What On Earth Are We Here For? — Morning Devotions

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Transcript

One of the most important questions we can ask in life is this one. What on earth am I here for? It’s a big question. One that’s been asked many times, I think, by many people, young and old, down through the centuries. And I have a feeling that if we can’t answer that question, what about all the other issues of life? How can we make sense of life if we can’t answer the question, What on earth am I here for? What’s my purpose in life? What reason was I born?

Isn’t there more to life than what I’m doing today? Well, it was the atheist Bertrand Russell who said, unless you assume a god, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.

The Bible has some remarkable words in Psalm 139, which it’s worth reading some time. It gives us some answers to this question, because King David, the author in his prayer to God, said, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God. How vast is the sum of them. That’s verse 16-17 of Psalm 139.

So have you ever stopped to consider your own life and how events have happened over the years? It’s good to sit down, isn’t it, and think back over our life. Was it all just chance or was God in charge of your destiny? Think back to special times when God has protected you and guided your life. Perhaps you didn’t even know it at that time.

And I believe that God answers our prayers, and when we pray for ourselves or our family, because God holds the keys to the unknown and in ways that we don’t often understand. He works in our lives every day, sometimes in spite of our own sinfulness, in spite of rebellion against Him.

And there are many stories of people who tried to run away from God’s call on their lives, only to discover that God doesn’t give up.

David once said, I can never be lost to your spirit. I can never get away from my God. That’s in Psalm 139:7.

And how much better it would be if we could pray, Dear Lord, left on my own way I would go my way. But by whatever means you see fit, please keep me to the place where I can be used by you for your plan and your purpose. I reckon that would be a really good prayer, and what a difference it would make to our own lives and the impact that we could have on others.

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I read recently of a minister who was telling his two grandchildren something of his own life, and he said to Sam, his 6-year-old grandson, You’re very special to me. You’re not a mistake. God planned you before you were born. In fact, he said, he planned you a very long time ago. And when he planned you, he had a very special reason in his mind. And what was that? This six year old boy said, Well, to be honest with you, he said, I don’t know.

I only know that God has a special purpose for each of us, and that includes you and your sister. But if you keep talking to Him and keep reading the Bible, Sam, I promise you that He will talk to you and tell you what it is. I think that’s wise words.

And as we look back on our lives, we can see the hand of a providential God, especially in the hard times.

But what about the moment when life begins? Well, the Psalmist said of God, For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. That’s Psalm 139. So think of it in this way that the Creator of the universe gets personally involved in making all that you are.

So all we can do is really acknowledge the awesomeness of God, the Creator, and we can appreciate the fact that He designed the absolute uniqueness of every person. So the psalmist said, My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. So, as a Creator God, He decided which egg would be fertilised and which one of the hundreds of millions of sperm would be successful. So you see, God is sovereign.

Only He knew the exact genetic code that was necessary to make you who you are, otherwise you wouldn’t be here today.

So it’s God who is the giver of life. It’s a wonderful concept, isn’t it? And in answering the question, what on earth am I here for?

Let’s Pray

Thank you, Lord, that we are not an accident. We believe, Lord, that we are here for a reason that you’re going to bless us and protect us, and we thank you for that great news in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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