A Life of Purpose

God’s hand in the life of Moses was manifested from the time of his birth. Just like He (God) said to Jeremiah "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.", God said same to Moses. The Lord who formed us, knows for what particular services and purposes he intended us. But unless he sanctify us by his new-creating Spirit, we shall neither be fit for his holy service on earth, nor his holy happiness in heaven. If the task God has given us to carry out is not bigger than us, such that we can only accomplish them by His help, then that task is not from God.

God deals with us individually and differently depending on the task God has given us to accomplish. God knows what He is doing, His thoughts and ways are far above ours. He has a plan for our lives. Most times, that plan cannot be understood until long after the events of our lives have unfolded. He prepares us to bring about the desired result in the right way.

As such, we must realise that our work for God must be precede by reverence for Him. Recognising both His holiness and our sinfulness allows us to honour Him in a way befitting His majesty. We are then prepared to hear His voice and follow His call. This makes us not to have the attitude of “let’s get God’s work done by all means.”

We see events from a limited perspective and with incomplete understanding we must trust God’s sovereignty by submitting ourselves to His plans and leaving ourselves in His hands. The preparation may be in the form of hardships, doubt, fear; but as we mature in faith, we realise the need to rely on God. God will then guide us in and give us wisdom. When it is time, the answer to that burning question of “who am I; who shall I say sent me and what will I say?” will be available.

It becomes us to have low thoughts of ourselves. Those who are young, should consider that they are so, and not venture beyond their powers. But though a sense of our own weakness and insufficiency should make us go humbly about our work, it should not make us draw back when God calls us. Those who have messages to deliver from God, must not fear the face of man. The Lord, by a sign, will give such a gift as is necessary. God's message should be delivered in his own words.

God is aware of our weakness and doubts. He is patient with our questions and insecurities. Asking God to choose someone else to complete His plans for us indicates a lack of trust. If God calls us to a task, He will furnish the resources for us to complete it.

Sodom and Gomorrah

Three angels visited Abraham. They came disguised as men, travellers along the road. Two of them went down to Sodom and Gomorrah, to observe first-hand the wickedness in those cities.

The other visitor, who was the Lord, stayed behind. He revealed to Abraham that he was going to destroy the cities because of the evil ways of their people. Abraham, a special friend of the Lord, began to bargain with God to spare the cities if there were righteous people in them.

First Abraham asked if the Lord would spare the cities if fifty righteous people lived there. The Lord said yes. Boldly, Abraham kept bargaining down, until God agreed not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if even ten righteous people lived there. Then the Lord departed.

Then all the men of the city surrounded Lot's house where the angels had camped and said, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." (Genesis 19:5, NIV).

A few points to note here:

o   God was mercifully willing to spare the cities for the sake of a few righteous people, but none lived there. The Bible tells us all the inhabitants were depraved.

o   One of the reasons God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was because he did not want the Jews to be influenced by this evil. As the Creator of all things, God has the divine right to destroy evil as he sees fit.

o   Lot and his family were spared, but his future sons-in-laws were destroyed because they thought Lot was joking about God's wrath. Millions of people today think God and sin are things to joke about. God does exist, and he does punish unrepentant sinners.

o   The Bible clearly states that the fire and sulphur, or brimstone, rained down "from the Lord out of the heavens" (Genesis 19:24, NIV), not upward from a volcano. Lot's wife, whose name is not given, became a pillar of salt. Some scholars believe she was covered with molten material.

Many people hold to misconceptions about God’s grace. Some hold to concepts that cheapen grace, for they deny the sinfulness of sin. The truth is that grace exposes the reality of mankind’s sinfulness and lustfulness. God, because He is gracious and merciful, has provided the way for people to be saved from the judgment sin brings. He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross to take the punishment for sin.

Sodom personified sin in every form: from pride and selfishness to perversion and idolatry. So the story of Sodom stands as an important warning to us: we must not tolerate any sin. Let us examine our lives to see if we have become permissive of any sinful behaviours or attitudes that can become spiritual stumbling blocks. If so, let us turn to God in repentance.

Father Abraham

Father Abraham, Has many sons,

Many sons has father Abraham,

I am one of them, and so are you

So let us praise the Lord

We all love to sing this song but how many of us are willing to do what it takes to partake of these Abrahamic promises. Abraham had to leave all that was familiar. He had to lay aside his old identity and everything he knew. Every aspect of his life would be altered forever. God did not tell Abraham where he was going or what events would take place when he arrived. The call was one of trust and submission. God expects His followers to step out in faith in following Him, even when the road ahead is not very clear or even when they do not know exactly where He is leading them to.

The story of Abraham demonstrates the ways in which God gives dramatic rewards for absolute faith and obedience. At God’s command, Abraham leaves his home to roam in a strange land; God’s reward is to cause Abraham to discover great wealth. Sarah, barren her entire life, gives birth to a son at the age of ninety, an event so unlikely that she laughs when she is told that it will occur.

And finally, Abraham receives God’s greatest praise when he obediently stands poised to kill the very son through whom God has promised to fulfil his covenant. These moments depict absolute faith in God, despite the fact that his demands may seem illogical or unreasonable. What God consistently rewards is the abandonment of human reason and free will in favour of actions whose purpose is unknown or unknowable. As a result, these stories establish a version of God who knows what is best for mankind, but who reveals his purposes only selectively.

Who then are the heirs of the precious and very great promises made to Abraham and to his seed? You are. To whom can it be said: Your sins are forgiven; God is for you; with all his power, goodness, and mercy he will pursue you all your life, and you will rise from the dead; your name will be great; your assembly as the stars of the heavens; you will possess the gates of your enemies, and the land of Israel and all the earth will be your inheritance; and you will fill the new world with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord? To whom can all this be said? To you, the children of Abraham through faith in Christ. "For all things are yours . . . whether the world or life or death or the present or the future, all (the promises!) are yours, for you are Christ's and Christ (the seed of Abraham) is God's" (1 Corinthians 3:21–23).