Life With Purpose
by Vonette Bright
“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)
Evelyn was frustrated and depressed. She struggled with her purpose in life. She knew God had something in store, but wondered what it was. So Evelyn asked God to reveal her life’s assignment.
Soon after she prayed, Evelyn visited a friend who had cancer. They laughed and laughed together. And later, the woman’s husband told Evelyn she had a gift for helping people forget about their problems. She was ecstatic! It was clear… that was her purpose! Evelyn thanked God for showing her and for the joy it brought her. Then she wrote down all the ideas that came to mind to help sick or elderly people forget about their problems.
Dear friend, you have a God – given purpose, too. It may not be obvious… but ask God to show you!
Going Deeper
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About the Author This devotional was written by Vonette Bright. Learn more about Vonette: http://www.talk.thelife.com/authors/vonette-bright/
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Laura, Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Your poem was very touching. I plan on memorizing the bible verses you gave me. Of course, I am all too familiar w/ them but I need to be diligent and put those very same verses in my heart so when the enemy comes up against me I will have the verses to push him away. Your strength and words of encouragement have been a testimony for me. I thank you so very much for sewing into my life thru your words of encouragement and strength @ this difficult time in my life. Thank you for being such a wonderful blessing to me and I pray that the Lord will continue to use your testimony and words of encouragement to not only strengthen but help motivate the lives of other Christian women. May the Lord richly bless you and guide you everyday thru your own personal struggles. Continue to trust Him and keep the Faith!! One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 46:10 “Be Still and Know that I am God”. Laura you have a beautiful testimony and the Lord will diligently reward those who put their faith and trust in Him.
TO all you ladies, going through different situations in your lives, when i read Vicki’s post i read “yet through it all…” i remembered a song that is really touching on our passages in life…by Selah group its called “through it all” some of the lyrics go like this….
“ve had many tears and sorrows, I’ve had questions for tomorrow,There’ve been times I didn’t know right from wrong
But in every situation,God gave blessed consolation
That my trials only come to make me strong”
” So I thank God for the mountains,And I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He’s brought me through
Cause if I never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that He could solve them, I wouldn’t know what faith in His Word could do”…
Creflo Dollar said this about waiting on God “Waiting separates Christians who know God’s word is true from those who only hope his word is true.” I realized that I only hoped it was true. Now, I know it’s true.
Find a verse in the bible that speaks to your situation and meditate on it. Say it out loud, repeat it, bring that verse into your heart and KNOW His word is true in your heart. Then begin to speak it in confidence as if it has already happened. For example I lost my job in July. My landlord is covering my rent this month that’s how bad it’s getting for me in the flesh – praise God for my landlord and he and his wife’s grace. I do not go around saying “Boy I hope I get a job soon because I’m going to homeless soon.” NO. I go around and I say from a deep conviction in my heart that spills over to my lips, “God already has me an amazing job, I know it. I’m just waiting on Him to give it to me.” I wait and I’m patient because I know His word is true. My verse that I used is this one; No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 cor 2:9 I love God with all my heart so I know in my heart He has prepared me an awesome job. I have not even conceived what amazing job He has in store for me. Go here and watch the messages in August about emotions.
http://interactive.creflodollarministries.org/broadcasts/archives_t.asp?site=CDM
They were invaluable for me to understand how the enemy uses my emotions to stop me from doing the Work of God in my life.
“According to his power that is at work within us, He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.??? Eph 3:20 (reverses)
Read your bible and find these amazing truths. The power to change your situation is already within you. God gave it to you, you just have to speak it in confidence but it starts by taking scripture and believing it in your heart. You can say it all day long, if you do not truly believe it in you heart, with absolutely no doubt, then it will not be effective. Just believe it and rest in that knowledge and when the enemy comes around tell him to beat it!
I haven’t made a support payment in months, I’m on welfare – am I concerned? NO! If God needed my kids to have a payment He would give me the resources to provide me a way. I do my part, I do job search daily, other than that I rest. The enemy tries unsuccessfully to tell me I’m not doing enough, yeah, whatever. I rest in God’s Word and I wait.
Here’s a poem I wrote. Be encouraged, Vicki and be a victor not a victim.
