Purpose & The Big Picture

Next time anyone says, “God has a purpose for your life,” especially in the midst of difficulty or challenge or setback, it might be helpful to “go bigger” than one’s personal earthly plans and “dreams” and wish lists being either cancelled or fulfilled.

“… We may have to let go the particular occasion of our trouble, and first recognize, and then embrace with our heart, the fact that in the affliction there resides the immense eternal potentiality of an increase of the image of God’s Son, which is to be the one and the only character and nature of the eternal kingdom. We have too much visualized the ‘Heaven’ that is to be, as geographical and pleasurable, without giving sufficient weight to the fact of a nature to be inculcated and perfected.” (By T. Austin-Sparks from: One Universal Answer)

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” Romans 8:28,29 NKJV.

To be conformed to the image of His Son. Now that’s a tall order. It reminds me of some lines from a beautiful song from long ago that we used to sing at prayer meetings – “The dream I have today, My Lord, is only a shadow of Your dreams for me, only a shadow of all that will be, if I but follow you.”

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” James 4:13-16 NKJV.

Ouch.

When it feels like nowhere, we can be sure He’s now here. The omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent One.

Fear not. Surrender to redeeming grace.

Fiery Grace – God’s Tough Love

1 Peter 4:12 NASB. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you.”

This passage calls to memory some lyrics from decades ago, “Something’s happening here; what it is ain’t exactly clear…” Much was brewing even back then, and while one does not agree with the response of drugs, free sex, and rock and roll, the assessment – or at least perception of the times – was and is clear. There are strange things coming upon the world. Restlessness, chaos, division… “the seas roaring.”

When the Apostle Peter penned these words about fiery ordeals, a great upset had come into the world order (old, new?) in the form of the redemptive work and teaching of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, Who, paradoxically, also brought a sword. The Sword of Truth opposed and overcame – through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ – the powers of darkness headed up by the prince of this world, prince of the power of the air, also called the Father of lies. It was time for a regime change from that old order on every level of the cosmos. A restoration to its Creator and Redeemer was to commence – against Whom mankind had been seduced to rebel and had fallen away from Him. 

The saga still unfolds…

Reference is given to the prophet Isaiah, chapter 28:21 (KJV) – “For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” This refers back to the victories of King David against the Philistines at Baal Perazim, so named as the Master of Breakthrough. See 2 Samuel 5:20 and 1Chronicles 14:11,16.

But now there would be a reversal of events. They couldn’t believe it. 

Isaiah 28:22 warns that because of scoffing and mockery about God’s strange work from the rulers of Jerusalem, rather than being set free from oppression, the shackles would become even stronger. God would now be on the side of the enemies of His people who were again in rebellion against Him.

This is not always easy to see, understand or acknowledge, when it comes to the workings of God to bring about His own purposes in and among His people. During Isaiah’s prophecies, where they had once known victory under David, now they would suffer conquest, as their enemies had.

The Pulpit Commentary says, “This punishment of His own people by the sword of foreigners was strange work on God’s part – a strange act. But it was their strange conduct which caused God’s strange action. They had become as it were Philistines.”

As – hundreds of years later – the New Testament Church age unfolded, there was opposition launched against the new Christians, and it was “strange” and a trial to their faith. That was the beginning of the defeat of the old Satanic regime. War and conflict in the heavens seem to have their correspondence in the physical realm, and this warfare has gone on for two millennia since the ascent of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

And who does not think that, especially since around 2020, things have gotten even more strange, evidenced by what is perceived as the end of the church age and the final conflict, as it was in the beginning? So many are wondering, what in the world is happening on earth for heaven’s sake? Based upon types, shadows, examples, and patterns given in Scripture, perhaps we would do well to stop our mocking and complaining. Instead, pray for understanding which shows us it has a purpose and we’re not being abandoned by God.

Daniel 11:35 addresses “the instructors” of the people, who are wise. “And some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge, and make them pure, until the end time, because it is still to come at the appointed time.” 

Cutting to the chase, what is our response supposed to be to the Hand which wrote the Commandments on stone, the handwriting on the wall, and His law on human hearts? That Hand is again making itself mysteriously visible once again through adversity. 

What is the message?

1 Peter 4:13 instructs and informs our attitude and response. Do we think in terms of rebellion against the “powers that be”? Or should we see this from a very different perspective, as the Hand of God refining for Himself sons and daughters appointed to share His glory – as He uses adversaries and adversity to accomplish it, as He did of old? “But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.”

Could strange and difficult events be mysterious grace unfolding in the form of God’s tough love? 

Could it be that “every eye will see Him” in terms of events of the great and terrible day of the Lord?

Everything is according to the sovereign grace of God for His own purposes (that’s the “purpose for your life” everybody really needs to understand – the unfolding of mature sons and daughters in Christ who “look like” Him spiritually). We’re molded and remade from the inside and the outside by Him, in full surrender, not by self effort. We are His workmanship through and through. Created, redeemed, and sanctified – this is for all who receive Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

This grace may at times seem, perceptually, more like disgrace, for He is among us as a refining fire. (As in the old expression, “That really burns me up!”) We need to understand this when going through the many trials of the times. Faith is being tested. What we are made of is revealed. We need to get the mindset of understanding, not undermining God with “me centered feel good ideas” acceptable to the flesh and the world. He is making Sons and heirs in Christ!

1 Corinthians 3:13 explains the complexity of these strange things happening to us in terms of what our heavenly Father is up to: “Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.” 

Could we say that the times are the very hand of God bringing His fiery testing? No one is above what He is doing. Let us be reminded, as Daniel shows us, that even those who have insight are going to “fall” – or as the Amplified Bible puts it – “fall [as martyrs]” (not as failures in faith!) in order to refine, purge, and purify them!

“Our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29. 

“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap. And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.” Malachi 3:2,3.

There is the burning fire, but the tree is not consumed – as the burning bush! God’s personal directed energy weapons, spiritually speaking? What is destructive to man and to God’s good plan and future for us is to be burned away from within us and outside of us. This is a part of how sovereign grace saves the soul – by “fire,” a fiery ordeal, as if something strange is happening to us.

This may be what we need to realize in those no win situations that won’t go away, no matter how much we pray. He is doing a profound work, and perhaps we would do well to “see” Him, acknowledge Him by faith, in the midst of every trial and testing, and surrender to the action of redeeming grace. Sometimes a thing cannot be fought against. Nor should it. Wisdom recognizes when this is the case.

“Thy will, not mine, be done.”

For insights, see Job’s story. And then:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (See the entire chapter.)

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.