The birth of no one on earth is an accident but as per plan of the Creator Lord. God declares, with that birth, to everyone on earth, that there was a deficiency here which only that person can fulfil. Then, whatever goes on in the life of that person, it follows the set pattern decreed by the Lord beforehand. One can choose to follow God’s plan and live in line with God’s will, revealed in His Word or choose to do His own plan. God allows both options but with different consequences.
Living as per your will versus God’s will – Right from our birth, God brings forward two choices for everyone; to do His will or follow our own will. David was a prophet, a king, a skilled musician and hymn writer, who rose from being the youngest and neglected son of Jesse to reach an unimaginable status as the most successful king of Israel and a ‘man of God’s heart’. He could identify the hand of God working in his life even from before his birth. He could pray to God, ‘Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book, they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them’ (Psalm 139:16). In all his sufferings, he could see the hand of God working and could submit to that authority. Every day of an individual’s life on earth and all that he would face is already written in God’s Book in heaven. We have the option to react in the way we desire, to follow His plan or submit to the plan of the devil.
In Egypt, seeing the increase in the numbers of the Israelites, Pharaoh decreed that every male child would be thrown into the Nile River to die. Even the midwives were commanded to kill the boys at birth but they disobeyed. ‘Therefore, God dealt well with the midwives’ and ‘He provided households for them’ (Exodus 1:20-21). The midwives played their role for their lives and were blessed. Moses’ mother hid him for three months and when he could not be hidden any longer, made a small ark and put the child in it ‘and laid it in the reeds by the river bank (Exodus 2:2-10). Miriam, his sister kept a watch and when Pharaoh’s daughter took him, she made the offer to go look for a Hebrew woman ‘to nurse him’. Pharaoh’s daughter raised him up in the palace as her own son. Moses received the best of upbringing, learning all about Egyptian culture and the ways of the Pharaoh’s court. In this everyone played a role pre-decided by God even before the child was born. Every step was so well coordinated that at the exact moment all were present at the place they were meant to be.
None of them could have ever imagined that the child would grow up to be such a great leader of the Jewish people and will shake up the empire of the most powerful king of that time. Someone may say that it was a coincidence that all this happened. The birth of a person in a particular family, place and culture is all as per God’s plan for that individual, the family and the people around him.
Every believer has this assurance from the Saviour Lord, ‘you did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit’ (John 15:16). The purpose of the birth of anyone is to bear fruit and this fruit is reflected in the changes one brings about in his own family and all others around him. The parents are as much a part of God’s plan for their children as the teachers are. The command to the Israelites from God, through Moses, was clear; teach My Words to the next generation (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Ensure that they understand it by repeatedly talking about God’s way, ‘when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up’. In this way a child is taught that he and we all are representatives of the One Above.
Since we are on the earth with a sinful nature, this makes two opposites residing in us. This creates an impossible situation to reconcile the two opposites and the Holy Spirit helps us in this. Since we represent God the Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit in us, we have this task of not only turning our own selves to God’s will but also lead others in this. The twelve disciples and all believers have always sinned in some way or the other. The sins of some are more grievous than others but it is all sin. God set a standard that He expects to be followed by every living human being and it is defined in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). When God chose me and you, it was not because of what we are but despite what we were, deep in sin. The qualifying verse for this is, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). The word ‘so’ reveals this love being beyond limit or imagination and is for all.
God is love and all those who turn to His Son are filled to the full with His love and can then love God, themselves and others in a real sense. The Great Commission of making ‘disciples of all the nations’ is the overflowing of that love from us to others whom we contact Matthew 28:19). His love starts getting reflected in our good works and we start living as per His plan for us, while helping others also to enter into that state.
The basis of God choosing someone – Any one person can cause great effect in the lives of people around him. One person, like Hitler, can cause such extensive damage to the rest of the world or another, like Apostle Paul, can raise it up to a blessed state, showing how much capability is given by God to each person. We are created in the ‘image of God’ and have vast potential within us. Moses had to flee Egypt, due to the murder of an Egyptian supervisor who was harassing the Jewish workers. In the wilderness of Midian, he found shelter and home in the home of Jethro, the Midianite Priest. Moses with his Egyptian education and Jewish teachings of his mother, as a very young child, could test all that with Jethro’s work as a priest.
Jethro’s work in Moses’ life is not recognised anywhere except in organising the judicial system for Israel in the wilderness after their escape from Egypt. He found Moses attending to the issues of people ‘from morning until evening’ with no time for other times (Exodus18:14-25). He advised Moses to ‘stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God’. To delegate responsibilities and to ensure no overload for him, Jethro advised him, ‘select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens’. Jethro placed God first in his counsel to Moses, saying, ‘if God so commands you’. Then every great matter was to be brought to Moses but every small matter would be judged in the hierarchy and the sub-rulers would ‘bear the burden with you’. This system that was set up by Moses, finally came to be the organisational structure of the Israelite army as they were to enter Canaan.
Moss attempted to help his fellow Jews in his own might and wisdom and had to flee Egypt. But under the hand of God, who promised him, ‘I will certainly be with you’, he could achieve the impossible (Exodus 3:12). God does not want us to move around in darkness, stumbling to find the way, we as His children should take to serve Him.
