Really? This is what God wants? This is His Purpose for Me?

Many times we are in the midst of life and wonder..."Is this really where I am suppose to be?"

We may even think God has made a mistake, or we have missed His direction. Hang on a minute, because that is not what Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah chapters 24 - 29.

Many of us know the scripture, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11 NIV

Have we looked at the scriptures leading up to that scripture and really thought it through and applied it to our own lives?

God tells Jeremiah that He (God) is the one that sent the Israelites into exile to Babylon. But, He also says "...I'll make sure they get good treatment. I'll keep my eye on them so that their lives are good, and I'll bring them back to this land. I'll build them up, not tear them down; I'll plant them, not uproot them." 24:1-6 The Message

The other scripture we all know, "And I'll give them a heart to know me, God. They'll be my people and I'll be their God, for they'll have returned to me with all their hearts." Jer. 24:7 The Message

Up to this point Israel was doing their own thing...prophets proclaiming to be sent by God, but only telling the people what they wanted to hear. They didn't want to listen to Jeremiah, the one who was truly God's messenger.

God had enough! So, He did something about it.

How often do we do things "in God's name," but it is more our own initiative and not His? As minister's, women called by God, and leaders we need to be careful what we say is of God. We will have to be accountable for how we have led people.

God's purpose will be fulfilled. We may get caught up in how things are done or have been done and miss where God is taking us; where He is leading us. It may take some chaotic circumstance to get us back on track; but, again, He is leading. We may need to be pushed into hearing Him and seeing where He is leading. Be encouraged, though, because He did it with the Israelites in Jeremiah's time.

Where are we right now in our walk with God?

Where are we in our ministries?

Where are we in listening to God's voice?

Take time to seriously look at our spirit. Be open enough to hear the truth about where we are spiritually. Just because we are ministers and leaders does not exempt us from being led astray; in fact satan will try even harder to lead us astray. He is a deceiver and can make the decisions we make seem ok and of God, when really they aren't. Our marriages and our children are vulnerable to various kinds of attacks from satan. We need to be alert and "on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet." I Pt. 3:17 The Message

Be strong in spirit and how we deal with circumstances in our lives.

Remember, wherever we are right now, if we are seeking God honestly and sincerely (Jer. 24:7) He will be there for us.

This post has been focused on seeing God's purpose in our lives, even when things seem to be going wrong. In the next post we will see God's intervention in our lives.