It’s a new week—Monday, October 21st, 2024. Do science and faith conflict with one another? Or is strategic planning at odds with being “led by the Holy Spirit”? Should we set goals and work toward them, or simply stay faithful day by day and see how things unfold? Perhaps we need to look further down the line. Read on...
Today's Reading:
Job 9,10; Acts 13,14
Scripture
“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep …” (Acts 13:36)
Observation
“After he had served the purposes of God in his generation…” That’s what I want to do. But does it just happen? Does it simply unfold, and only in hindsight do we realize God’s purposes have been accomplished? Do I simply obey day by day, only to one day see that His plan was fulfilled? Or do we front-load this by discerning His purposes for our future and planning accordingly? Should I think, plan, and lay out my best future, then follow that path? Should I imagine my best life and work intentionally toward it?
Or is it a combination of both?
Application
The bottom line is this: I deeply desire to fulfill God’s purposes in my lifetime—not only for my ministry, but for my life, my children, and my grandchildren. I’m not seeking accolades; I’m simply seeking, as Paul says in Philippians, to "apprehend that for which Christ has apprehended me." Paul’s joy came not from having fully attained it, but from “pressing forward to that high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
So, it’s both. It’s not one or the other. It’s about using everything available to me to “apprehend what God apprehended me for!” It’s about knowing His ways, staying close to my Maker, and, when I catch His heart, holding myself accountable to that, lest I drift.
Prayer
Dear Father, please grant me the wisdom to hear Your instructions, mentoring, and counsel for one purpose alone — that I may obey Your call and know that I have served the purposes of God in my generation!
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