“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him,
and to which God has called him.”
1 Corinthians 7:17
I really love the end-of-August vibe. Most families have begun a back-to-school structure that usually has a calming effect. Most of the summer heat has subsided and we’re relieved to say good-bye to triple digits. Most of the mornings have that glorious crisp feel that we’ve been craving since the Fourth of July, and a cup of coffee on the porch returns to the wake-up routine.
Another thing I love about the end of August is the produce! I have some expert gardeners in my family and I love those texts asking if I’d like some of their bounty. The garden table at our church is also a happy place right about now — I love to snatch some peppers or cucumbers that someone grew with care and decided to share.
A successful garden doesn’t just happen on its own, you know. A successful garden is planned and each square foot is purposefully assigned to some variety of vegetable or fruit in order to give it the best opportunity to reach its full potential. The same is true with our spiritual lives. God is a master gardener, and although we usually think we’re making all of our own decisions, and we don’t often consider that God is planting His people in the perfect spot for their growth, the Bible says that He does.
Look at this verse from the Apostle Paul’s speech on Mars Hill in Athens: “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” (Acts 17:26 NIV) Do you ever stop to consider that God planted you right where you are? That He placed you right in this time that you’re living? You could have been planted anywhere else on the world’s timeline, but God determined that you would live right here, right now. God is purposeful in his planting.
King David understood God’s calling on his life for the time that he was planted in. Earlier in the book of Acts, Paul explained this, “For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers.” (Acts 13:36) It inspires me to read that David served God’s purpose in his own generation. If David served a purpose, so can I, and so can you! Serving God’s purpose gives even more dimension to our theme verse about the life assigned to us. The point of this life assigned to us is to serve God’s purpose.
In the same way that we have such a vast array of produce that originates from the same garden space, we have so many different purposes that have been assigned to us in the very time and place that we’re living. Some of you are reading this from the Treasure Valley; but some are reading from another country. You’re not floating through life without purpose. God has planted you on purpose so that you can fulfill His purpose in your own generation.
Here is one final thought on how we serve God’s purpose from Philippians 2:13 It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. So, the happy summary is that 1) God has planted you on purpose, 2) He is the one who works in you to fulfill that purpose. All you have to do is yield to His work and be faithful regardless of the challenges or difficulties that you face.
My personal update is that my providers decided I should take a week off of chemo. I have two infusions scheduled for the coming weeks, but I’ll find out next week if they will happen or not. By faith, I have scheduled a fall Women of the Word Bible Study on the book of Esther (which was rescheduled from May), and that will begin on September 13th and run for five weeks. I’m confident the Lord will give me strength for that short session and I’m really eager to teach again!
My Love & Blessings,
Sue