Bible reading plan Bible reading plan

Predestined for Purpose

06 August 2021

A straight stone jetty leading out to sea. A person is sat on the jetty.

Even for us, whether we are Jews or non-Jews, we are those he has called to experience his glory. Remember the prophecy God gave in Hosea:

“To those who were rejected and not my people,
    I will say to them: ‘You are mine.’
And to those who were unloved I will say:

    ‘You are my darling.”

Romans 9:24-26 TPT

 

Back in my pre-Jesus days – that is, before I made Jesus the Lord and Saviour of my life, I dealt with feelings of condemnation. It seemed that every time I came in contact with a believer, or into a church, I felt condemned by my own religious ideas and assumptions. Do you know that feeling? The feeling that you get when you think everyone can see right through you. This was the weight that I bore every time I thought I wanted to cry out to Jesus but didn’t, every time I battled life’s challenges on my own, every time the devil waged war against me and tried to claim my life. I can recall the first real encounter I had with the love of God, the moment that revelation struck my heart and rendered me helpless in my own ability, but in awe of His great love for me.

 

As I was reading my Bible today, I noticed an old faded note that I had written in my Bible after I received Jesus. Next to Romans 9:24 I wrote, “God prepared me, I am predestined”. What does that mean? I am predestined? The dictionary would say that it means that my life was determined or purposed, settled beforehand, in advance for a specific outcome. That means that I have a purpose and it is not my own but that of which the Father has created me. In Romans 9:24 in the KJV it says, whom HE hath called. There is a calling that comes from God. Meaning that my life and your life is not my own, not your own, but I live and you live to please Him. We have been created, predestined, called into the kingdom family for a purpose to fulfil His plan which is to bring others, those that have experienced the same condemnation from sin, out of the darkness and into the Kingdom family. This is our predestined task, those that would call on the Lord enter into a new job description, we are not simply who we were before, we are a witness that speaks of the goodness and forgiveness of God.

 

As a witness it is my job to testify of the goodness and faithfulness of God! We have a job to do to bring closure to the Great Commission.


Photo of Julie Hattabaugh

Julie Hattabaugh
Lead Pastor
GoChurch Beirut