The training of Joshua started in the wilderness as an assistant to Moses. Moses chose Joshua to choose and lead suitable men to fight with Amalek, who came and fought with Israel at Rephidim (Exodus 17:9). Joshusa’s original name was ‘Hoshea’, meaning ‘salvation’ but Moses, while sending him with eleven others to spy out the Promised Land, renamed him Joshua, meaning, ‘The LORD is salvation’ (Numbers 13:16). He was trained by God with Moses, as His servant; to be the military leader of Israel and he performed this under the guidance and strength of God. It was under his leadership that Israel could be victorious over many strong and fortified locations in Canaan. Moses could visualise the qualities of a good leader in him, train him and prepare him for his role.
The Divine selection of some and leaving others and its purpose is mentioned by Apostle Paul. God ‘chose us in Him (Lord Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love’ (Ephesians 1:4). God the Father perceived the creation of everything and His Son executed the plan. The All-knowing God was aware of sin destroying the good by turning it all into evil and the plan of choosing the saved ones came into effect even before anything was created.
Does God cancel the free-will option of His chosen ones? God chooses only those who have an inherent desire in them to seek Him. However, no one can say that he does not know that there is a God in the universe. King David could see Him all around himself to say, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork’ (Psalm 19:1). The call comes from nature itself to know God but only a few pause, to listen. Lord Jesus repeatedly said, after teaching some important point, ‘He who has ears, let him hear’ (Matthew 11:15).
Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans could say, ‘since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse’. The Good News of salvation through faith in the sacrifice of Lord Jesus is heard by many but few respond while the rest reject it as a fairytale. I was presented a Holy Bible by a Pastor in a remote town in Nagaland in 1979 but for years on end I did not read the Word. Finally, after a long time, I turned to the Saviour and found His purpose for my life and now live accordingly.
Special traits of God’s chosen – God does not see the wealth, status or other worldly assets and specific talents of any individual for choosing him. God chose Moses to lead his people out from Egypt. The wilderness years had changed him so much that he could understand his weaknesses. He tried to reject himself from the calling by showing his weakness of being ‘slow of speech and slow of tongue’ (Exodus 4:10-11). God told him to go, by telling him of His power, ‘who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?’ God saw Moses’ heart and found him to be ‘very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth’ (Numbers 12:2). People elect leaders by their perception of the person but God elects by seeing their submission and response to the call.
Apostle Simon Peter owned a fishing business with own boat and staff, but as a follower of Lord Jesus, he received a command contrary to his way of life. Lord Jesus commanded him to ‘go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first’ (Matthew 17:27). To fish in this manner would have been a matter of shame, but he obeyed and received the shekel from the fish’s mouth to pay the Temple Tax for the Lord and himself’. Will you obey the voice of the Holy Spirit from within or start following your own practical wisdom of the world? God bestows His blessings on the one who is close to Him in the spirit and whose heart is aligned to God’s heart.
Among the disciples were businessmen, a tax collector and others with reasonable means of income. But they were sent to go without any money nor bag, ‘nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staff (for protection) (Matthew 10:9-12). They were to be totally dependent on the hand of God to provide for their every need ‘for a worker is worthy of his food’. To live as per God’s purpose is to live like the Lord.
From His life on the earth three things are seen. First, understand the overall purpose and plan backwards. John the Baptist saw the Saviour Lord and identified Him as ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). Our Lord was aware of His mission as the Redeemer and He repeatedly mentioned His crucifixion. To prepare the people to receive His message, He taught the right way of life, while providing spiritual, material food for them and freedom from the demonic forces. On the Day of Pentecost, Apostle Peter preached the message of salvation, urging the hearers to be baptised and receive the Holy Spirit. Those who heard this simple message surrendered their lives to the Lord and ‘three thousand souls were added’ to the list of the followers.
Two, take risks and move in faith. The Son of God was absolutely sure of the fulfilment of the plan of the Father. The Jewish leaders wanted to stone Him but He went back to Bethany to bring Lazarus back to life (John 11:8). Apostle Paul could hear, discern and obey the inner voice of the Holy Spirit and move to Jerusalem despite prophecies about his imminent arrest there.
Three, have faith in God for a sure victory. Job suffered greatly for no fault of his, yet, in faith, he could declare to his three friends, who accused him of hidden unconfessed sins, ‘I know that my Redeemer lives…..And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God’ (Job 19:25-26). God honours such faith and then leads them to achieve the desired results. Like our Saviour Lord, it is such who can say at the end of their journey on earth, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit’ (Luke 23:46). They understand and achieve their purpose for life and every believer can, for the Holy Spirit is in us to help.
Stephen was the first martyr of the church to be stoned to death by the Jewish people for preaching the message of salvation through Lord Jesus. Just before his death, he saw the Lord standing at the right hand of God, the Father, in heaven. Those who understand and fulfil the decreed purpose for their lives, are welcomed into heaven by the Redeemer personally. For a believer knowing, understanding and following the path to his purpose for life is as important as knowing and obeying the Word of God. Both help a person glorify God on earth in their lives!