I WILL
I will serve who you want me to serve,
I will volunteer where you want me to volunteer,
I will work where you want me to work,
I will give what you want me to give,
I will say what you want me to say,
I will help who you want me to help,
I will remember who you want me to remember,
I will date who you want me to date,
I will marry who you want me to marry,
I will befriend who you want me to befriend,
I will lead who you want me to lead,
I will do what you want me to do,
I will encourage who you want me to encourage,
I will pray for who you want me to pray for,
I will move to where you want me to live,
I will forgive who you want me to forgive,
I will trust who you want me to trust,
I will evangelize to who you want me to evangelize to,
I will live the way you want me to live,
I will be faithful to who you want me to be faithful to,
I will accept who you want me to accept,
I will embrace who you want me to embrace,
I will call who you want me to call,
I will hug who you want me to hug,
I will support who you want me to support,
I will protect who you want me to protect,
I will honor who you want me to honor,
I will fight for who you want me to fight for,
I will invite to church who you want me to invite,
I will follow who you want me to follow,
I will love who you want me to love,
And I will be what you want me to be.
I will do it all for you my God, my creator, my friend, my savior and with a thankful heart and love for you my God; I will, Jesus, I will
This is my first time here. I really enjoyed all of the comments. I’m not sure what my purpose is. I worry that God is telling me, but I’m not listening or understanding. I keep telling God to keep sending me signs because it takes me awhile to catch on. I need to know what his plan is for me and my family. We are pretty much hitting the bottom real soon. I’ve started a new home business, but I’m to insecure or stuck in this comfort zone to grow. If he could just push me.. I hope I’m not sounding to selfish.
I have learned in my 35 years as a Christian when I want something, I simply ask God for it. As Evelyn did in the devotion, she asked God to reveal her purpose in life, and He did. Scriptue supports this in Mark 11:22-25. Ask believing, and He will not fail you. God bless you all!
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 cor 2:9
this is for mmmmmmm
Had I asked God in July what he wanted me to do I would not have heard an answer because I was not prepared in my heart to hear him as I thought I was.
For me, being free of all that held me down was the key. To ask God to turn my negative thought about loosing everything in my life including my 5 year old and a 2 year old in a messy and unfair divorce into praises of what I have in my life was the key. To look at the positive and praise Him from my heart and live a life of Godly expectations and joy in the middle of a storm was the answer. Within a week of being set free of all that the enemy used to hold me down; God laid it on my heart what I’m to do and that is to be an encourager. My 5 year old just turned 5 on Friday. I cannot see him and have not since March. Did I despair on Friday? NOPE, I praised God that my son is alive and doing well and I praise God that HE is in control of this situation and when God wishes to reunite me and my children it will happen, paise God!
So I ask you as you wait on God for answers, is your heart in the right place to hear the answer? Does your patient waiting heart match your attitude and your mindset?
God I just wait upon You for my assignment each day . May I be always sensitive to Your leading and Your purposes be fulfilled through my life by your abounding grace , mercy , wisdom that You pour out upon each one of us . God thank You !!! Only Your purposes give joy to each who seek your face and your presence!!!
To mmmmmmmm, There is a wonderful book out, that you may have heard of. It is called “The Purpose Driven Life”, by Rick Warren. If you read that book, you will surely know God’s purpose for you. It is a daily devotional, and it is awesome!
This is close to home for me as well today… I have applied for a volunteer position with an international ministry and have a phone call appointment to discuss this on Thursday of this week. I am excited – because I really LOVE this ministry and because I really want God to use me in this position – and nervous that I might not get it. I believe God has given me the drive to be used here… now I just need to trust and know that even if this is not what God intends as my purpose, He will reveal whatever it is in HIS time.
I, too have been praying and asking that my God-given purpose be brought to my attention. It is hard. Thank you, Vonette for your devotional.
For years I have known what it was that the Lord wanted me to do. I have always had a gift of being able to listen to peoples problems. They seem to find it easy to talk to me. I have now taken the path that I believe the Lord wants me to take by enrolling into college. I am almost done with my BA in Psychology, with plans to go on to my masters and PhD. This way I will be able to help people, not just listen (although that is helping in its own right).
Just thought I’d share
How can we really know what’s our purpuse.I’ve been prayin so much butnever knew??
I really love reading about the Lord. Thank you so much for coming to me. My prayer is that God keep you . Now I ask that you may pray for my children that they be wash with the Blood of Jesus. Thank You
Barbara Humphrey
I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. That really hit home. It touched my heart down deep, it made me think of what God can do for as he has done for you and others.