Alone With God (OPEN HEAVENS Devotional)

OPEN HEAVENS Devotional – Wednesday February 10th 2016

TOPIC: FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE I 

Memorize: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. Jeremiah 1:10

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-10, 

¹ The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

² To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

³ It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

⁵ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

⁶ Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

⁷ But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

⁸ Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

⁹ Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

¹⁰ See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Bible in one year: Mark 9:14-10:45, Job 19:13-29

MESSAGE

Several passages of the Bible confirm the fact that every human being was originally created by God and born into this word to fulfil God’s purpose. Colossians 1:16 says;

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Colossians 1:16

There is nothing like an afterthought with God. Everything He does is purposeful and deliberate. Not only that, He has everything to the minutest detail, precisely tied to time.

 Ecclesiastes 3:1 says;

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

From Adam and Eve, to Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and all the prophets and Kings in the Bible, they all were precisely programmed to come and go according to God’s ultimate plan. 

There is no randomness with God; all things that have ever happened on earth and in heaven were ordered according to His unsearchable wisdom. Act 15:18 says;

“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”

For example, John the Baptist was selected by God to prepare the way for the Lord by announcing His arrival, confronting the sinfulness and rebellion of that generation and by preaching repentance of sins. Jeremiah’s purpose as a prophet of God was clearly described in Jeremiah 1:1-10. These two prophets were able to fulfil God’s purposes; they did not at any time jettison their responsibilities. John the Baptist perfectly prepared the way for the Lord without taking upon Himself any additional responsibility beyond that which was ordained from heaven. Immediately he identified Christ, he made it public, he was ready to decrease and stay in the shadows as Jesus began to increase. Bible scholars have several interpretations about the real cause of his death, but at the end, Jesus declared him as the greatest man that ever lived. His greatness must have been tied to the fulfilment of God’s purpose for his life.

Jeremiah on the other hand was deliberately setup by God as the national prophet to the nation of Israel in his generation. It was a period of apostasy and God was determined, after many unheeded warnings, to deal with the children of Israel according to their doings. Jeremiah was set over the kingdom of Israel to root out, pull down, destroy, and throw down. He was also permitted to build and plant. The Bible confirmed that though Jeremiah wept much for his beloved country, he faithfully discharged his duties without fear or favour.

God has also setup each of us for His purpose in this generation. Are you fulfilling God’s purpose for your life?  

Prayer Point

Father, please give me the wisdom, knowledge and boldness to discharge my duties in this world without fear or favour in Jesus’name.