Can You Know Your Destiny for Certain?

Have you ever reflected on what you could have done in life if only circumstances had been different? Getting bogged down in the old “if-only entrapment” that served as justification for your underachievement, you could have pursued a different pathway to contentment.

When I was attending college, I met a man in his late twenties who confessed he could not read and was unable to complete an application for employment he was pursuing. He was intelligent, as confirmed by his vocabulary and ability to communicate.

This person demonstrated accountability and creativity by enrolling in programs designed to help those with dyslexia learn to read and write by unconventional methods. In Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus, disease and poverty could not dissuade Lazarus from his faith in God’s care as he battled to survive each day. While some situations cannot be overcome, faith provides the will to endure. 

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 For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 

~Philippians 2:13 New International Version 

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 

~John 15:5 New International Version

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Which of God's Promises Are More Important to You?

“So many unfortunate things happened to me last year, and it’s hard to believe the rapid sequence in which they occurred!” These words came from a positive, energetic believer who is a person of faith. The parade of troubles pushed to the breaking point the person's ability to cope.

When troubles permeate your life, it’s important to believe that God is not necessarily singling you out for punishment. God is not responsible for bringing every bad and painful experience into your life. It may be the result of impulsive choices that would now be judged as inadvisable.

Philippians 2:13 is God’s promise to you: “It is God who works in you, helping you to want to obey him and then helping you to do what is required.” Keep in mind that “all things work together for good to them that love God, who are called according to his purposes.” With this attitude, better choices are possible, so praise God for being active in your life.  

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When you obey me you are living in my love, just as I obeyed my Father and live in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy.

~John 15:10-11 The Living Bible

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New Year Plans: Are You Moving Toward a New Beginning?

Today marks the beginning of celebrating a long holiday that extends through New Year’s Day. For others it’s a continuation of celebrating that began with Christmas Eve and includes New Year’s Eve parties to greet what could be a new beginning for God’s plan and purpose for you and the nation.

Have you already begun to anticipate what magnificent things will be in store by trusting in God to bring about good things? By trusting and believing in his undeserved goodness, what can you foresee that awaits for you in the days and months ahead as you move toward a new beginning?

When the Lord God is invited to be actively present in everything you want to be and do in the days ahead, there will be no obstacle that cannot be subdued. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” so by uniting your life with his, contentment, joy, and peace await you.    

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Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.

~John 13:7 The Message

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Does God Have a Purpose for our Grief?

Some experiences create memories that last a lifetime. Given the right stimulus, these memories come to the surface with such vividness, it seems as if they happened yesterday. A middle-aged man related a story that forever influenced how he perceived his father.

When he was about four-years-old, he accompanied his father to check out a boat tied up on the riverbank. This required walking across a pasture. Coming home, he begged his father to carry him but his plea was rejected. It’s impossible to know why his father would not carry him, but that event still creates feelings of grief and rejection.

Sadness hidden away in our memory may surface as anger directed toward others and God. Bad things happen to us, but God’s purpose isn’t to punish unsuspecting people. For those receptive to his kindness, God provides an antidote for hurt and anger – defined as forgiveness based on his grace, mercy, and comfort.

                         

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…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

~Philippians 2:13 New International Version

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Action Rather Than Contemplation

 What does it mean to be up against the cutting edge of life? Jacob Bronowsky, the Polish-born mathematician wrote in the Ascent of Man, “The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation, for the hand is the cutting edge of the mind.” God intended for us to press against the boundaries of our capabilities in order to manage what life presents.

Our brain is designed to learn and develop throughout life, and the hands are to form and create what the mind conceives. It's apparent that cutting-edge innovations can be used either for the benefit of mankind or for any evil humans are capable of devising. Consider the benefit the internet has provided, but this cutting-edge technology also appeals to our depravity.

With every innovation it is important to apply God's intended purpose for the benefit of all people. How is the Lord God using your mind and hands to serve as cutting-edge instruments to further his purposes? Endeavor to keep that as your personal life assignment.   

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For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out his good purpose.

~Philippians 2:13 Holman Christian Standard Bible

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.

~Psalm 90:17 New International Version

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Finding Purpose in Life's Ups and Downs - Part 1

God's people often fail to live by the values they know please the Lord Jesus Christ. Integrity is built on inner moral strengths that are enlightened and empowered by God's presence. When integrity fails, it must be cleansed and set right by repentance and forgiveness. Integrity depends on a moral character that's anchored to Christ Jesus by faith and trust.

Integrity helps us face aging. A woman in her late twenties expressed  concern that the wrinkles that were forming around her eyes had been caused by the unrelenting stress of her career choice and home life. We need to take inventory regularly to see if we have concerns about aging that equal this young woman's worries.

If our integrity remains uncompromised, meaningful work helps sustain integrity while providing freedom to have a purposeful life. Philippians 2:13 reminds us  that "God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him." When our lives are centered on Christ Jesus, we make choices that strengthen our integrity.