Last Call for Destiny
"There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."- Proverbs 23:18
There may not be a more loaded word in the English vocabulary as "DESTINY". Destiny is a question in life that people ponder; a goal in life that people pursue; and a treasure in life that people protect. Before we get too deep into this topic of ultimate purpose, meaning, and fulfillment let's begin with a bit of brevity. Whenever I see or hear the word, destiny, I can't help but hear the voice of Darth Vader calling out to his son, Luke Skywalker, urging him to join the Dark Side, "Luke, it is your destiny!" (with deep breathing of course)
Okay, back to reality and the importance of knowing our future in the Lord is good and secure. It seems that with all the chaos in our world and all the sudden changes that life brings, we can easily fall into the trap of feeling like our futures hang in the balance, are out of our control, and are left to the realm of happenstance. So many people have lost sleep, lost heart, lost faith, and lost hope based on the events that seem to transpire each day as the world turns. The events that take place seem to send a crushing blow and shockwave to our system that causes us to fear the worst and give up on what God has in store. Think about what has transpired in the last few weeks:
A vicious and hideous mass shooting at a night club in Orlando that took 49 lives.
The vote of Britain to leave the European Union (Brexit) which has triggered massive global reaction and a forecast of economic doom.
The combination of drought, heat, and winds have been marked by fires in our state that have ravaged thousands of acres of land and over 100 structures.
A terrorist attack/bombing at an airport in Instanbul that left 41 dead.
The rising tension in communities around the nation due to recent episodes involving police, that culminated with a horrific act of violence in Dallas.
In the midst of the breakdowns, heartbreaks, and devastating losses the Lord wants us to continue to keep our eyes on Him and hold onto the hope which He have received from His throne of grace. The writer in Hebrews 10:35-36 exhorts and encourages us to, "Not throw away our confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
Whatever the word is that will help you to stay focused: "persevere"; "endure"; "patience"; "stand strong"; "overcome"; keep it as the confession of your faith, because the Lord is bigger than everything we face and the Lord's promise never fails! The lie and fear that we must choose to overcome is that our destiny is linked to and based on external, temporal things:
The quarterly profit of the company we work for
Whether the employer/supervisor likes me
Who my parents are and how they raised me
The November election that will decide our nation's 45th President
The laws of the land that are passed or blocked that contradict God's Word
One of the most important truths and promises we have on this side of the resurrection and on this side of our salvation journey to heaven is I John 5:4-5, "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." No matter your personal crisis or deficit; no matter the shaking that takes place from national and global events, let believe that the Lord 's plan is in full effect for us and that as we stand on His Word, He not only performs it and protects it, but perfects it on our behalf and for His glory.
In the midst of the hard things, the scary things, and the uncertain things we face, let's not lose our hope. The Spirit of God is calling us not to look to ourselves, to another person, or to the world for our identity, security, and prosperity, but to look only to the One who is good, who is perfect, and who is victorious!