PURPOSE. Matthew 12:39-40.

Posted bySteven WalesPosted inCalling/Mission/PurposeTags:, , , , , , ,

People who change careers many times may be struggling to find purpose.

Same goes for young people who begin a course of study but lose interest before completing it. “I’ll be an EMT. No, a teacher. No, farmer. No, actor. No, maybe….” —They lack purpose.

Do you know anyone who’s changed majors 4, 5, or 6 times? They’re looking for purpose. It’s a common problem.

Folks with more responsibility (bills) often stick with things for decades, but wrestle with the same doubts. I hear such talk from my friends—they’ve worked an entire career, but still dream of the job that got away. They need a purpose. A CALLING would give meaning to their days.

Did Jesus know His purpose? Yes—but not because He was God’s Son. He had purpose because He spent time with His Father. Praying all night long sometimes. Fasting. Studying scripture. Jesus understood His PURPOSE because He walked and talked with His Father daily.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign (“Do a trick for us…”), Jesus said:

“An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign. But there will be no sign given but the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights” Matthew 12:39-40. 

This must have sounded ridiculous to the Pharisees, the rant of an unsound mind. But in fact, Jesus possessed the most sound mind. Jesus KNEW HIS PURPOSE. And even early in His ministry, He already knew EXACTLY His fate, down to how long He would be in the tomb. 

Talk about having a sense of PURPOSE! Jesus knew WHO He was, and WHAT God’s plan was for Him. He announced it at the very beginning of His ministry (see Luke 4:18). He knew EXACTLY why He was here. You can know too! Ask God to show you!

God, show us why we are here today. What is my purpose today? This week? This year? In this context? What is Your purpose for my life? Thank You that You have a purpose for me—even when I cannot see it!

“David fulfilled God’s purpose in his generation” Acts 13:36.

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Published by Steven Wales

Dad's Daily Devotional began as text messages to my family. I wanted my teenagers to know their father was reading the Bible. But they were at school by then. Initially, I sent them a favorite verse or an insight based on what I read each day. That grew into drafting a devotional readng which I would send them via text. I work as an attorney and an adjunct professor, and recently wrote a book called HOW TO MAKE A'S.

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