“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Have you ever wondered, “What am I doing here? What is my purpose?” First of all we should get away from I, me and my in the conversations that we have with ourselves. We need to replace those words with He and His.
It is no coincidence that most of the important things are also first things. Breakfast has long been promoted as the most important meal of the day. It is the first meal and the most important meal. Why? It gives you the nutrients and energy to begin another day.
Our purpose is to love God and make Him known. Setting aside a portion for God, according to how generous God has been to us, should be the first action of grateful Christ-followers, not the last action. Even before we have that important breakfast, we must have prayer and devotional time. There again, putting God first.
Our tendency is to gather more, keep more, and give away less. We have an unfounded fear of not having what we need when we need it. Jesus confronted this fear head on in the Gospels when, in Luke 12:25, He declared that none of us can add a single moment to our lives by worrying. God knows our needs and will faithfully supply each one. All these things will be given to us if we do things according to His purpose.
God has been and will continue to be generous to us. Our scripture today promises the words “all things”. We know that we love Him and since we are His creation we have been called to His purpose.
As we begin this year let us reflect on our purpose. Our prayer should be that God would help us to live a generous life and give more than we take. Each day we should pray and seek God’s purpose in our lives. It is 2023, time is marching on, what is your purpose. Are you putting God first in everything? Think about it!
PRAYER TIME: Pray for those who are physically sick and sin sick. Continue to pray for my niece, Lisa Stophel who is battling cancer. Also pray for those who are experiencing the loss of a loved one. This time of year is especially hard for many. Keep praying for those with cancer and other serious illnesses. Pray for our country that needs prayer more than ever. Pray for our world’s situation. Pray urgently for our military, our nation and its leaders. Pray for those who need salvation! As always, pray for Israel. Keep praying for those with the many unspoken requests, and a ray of hope for those in prison.
OUR SYMPATHY TO: Suzanne Miller and family at the loss of her husband, Buzzy Miller. Also, our sympathy to the family of Skip Pearson. Pray for these families and others that have lost loved ones during this Christmas season and as they navigate the days ahead.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Donna Hampton on Jan. 5, to Henry Knoll on Jan. 6, to Gwen Steele and Duane Addison on Jan. 8, and to Steve Fox on Jan. 9. May the Lord bless you all in His most wondrous and serendipitous way!
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: “A clever mind sees another person’s problem, but it takes an understanding heart to solve it!”
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