How many different places have you lived? Think deeply, from youth to where you are today. Where has God taken you around this globe? Marge and I have been fortunate to have lived in many different places, most within Texas. But of course, Texas is one of the few states where you can move 6 hours away and still be in the same state. We’ve lived in the Dallas area, we’ve lived in the Oklahoma border town of Wichita Falls, we’ve lived in the quaint west Texas city of San Angelo, we’ve lived in Fort Worth, for two glorious years we served God in Lahaina, Maui and we hope to soon be serving God again in Tokyo, Japan. Many times in life, probably much like you, I’ve wondered, why these places? I mean why exactly do we end up living in the places we do?
Today, I think it’s curious how most people attribute all the happenings in their life to chance. Where they live, where they work, who they are married to, when and how many kids they have, all chance. Basically, every detail of their life is contributed to mere randomness. Listen to these words and see how many times you hear these this week as friends, family, and even church friends describe the countless details of their life and just exactly how they came about.
Chance. Luck. Fate. Coincidence. In the stars. Karma. The Universe spoke. Accident. Destiny. Good or bad fortune. Astral Influence. Fluke. Serendipity. In the cards. A freak deal. Right place at the right time. Happenstance.
You see, our inherited sin nature pits us firmly in direct opposition to God. Anything to do with God we are against. So as God moves in our life to achieve a specific purpose, we tend to do our best to explain it away. Instead of quickly and readily giving God the credit for orchestrating our lives, we attribute it to some invisible random world force. I think many people just have a hard time attributing every small nuance of their life to the hands of God. I think also many struggle mentally with grasping the fact that God is even interested in every single detail of their life. I mean why would God be so interested in where I work, what street I live on in what town, where I go to college or where I choose to worship Him? Folks, this is all vitally important to God. Believe it or not, God has a very specific place for you. And it’s in this place that God desires for you to fulfill the very purpose that He has given you. You see, today, you are exactly where God wants you.
Joshua chapter 13 starts by telling us that Joshua was “old and advanced in years.” In Joshua chapter 1 when we saw Joshua take the reins from Moses, he was a spry 80 years young. Just 12 chapters later he is now over 100. It has been a busy, demanding and tough 20 years on Joshua. He has faithfully led God’s people on a mighty conquest of all the lands God has brought them into. His work for God is coming to a close, and as a result, chapter 13 reads like a synopsis, a review. A recall of all the lands that Joshua has conquered by the power of God Almighty. And in a powerful part of this chapter we see God carefully define and lay out the specific borders that He has for each tribe. 12 different tribes and God had a very specific place for each of them to reside. Like the old saying, a place for everything and everything in its place, God had a specific place for the tribes of Israel and He has a special place for His children today.
Do you know that exactly where you are at today is exactly where God wants you today? And did you know that He has you there today to do something very specific for Him? These two points bring us full circle back to one of the single biggest topics that mankind has struggled with since inception…purpose.
I hear it all the time and I’m sure you do to. What is the purpose of life? Why am I here? What does God desire of my life? What does God want from me? Man has pontificated and philosophized about this age old question as long as the gears of a brain could turn. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Descartes, Confucius, Voltaire and hundreds more have gathered throughout the ages to discuss this deep, complicated and even seemingly impossible question. But what would you think if I were to tell you that the answer is indeed, very simple?
It reminds me of the great book, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. A great book with tons of witty, dry humor and fun, unique characters. The whole point of the book is for the main characters to find out the “answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.” Super smart people build a super smart computer and after computing for 7 ½ million years it comes up with the answer…42. The only problem? Nobody knows what the answer means. Funny stuff.
But what if the question about the purpose of your life, like the answer to the Hitchhiker’s question is actually very simple? Well, I propose that by using the truth of the Word of God, it is. You see, God tells us clearly that the purpose of life is simply to follow God in unlimited love and obedience, love all around you and out of this love, actively share the good news about His Son, Jesus Christ. There you go...take that Socrates.
Since this is the purpose of life then you really need to ask yourself, why you are in the place you are in today? Well, it would naturally be to fulfill the purpose that God has for you, to love Him, serve Him, love others and tell all those around you about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. You know, I’m not sure what people you are around today, but I would go out on a limb and say that they are not the same ones I will be around. You see, God, just like each tribe of Israelites, has placed you in a very specific spot today. The spot you are in will allow you access to people that no one else will have access to. You are a unique missionary in a unique missionary field and God has carefully placed you right in the middle of it. And as a result, He has placed very specific people around you. All in hopes that in your recognized purpose, the light of Christ will shine forth through you and illuminate your environment and draw others to Christ.
Today, don’t question where you’re at, who you are, where you work or where you live. Today, God has you exactly where He wants you. Today, you can not only fully realize your purpose, but you can start fulfilling it. Look around you and realize that the people you see today are not there by accident, chance, luck or coincidence. God has carefully placed you and He has carefully placed them. Now you simply recognize the purpose that God has called you to…to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world that God has put you into.
“Sometimes God puts you somewhere because He wants you there, but sometimes God puts you somewhere because He wants to be there.”
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