This morning we continue our series entitled, “Power of Fellowship.” The more I think about this series and the more I have discussions with people about it, the more I realize the importance of people having a true and intimate relationship with God. I am not going to focus on any particular scripture this morning. I am going to simply share what the Holy Spirit wants me to share about having experiences with Him. I often say that you cannot just know God in a book. What you read in the pages of the Bible must translate to real life if you are ever going to walk out your purpose. And as you go, many of the things God tells you do will not make sense at first. But they will make sense over time. That’s what I will discuss today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. If it is true that God made plans for you before the world began (and it is), then it is also true that you can never be considered a success (in God’s eyes, anyway) outside of those plans. Once you are Born-Again and you are filled with the Holy Spirit, your life becomes a journey of discovery and experiences. You are discovering what God already planned, you are becoming the man/woman you are called to be, and you are experiencing the things that were birthed in the heart; these are things that are tailor-made for you.
2. One of the most amazing parts of walking with God is the fact that God will not tell you everything up front. He reveals His plans in portions, levels and stages. God will tell you something today that, if you obey it, will set you up for something that will happen six months from now. And then six months from now, when that happens, God will lead you to make a decision that will not seem significant at the time, but five years later you will realize how important and impactful that decision actually was. This is why it is critical that we simply walk with God and do whatever He leads us to do. We may not understand it today, but we will understand it over time.
3. God will not reveal everything to you up front and He will not tell you why He is telling you to do what He is. But if you will simply trust Him and do whatever He is leading you to do, even when it does not make sense, and even at the risk of looking foolish, I am guarantee it will pay off in the long term. Over the process of time you will look back and thank God for leading you the way He did. This is why fellowship with Him is so important. The more you fellowship with God, the more you hear His voice, and the more you do what He says, the more you will maximize the purpose and potential God placed in you before the world began.
4. I am not one of those people that is going to tell you that you can be whatever YOU want to be, or that you can do whatever YOU want to do. No, I believe the Bible teaches us that God made plans for us before we were born. So our job is to FIND, FOLLOW and FINISH those plans. Our job is to DISCOVER, DEVELOP in, and then DEPLOY into our God given purpose. Our life is not about us and what we want. Our life is about God and what He planned! Jesus said, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you every day for following me.” (Luke 9:23). As we die to self and what we want, we can live for Christ and what He wants. What He wants is what He planned before the world began! And believe me, God’s plans are much better than anything you can ever come up with on your own.
5. Everyone has a purpose, but not everyone knows it. People constantly ask me, “Rick, how do I know my purpose? How do I know what I was born to do?” My answer always comes back to having a relationship with God. You must know God for yourself. You must spend time with Him in fellowship. Anything less than that is just religion and it will get you nowhere!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You love me with an everlasting love. You thought of me before I was born. You ordained me for my purpose before I ever took one breath. All the days of my life were mapped out before you before I was formed in my mother’s womb. My life is now a journey of discovery towards becoming what You planned. As You lead me, You are doing so because You know what is down the road and around the corner. I don’t know my future. But You do. So when You tell me to do something that does not make sense to me, I have the faith do it anyway, because I trust what You are up to, even when I don’t know what it is. Living this way I am confident that things will make sense over time and little by little, day by day, I become the man/woman You planned. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
