Where Will God Lead You Next?

 September 26, 2024

Thursday

We all know that we have a purpose. 

God is a creator. He creates with purpose. He created the water before the fish, the air before the birds and the vegetation before the animals. Each of these have a purpose. 

God never changes. Everything that was created provided for something else. Each creation provided for the next creation. Just think of it. Parents are needed to have and raise children. That is the order of things. One creation precedes another creation with purpose.

Thus, we too must have a purpose. However, many people think that God will take them into something that they have never connected with to do something they know nothing about. That isn't the way it is.

God gives smaller tasks and uses other experiences and skills to call people to do what He desires. When a person who walks with the Lord looks back, he will see God working in a relatively straight line to prepare that person for what he is doing now and what he will do later.

Let's look at Paul. 

Philippians 3:4–6 (NASB 2020)⁴ although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Paul was prepared through his life before he came to the Lord. He was a Jew of Jews, yet he would reject working for salvation. If anyone would have made it through works, Paul would have been able to claim it. He was prepared theologically for he knew the scriptures He was a Pharisee. At the time of Jesus crucifixion, Paul's stand as a Pharisee would have placed him with those who sought Jesus' death. Later, he had no trouble agreeing with Stephen's death He had no trouble persecuting the Christians.

God chose Paul because of his zeal. He did what he thought was right. When God revealed Himself to Paul, Paul became more zealous for the Lord than he had ever been as a Pharisee. If you connect the dots of Paul's life from the beginning to the end, you see someone who was prepared for each next step of his life.

So, when we are afraid of what God may ask us to do, we should look at the path that He has already led us through. Then, we look at what is in front of us. Is this God's will? The question is whether it lines up with where He has already led. Don't think it won't stretch you but it will be the next step.

Paul would say:

Philippians 2:13 (NASB 2020)¹³ for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.