Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” emphasizing living with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
Scriptures for today:
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Ecc 3:1 ERV)
There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.
Genesis 42:33-38 (TPT)
33 Then the man, the governor of Egypt, demanded, ‘By this test, I will discern if you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers with me, take the grain you need for your families, and be on your way.
34 Return to me with your youngest brother, then I’ll know you are not spies, but men of integrity. Then I’ll release your brother back to you, and you’ll be free to trade in the land.’ “
35 As they each emptied their sacks of grain, each man found his money inside his sack! When they and their father saw their money returned to them, they were frightened.
36 Their father Jacob said to his sons, “You have taken away my children! First, Joseph is gone, and now, Simeon! And now, you want to take Benjamin from me! Everything is against me!”
37 Then Reuben said, “Father, you may put my two sons to death if I fail to bring Benjamin back to you! Trust me–I will bring him back!”
38 But Jacob replied, “I can’t let my son Benjamin go with you. For his brother is dead, and of Rachel’s sons, he alone is left. If he were to meet with disaster on your journey, I would die of grief! You will send my white hair and broken heart sorrowing down to the grave!”
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Jacob Was Far from Perfect:
Jacob had been through a lot in his life. He started off as a trickster and conniver. He and his mother concocted a plan to lie to his father (her husband) to steal the birthright from his brother (her other son). The plan worked. He stole the blessing. His brother wanted to kill him, and Jacob left home as a fugitive.
Jacob was then tricked by his father-in-law (he reaped what he had sown) when it came time to marry the woman of his dreams (Joseph’s mother). He worked for his father-in-law for 20 years in less-than-ideal situations. Laban was getting rich off of Jacob. Jacob switched systems, started to live by faith, and made more money in year 21 than he had in the previous 20 years combined.
At that point, he was rich, and he was ready to go home. However, he still had issues with his brother. By the grace of God, he went home and reconciled with his brother. Jacob fathered the 12 boys who would become the 12 tribes of Israel but never really got his family life in order. He favored Joseph over his brothers; with Joseph gone, he was doing the same with Benjamin.
God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and the nation promised to his grandfather has his name to this day. But it is not because he was perfect. It was because God uses imperfect people. If God could use Jacob in a powerful way and make His name great, He can do the same with and for you!
How This Applies to You:
— Understand that God uses flawed people to fulfill His purposes.
— Your imperfections do not disqualify you from being used by God.
— Embrace God’s grace and allow Him to work through your weaknesses.
— The more you open your heart to God to be used, the more He will live through you, and the more supernatural the results will be.
2. Jacob’s Bloodline Was Not Perfect.
Abraham made many mistakes while he was attempting to walk with God. He lied about his wife being his sister. His son Isaac made the same lie. Abraham got tired of waiting on God for the promised child, so after 13 years, he slept with his servant and had a son. This caused a rift between his wife and his servant. He wound up kicking the boy and his mother out of the family. That boy, Ishmael, went on to become the father of Islam. The promised child who was born 12 years later, Isaac, went on to extend the bloodline that would lead to the Israelites. However, the issue between Isaac’s mother and Ishmael’s mother has never been resolved. The trouble between the Jews and the Muslims started with two women in a tent in the desert, and it will not be resolved until Jesus comes back.
Abraham was not perfect. However, when he is mentioned in the New Testament, none of his flaws are brought up. This is how it is with God. Just like you brag about your children, and you don’t publicly bring up their shortcomings, God does the same with you as his son/daughter. God loves you so much that He looks past your flaws and uses you anyway. He knew all the mistakes you were going to make, and He called you to His purpose anyway. That, my friends, is called GRACE!
How This Applies to You:
— God’s grace covers your past mistakes and shortcomings.
— He calls you to His purpose despite your imperfections.
— In this year of fixed purpose, God wants you to embrace your calling with confidence, knowing God will use you despite your flaws.
3. Jacob Never Got Over Losing Joseph.
Jacob never recovered from losing Joseph. He showed blatant favoritism toward Joseph, which strained his relationship with his other sons. When he believed Joseph was dead, he was never the same man. The death of Joseph’s mother, Rachel, while giving birth to Benjamin made his grief exponentially worse. With Joseph gone, Jacob clung to Benjamin for dear life.
When the brothers told him they needed to take Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob acted as if Benjamin was his only remaining son. How do you think that made the rest of the boys feel? Jacob’s favoritism and grief clouded his judgment and negatively affected his family dynamics.
How This Applies to You:
— If you don’t process loss and grieve appropriately, the loss you experience in one moment can negatively impact the rest of your life.
— Recognize the danger that blatant favoritism can have in your family. All your children are unique, and you should love them accordingly.
— Strive to treat all those you are responsible for with fairness and love.
— If you are a leader and those you are responsible for are coming to you for guidance or for a key decision if you are not healthy (on the inside), your decisions will be tainted. Furthermore, if the cause of your unhealthiness is past pain, you won’t be open to the possibilities of God’s future for you, your family, or your team because of the pain of your past. This is why, as leaders, you should seek divine healing inside and out.
— You don’t have to be perfect, but God does want you to be healthy and to make decisions from a place of peace.
4. God is in the Business of Making Holy Garments Out of Flawed Material!
God does extraordinary things with ordinary people. God is in the business of making holy garments out of flawed material. Abraham was not perfect. Neither was Isaac or Jacob, but God used them mightily. If God did that with them, then He can do the same with and for you.
Stop making excuses for why you are not worthy of being used by God. Let me help you out. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY! Get over it. Jesus made you worthy!
God is not looking for perfection. He is looking for willingness. If you are willing, then He is able. God can cover your flaws and magnify your strengths. By grace, God can empower you to do what you could never do without Him. Stop fighting the grace of God. Open your heart to God’s best. Greater is coming for you!
How This Applies to You:
— Acknowledge that while you are not perfect, you are willing and open to being used by God.
— Understand that your willingness is what God needs, not your perfection.
— Embrace God’s grace and allow Him to magnify your strengths and cover your flaws.
Extra point: One last thing I want to highlight this morning is that when God speaks of you, He will be kind. Although Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all flawed, today, our God is still known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is not because they were good. It is because God is good.
Although David committed adultery and premeditated murder, in the New Testament, when God speaks of him, David is remembered as a man after God’s own heart. Why? Because God is gracious. He makes sure that history is kind to you. So stop meditating on your mistakes. Open your heart to the possibilities of what God has for you, and let God use you for His glory! If you are still breathing, then GREATER IS COMING FOR YOU!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You have called me despite my imperfections, and I embrace Your purpose for my life with gratitude.
I acknowledge that I am not perfect, but Jesus was perfect for me, and I stand in His righteousness.
I am an instrument in Your hands, ready to be used for Your glory each day.
By Your grace, You empower me to achieve what I could never do on my own, and I open my heart to Your best.
I refuse to be defined by my past; I move forward in faith, trusting in Your plan and timing for my life.
You have called me to Your purpose for my life, and I fully embrace it, pursuing what
You called me to do for the remainder of my days.
I let go of past faults, mistakes, and pain. I enter every day committed to managing what You have entrusted to me with diligence, excellence, and integrity.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME because I trust in Your promises and rely on Your strength to fulfill my purpose.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
