In the beginning, God set the pattern for His interaction with humans, and He also established His expectations for them. First, God created an extraordinarily beautiful habitation for us, and in this He demonstrates how love behaves. He loves us so much that He thought about our provision even before we arrived on the scene. Then He created the first man, Adam, in His own image. Genesis 2:7-8(NLT) tells us, “7 Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. 8 Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made.” This was thousands of years ago. There was no industry, no businesses, government, or other people. It was just Adam and God, and this is exactly the way Heavenly Father wanted it.
Of course, God planned that there would be millions and millions of us down the road, but from the very beginning, He revealed that Adam’s purpose was to be in communion and fellowship with Him. Everything else, including the woman, was carved out of Adam’s relationship with Heavenly Father. God tells us in Malachi 3:6 that He does not change. He is the same today as He was thousands of years ago. God wanted Adam to know that He had set Adam’s place and purpose, and Heavenly Father provided everything necessary for Adam to reign and have dominion in his own life. This is a very important precedent that every man must comprehend and work out for himself.
A wonderful man of God said that without purpose, life is without meaning. Everyone knows this intrinsically. Often people will feel a void deep within. They may not be able to articulate what this void is all about, but it is a very uncomfortable feeling. So much so, that we will do just about anything to fill this void. Some of us think that other people can fill it. Others try to do it with substances, work, or recreation, but the truth is that only God can fill our cups and knowing His purpose for our lives adds the favor many of us are missing.
The earth is filled with people that have no sense of direction. Their lives are a series of false starts and disappointment because they are trying to direct their own paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 The Message (MSG) teaches, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” The way that most people interpret this passage is that they decide what they think will work best for their lives. They choose their own path and then ask God to bless it for good measure. This is not the way God designed purpose to work.
Heavenly Father is the One with the plan. He told His people in Jeremiah 29:11 The Message (MSG), “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” He knows the plans He has for us, and we must understand that His blessings and favor are contained within His plan. God doesn’t force us to choose His way, but if we try to figure out life on our own, we’re headed for trouble.
We are told that manhood is us handling life by taking the bull by the horn. We’re used to forcing, pushing, and pulling our way through, no matter the cost, but this is not God’s original intention. His Will is that we receive direction, guidance, and instruction from Him, and therein lies our purpose. We don’t always know the details, but like Abraham, we must move in faith. In Genesis 12:1(NLT), God told Abraham, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” Traveling in those days was an extremely tedious journey. It was not just a man, his wife, and children; it was all his employees, their families, and all the animals and provisions necessary to survive travel. Abraham didn’t know all the details of why and how, but he had faith in the path God would lay before him.
This is the brilliant pattern that God demonstrates through Abraham. Like him, God has promised that if we trust Him and abide by His Word, He will be with us. We don’t know all the details of what He has planned for our lives, but we do know that He intends us to walk with Him, believing in faith and trusting His leadership.
Appreciating our purpose is understanding that God created life to be lived in total commitment to Him, and He wants us to lean upon Him for everything. We don’t have to worry whether God will tell us which way to go. James 1:5(NLT) tells us all we need to do is ask. This verse says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” The Holy Spirit that abides within will guide us into all truth, and his leadership is perfect. He knows God’s plan, and he also knows our purpose within it. The Spirit will take you higher in Christ if you are committed to follow His guidance. Yes, you may experience some bumps along the way, but remain thankful that God has chosen, called, and equipped you. Learn to be sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings. Trust God, seek Him continually with all your heart, and He will keep you on the path of His purpose.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Appreciating God’s Purpose” written for Springfield Fellowship © 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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