With Purpose

June 21

"Because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan." Ephesians 1:11

NO ACCIDENTS

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people" (Genesis 50:20 NLT).

When a cowboy applied for an insurance policy, the agent asked, "Have you ever had any accidents?"

After a moment's reflection, the applicant responded, "Nope, but a bronc did kick in two of my ribs last summer, and a couple of years ago a rattlesnake bit me on the ankle."

"Wouldn't you call those accidents?" replied the puzzled agent.

"Naw," the cowboy said, "they did it on purpose!"

That story reminds me of the biblical truth that there are no accidents in the lives of God's children. Read how Joseph interpreted a difficult experience that had seemed like a great calamity. He had been thrown into a pit and then sold as a slave. This was a great test of his faith, and from the human standpoint it appeared to be a tragic case of injustice, not a providential means of blessing. But Joseph later learned that "God meant it for good."

Are you passing through the deep waters of trial and disappointment? Does everything seem to be going against you? These apparent misfortunes are not accidents. The Lord allows such things for a blessed purpose. So patiently trust Him. If you know the Lord, someday you will praise Him for it all! -- Richard De Haan


De Hann’s little vignette makes a profound point. For the most part, the events of life are done with purpose. We don’t accidentally choose a career or who to marry or where we’ll settle down; we don’t stumble into governmental policy or international treaties. We don’t accidentally get saved either.

That is not to acknowledge the occurrence of accidents. Most of us can attest to having been the victim of one of those unforeseen events that took a toll on how we lived as a result, but apart from those, we strive to give thoughtful planning and purpose to our lives. We try to first order our thoughts and then order our ways to facilitate our conclusions.

But, often, we put spiritual matters on a back burner. We know there is a possibility of life after death; we know that if indeed there is, we will spend eternity somewhere, but we don’t allow ourselves to be preoccupied with that prospective eventuality. We seem to think it will take care of itself when we should be like Joshua who said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve; as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” Joshua 24:15.

Although we cannot make the decision to accept Christ as Savior in the behalf of our children, we can, “Train up a child in the way he should go,” Proverbs 22:6. We can establish the groundwork for their eternity by the truth we invest into their lives when they are young. We can also sow these truths into the workplace, the marketplace, the gathering place with the faith that the Lord will bring to fruition the seeds we have scattered.