busy Christmas season, help me to be still and know You are God. I humble myself in worship of You. Help me to shine brightly, pointing others to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.




*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Come join in the discussion!


*A re-post from 12/2010

Seasons of Life

School is winding down. Another year has passed. Soon each graduate will don cap and gown, march onto the stage, and receive a well-earned diploma. A thrilling time. A time for reflection. A time for celebration.

One season of life has been completed and another is about to begin. The excitement of venturing out for the first time is mixed with a twinge of apprehension about the future. Countless decisions vie for attention. Which college to attend? What major to choose? Where to work? Who to date?

I remember heading off to college with many of these questions swirling around in my mind. Not a single one takes God by surprise. His Word offers help and guidance for every season of life. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths," (Proverbs 3:5-6; KJV). Whether poised on the brink of leaving home for the first time, or dropping your high-school graduate off on campus, the Heavenly Father's point is clear: don't try to figure everything out, bring each concern to Me, and trust Me to guide your every step.

Look back on your life. Take a look at God's track record. Has He ever failed you? If He's brought you this far, won't He continue to lead you? Let His Word encourage you: "...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," (Hebrews 13:5b). He has a purpose and a plan for your life. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end," (Jeremiah 29:11).

As you yield to Him, be aware of His work in your life. Remember Joseph? The one whose brothers sold him into slavery? Despite his difficult circumstances, he submitted himself to the Lord with amazing results. Over and over we're told that other's noticed the hand of God on Joseph's life. (Genesis 39:3, 21; 41:38). Eventually the Lord allowed Joseph to become second in command in the land of Egypt, and to be reconciled with his family.

Life can be exciting, but it can also be intimidating. Remember that God loves you and is in control. Seek His guidance and then follow the path He lays out for you. Praise Him when He uses you to point others to Him. No matter what season of life you're in, look forward with anticipation to the unique plan God has for you! And celebrate!

Created for a Purpose

Something was definitely wrong. It was cold. As I stood at the kitchen sink, the air blowing out of the vent at my feet was anything but warm. Overnight, the temperature in our balmy state of Georgia had plummeted, causing us to flip the switch from air conditioning to heat. The only problem was that no warm air was rushing out of the vents to greet us. After a brief trip to the basement, my husband realized that the pilot light was not on and was stubbornly refusing to be re-lit. Time to call the heating and air specialists.

We placed a call to FlowTech Mechanical Services first thing Monday morning. Fortunately they were able to put us on the schedule for later in the evening. Unfortunately, that meant we had to endure the arctic chill that had crept into our house overnight. Its icy fingers convinced us that layers were an absolute 'must.'

Clothed in winter coats and toasty slippers, I wrapped my hands around a steaming mug of coffee, resisting the urge to don a pair of gloves. Ok, so it wasn't quite that cold, but you get the picture! Since our upstairs heating unit was working just fine, both my husband and I retreated upstairs to begin the day's work.

Throughout the day, it was humorous to note that neither one of us spent an extended period of time downstairs. Each of us would only do what was absolutely necessary, before heading back to the comfort of the upstairs. The temperature difference from the chilly downstairs to the pleasantly warm upstairs was noticeable.

It didn't take the heating/air specialist long to determine the cause of our problem. The circuit board was bad and would no longer allow the igniter to do its job; hence the cold air in spite of moving the switch to 'heat.' If I'm not mistaken, when it was originally manufactured, the circuit board's job was to provide power to the igniter which, in turn, causes the unit to heat the air and push it out through the vents, warming the house.

What an accurate picture of our lives before salvation. God created each one of us in His image. Genesis 1:27 spells it out plainly, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (KJV). He created us for a specific purpose: to walk in fellowship with Him, bringing Him honor and glory. When Adam and Eve chose to sin against God, man was no longer in fellowship with his Creator. He could no longer fulfill his God-given role. Similarly, when the circuit board in our furnace stopped working, the pilot light went out and the unit stopped performing the function it was created to fulfill. It no longer heated our home.

A blood sacrifice had to be made to atone for sin so man could once again enjoy a relationship with God (Heb. 9:22). Throughout the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were made according to God's instructions. When God the Father sent His son, Jesus Christ to this earth, He became the ultimate sacrifice to forever atone for the sins of the whole world (Heb. 10:10).

When we accept God's gift of salvation by grace through faith, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Paul words it beautifully in the book of Ephesians, "...in whom (Christ) also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" (1:13b). We are once again brought into fellowship with God and we can chose to live a life that is pleasing to Him. We can chose to fulfill His purpose for our lives. In much the same way, when the faulty circuit board was replaced, power raced to the igniter, and once the pilot light was lit, warm air coursed through our house. The furnace was doing the job it was created to do.

What about you? Have you accepted God's gift of salvation by grace through faith so you can walk in fellowship with your Creator? If so, are you fulfilling the role He's called you to?  Pray for His guidance as you follow Him, today.

*A re-post from October 2009.

A Purpose and a Plan

Favored by his father. Hated by his brothers. Joseph was the youngest of eleven children. His brothers were well aware that Joseph was the favorite son - after all, Dad HAD given him a multicolored coat, fit for royalty. In comparison, their coats were plain and ordinary.

