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.
Scriptures we have been looking at all year:
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
(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.
Setting the stage.
In December 1997, I responded to a divine instruction from God. The Lord told me to put His Word in people’s email inboxes every day. I started with just eight friends because very few people even had email addresses back then. The list began to grow through word of mouth. As the subscriptions grew, I initially manually maintained a spreadsheet for subscriptions and unsubscriptions. Eventually, I got a list server so people could subscribe and unsubscribe without me having to manage it all manually.
In 2002, I added a website, giving Today’s Word a digital home and my messages a face. The website also provided a place to host previous messages, which proved to be crucial as many readers were printing out the messages and organizing them in binders. People would stop me to show me their collections of hundreds of messages in binders. Wherever I went, people would share testimonies of how Today’s Word had transformed their lives. They would tell me how these messages had saved their marriages, impacted their careers, brought healing to their bodies, and restored their hope. Several people have shared that these messages kept them from committing suicide. Others testified about how God used the messages to heal their bodies, restore broken relationships, and bring breakthroughs in areas where they had been stuck for years. As they were telling me how much the messages impacted their lives, they had no idea how much their testimonies were impacting mine.
In 2010, we expanded our reach by launching a mobile app and beginning daily video messages. Over these 27 years, I have sent out more than 7,000 written messages and recorded over 3,600 videos, and the testimonies have continued to pour in. People stop me in airports, at conferences, and even on the street to share how God has used Today’s Word to impact their lives. These testimonies aren’t about me – they’re about the faithfulness of God and the power of His Word to transform lives.
This year alone, we spent the first three months teaching many scriptures about purpose, emphasizing that you’re not a mistake and that God made plans for you before the world began. We then dedicated three months to studying the life of Joseph, followed by six months studying the life of David. As we close out 2024, a year focused on divine purpose, I can testify that Today’s Word is definitely part of my purpose and highest calling. Of all the things I get to do, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ remains my highest calling, and I’m deeply thankful for how God continues to use this ministry to impact lives globally.
So, what does this mean to you today?
1. Your Purpose Often Starts with Simple Obedience.
What started as a simple “yes” to God’s instruction to send daily emails has evolved into a global ministry. I had no idea that manually maintaining a spreadsheet with eight names would grow into what Today’s Word has become. That’s how purpose works – God gives you a seemingly small instruction, and when you obey, He begins to unfold His greater plan. But there’s more to the story. Years ago, I made a sacred vow to the Lord – I promised to release His Word into the world every weekday before I did my own work. I committed to giving Him the first and best part of my day, and He, in turn, promised to bless the work of my hands.
This commitment has led me to write Today’s Word in Korea, Kuwait, Bosnia, Iraq, and all over the USA. There were times when military obligations required me to wake up at 3am to write the message, but I did whatever it took to honor my vow to the Lord. The results have been extraordinary. Not only has God used Today’s Word to transform countless lives, but He has also blessed my life and career (both professional and ministry) far beyond anything I could have imagined. This arrangement – putting God first and trusting Him with the rest – has produced supernatural results.
How this applies to you:
— Your simple act of obedience today could impact generations tomorrow.
— God often tests your faithfulness with small assignments before bigger ones. If you are not faithful over little, God will not give you charge over much.
— Purpose usually unfolds progressively, not all at once.
— Stay faithful to what God has told you to do, even when you can’t see the big picture.
— When you honor God with your first and best, He honors your faithfulness.
— Purpose often requires sacrifice, but the rewards far exceed the cost.
— Consistency in your commitment to God opens doors for supernatural blessing.
— Your vows to God, when kept, position you for divine prosperity.
2. God Honors Committed Devotion.
The testimonies I’ve received over the years have humbled me – from people contemplating suicide who found hope, to couples seeing their marriages restored, to individuals receiving physical healing. But what many don’t see is the commitment behind the scenes. Writing messages at 3am or 4am before my military duties, finding ways to send Today’s Word from war zones, and doing whatever it took to keep my vow to the Lord. When you honor God with unwavering devotion, He honors your commitment in ways that impact both you and countless others.
How this applies to you:
— Your purpose is always connected to helping others.
— God will use you to bring hope to the hopeless.
— Your obedience to God’s call can literally save lives.
— Walking in purpose positions you to be a conduit of God’s power.
— Never underestimate how God can use your faithfulness.
— Your commitment to God positions you for supernatural impact.
— Keeping your word to God opens doors for His favor.
— God rewards faithfulness that persists despite circumstances.
— Your sacrifice creates a platform for God’s power.
— Consistency in devotion leads to consistency in impact.
3. Maximizing Purpose Requires Both Sacrifice and Evolution.
From manually maintained spreadsheets to a website, from email-only to daily videos, Today’s Word has constantly evolved. But through every evolution, one thing remained constant – my commitment to release God’s Word before doing my own work. Sometimes, this meant lost sleep, early mornings, or creative solutions in challenging environments. Purpose often requires both adaptation to new methods and steadfast commitment to core promises.
How this applies to you:
— Stay open to new ways God wants to use you.
— Don’t let comfort zones limit your impact.
— Growth and change are essential parts of purpose.
— Your capacity must expand to match your calling.
— Be willing to adapt your methods while maintaining your commitments.
— Your sacrifices today create platforms for tomorrow.
— Growth requires both flexibility and steadfastness.
— Purpose-driven living demands priorities and dedication.
— God honors those who honor their commitments to Him.
4. Like Joseph, Every Sacrifice Serves a Greater Purpose.
Through our three-month study of Joseph, we saw how God uses every season. Similarly, every early morning, every challenging location, every sacrifice made to keep my vow to the Lord – it all served a purpose. Like Joseph in prison, what seemed like inconvenient or difficult seasons were actually preparing the way for greater impact.
How this applies to you:
— God wastes no season in your life.
— Current challenges are preparing you for future impact.
— Your pit moments can lead to palace promotions.
— Stay faithful in every season.
— Trust God’s process in developing you.
— Every sacrifice you make for God has a purpose.
— Current challenges are preparing you for future impact.
— God sees and rewards your private devotion.
— Greatness is developed in obscurity. If you can’t be faithful when no one knows your name, you won’t be able to handle it when everyone does.
— In God’s Kingdom, private processing precedes public platforms.
5. Like David, Your Purpose Will Impact Generations.
Our six-month study of David revealed how faithfulness to purpose impacts generations. That simple vow to put God’s Word first has resulted in over 7,000 messages and 3,600 videos, touching countless lives across the globe. When you’re faithful to your divine assignment, your impact outlives you.
How this applies to you:
— Your daily faithfulness creates a generational impact.
— Small acts of obedience can have eternal consequences.
— God multiplies the seed of your sacrifice.
— Your commitment to God affects people you’ll never meet.
— Faithful devotion creates a lasting legacy.
— Your obedience affects people you’ll never meet.
— God’s purpose for you is bigger than you imagine.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for revealing my divine purpose and giving me the grace to fulfill it.
I commit to giving You my first and my best, knowing You will honor my faithfulness.
Your purpose unfolds as I remain steadfast in my commitment to You.
I embrace both sacrifice and evolution as I walk out my divine assignment.
Every season of preparation is positioning me for greater impact.
I choose to be faithful in obscurity, knowing You are developing my character.
My simple acts of obedience today will impact generations tomorrow.
I stand firm in my commitments to You, regardless of the cost or sacrifice required.
Your supernatural power flows through my consistent devotion.
GREATER IS COMING as I remain laser-focused on Your fixed purpose for my life!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and prosper!
