Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK

“Finding True Purpose”
"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight..." – Proverbs 1:1,2 (New International Version)

Key Word, Attain: "To gain, achieve as a desired purpose or state."
Like many before me I attended college with no real purpose, no initiative, no goals I could speak of. My only purpose was to survive the best I could and enjoy the dorm life with my friends…which I did with gusto! And for the first couple of years of my college experience my grades reflected this lack of purpose…they were terrible! And I (or I should say my mother) wasted the money that had been spent on my “so-called” education. Essentially, I did not know where my life was going!
Then, in my third year two things happened that changed the direction my life was headed. First, I felt the call from God to go into some form of Christian ministry. I was not completely certain where this call would lead me but I knew without question that He had a specific plan for my life.
Secondly, I fell in love with the young lady who would be my future mate. We had known each other for some time and had “dated” on and off, but I came to the realization that she had become more than just a good friend, but someone I believed I could live the rest of my life with.
With both of these elements in place, all of a sudden my life took on a much greater purpose and now with my life’s goals fixed firmly in place I witnessed a remarkable difference in both my scholastic performance and my general outlook. I wanted to do better in my classes and give all I had to be the best I could be for Christ, and for my future wife.
I see the book of Proverbs as God's means for those who earnestly desire to expand their knowledge and wisdom…and life! Not just spiritually but also experientially. The Proverbs are for those who have a real goal to be the absolute best that they can be! Through them God is saying, "Do not settle for surface knowledge. Do not be content with little. Dig as deep and as far as you can for that is where life’s real treasures are found." How much do you truly want to discover about the God of Creation and the Savior of mankind? Hosea 4:6 tells us, "...my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Why is that? Could it be that we too often rely upon someone else to tell us what and how to think about God? Could it be that we settle for some when we could have more?
Paul writes: “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10) How does that happen unless we purpose for it to! We have to want it more than food. More than wealth or fame. More than anything else we could “attain” here on earth because…are you ready for this… WE CAN!!!
I think of the many men through the ages—men like Paul, Barnabas, and many of the early Christian leaders of the first Century. And then men like John Wycliffe, John Bunyon, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, just to name a few, who were willing to sacrifice their very lives so that we might discover for ourselves these "treasures" of God! Are you willing to go to any lengths to discover for yourself a greater purpose for living? Do you have a burning desire to explore the mind and heart of God and use that wisdom as a compass for yourself? Once you know where you are going and why you are going there – the journey is far more enjoyable! Are you ready?
Pastor J. T. Carnell.

Posted to Religious by Que Clingerman @ 4:35 pm EST