Joseph didn't have to work like they did, either. While they slaved away in the fields taking care of their Dad's sheep, Joseph got to stay at home. Sure he ran an occasional errand or two, but it was easy to see, the boy was spoiled. All his talk of dreams didn't help either. His latest tale had the entire family bowing down to him. How ridiculous!

The day Joseph came to check up on them was the last straw. They spotted him in his outrageous coat from a long distance away. Far enough away to have time to hatch a plan. A plan to get rid of him. They hated him enough to kill him, but selling him was definitely a more profitable idea. With the transaction complete, the brothers ignored the cries of Joseph as the caravan of Ishmeelites moved slowly out of view. In a matter of only a few hours, Joseph's life had gone from picture perfect to positively pitiful. But in spite of this radical turn of events, God had a purpose and a plan for Joseph's life.

Once in Egypt, Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar, captain of the guard. Things began to improve. God was with Joseph and everything he did prospered. Potiphar took notice and put Joseph in charge of everything in his household. Unfortunately, someone else had noticed Joseph, too. Potiphar's wife. It wasn't long before she began tempting Joseph to sin. His refusals made her angry, and finally she lied about Joseph and had him thrown into prison. Imagine Joseph's confusion! What was going on? First he was sold as a slave by his brothers, and now he found himself in prison for a crime he hadn't committed. Even with circumstances looking bleaker by the moment, God still had a plan for Joseph's life.

Although he may not have understood why his life had taken a turn for the worse, Joseph trusted God. And God didn't disappoint, "...the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, "(Genesis 39:21; KJV). Soon Joseph was in charge of the prisoners. When Pharaoh's butler and baker landed in prison, Joseph took care of their needs as well.

Dreams had always intrigued Joseph. The dreams of the butler and baker were no exception. Each had experienced a strange dream that neither could interpret. God enabled Joseph to interpret their dreams: the baker would be hung in three days, while the butler would be restored to his position in the same time frame. Joseph had only one request of the butler, "...think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house," (Genesis 40:14).

Such a simple request. But did the butler remember Joseph? No! It wasn't until Pharaoh had a disturbing dream, TWO YEARS LATER, that the butler finally thought about the man in prison who had interpreted his dream. Joseph was called from the prison house and finally God's purpose and plan for his life became clear. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream. Because of Joseph's wise counsel, Pharaoh elevated him to second in command in all the nation of Egypt!

God was able to use the difficulties in Joseph's life, being a slave and a prisoner, to prepare him for the incredible task of being a leader. Joseph's story gets even better. Remember his brothers? They end up traveling to Egypt in search of food. And yes, they DO end up bowing before him! Joseph forgives them for selling him into slavery, because he now understands God's bigger plan, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive," (Genesis 50:20). The family is reunited and even Joseph's Dad ends up moving to Egypt.

Just like Joseph's life, I know that God has a purpose and a plan for my life, even when I don't understand it! Circumstances may not always add up in my mind, but my job is to trust the God of the universe to work all things together for good.

Is it hard to understand why certain things are happening in your life? Trust that God is in control. He just may be using those difficulties to prepare you for the awesome plan He's got for you!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You that You have a purpose and a plan for my life, even when I don't understand it. Thank You for the story of Joseph that illustrates that everything happens for a reason. Help me to trust You when things are difficult. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Encore Performance

The colors were gorgeous. Reds, oranges, and yellows interspersed among the evergreens. I believe we've reached the peak of fall color in Georgia. Although the color palette shifts subtly from year to year, I'm always amazed at the Creator's artistry. I tend to forget about the colors that will cover the trees like a vibrant, new wardrobe, leaving me to stand in awe of their splendor.

Strolling slowly through the Atlanta Botanical Gardens this past weekend, I snapped enough pictures to fill a photo album. Trees, ornamental grasses, and flowers all seemed to sense the inevitable approach of winter, and were intent on putting on an encore performance. Each spoke clearly to me, pointing to a Master Designer.

God's purpose for His creation is beautifully spelled out, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork," (Psalm 19:1; KJV). It all points to Him. The Apostle Paul drives this point home, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him," (Colossians 1:16).


As part of God's creation, I have an even greater opportunity than the trees, to make Him known to others. God has uniquely equipped me with talents and abilities. When developed, these gifts cause others to take notice. I have a choice to make. Will I use my abilities to make much of Christ, or will I desire the recognition for myself?

Nature has no problem fulfilling God's plan. But I was created with a free will, and must decide who I will serve, self or my Heavenly Father. I'm reminded of my purpose, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven," (Matthew 5:16). As I grow in grace, realizing that He must increase and I must decrease (John 3:30), I'll be clothed with that vibrant wardrobe that will point others to the Father. Today I choose to live in light of the truth: It's all about Him, it's not about me!

Does the beauty of fall remind you of a Master Designer? Are you developing the talents and abilities God has given you, in order to make much of Him?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for the beauty of creation that clearly points to You! I'm grateful for the gifts and abilities You've given me, and pray for the opportunity to use them to point others to You. Help me to be mindful of my purpose and to make much of You. In Jesus' name, Amen.