A sense of Destiny

By: Carole L. Haines

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³ If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
(John 14:5-6)

It’s subtle at times, this revealing of God’s heart for relationship with the people He has created for Himself.  This morning I saw this precious heart-love of God in this one simple interaction between Thomas and Jesus. ⁵ Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

All of my life I have had a sense of destiny, but after much failure and disappointment, found that destiny was not a place or an accomplishment. That Destiny was a relationship with the God who made me, and simply that. Jesus loved me too much to let me know worldly success. He brought an end to all my own dreams and aspirations, because they stood in the way of my true heart’s desire, Jesus Himself. That’s when I found that the Babe in the manger, the fisherman’s friend, the man of sorrows acquainted with grief, He was my Destiny.
My destiny lay not in something I did or someplace I would go to. Jesus wants me to hold His hand, to keep in step with Him, to believe in Him.
My heart is troubled when I do not believe God, but try to find my own way in the world.  My Soul has always been looking for a true home, a dwelling place to call my own. It is never to be found in a home on earth made with human hands, or in the precious relationships we have with others. These are precious gifts but they can never quench our deepest thirst. This Dwelling place of rest is found only with the One who formed me while in my mother’s womb.
St. Augustine once said, “Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they find rest in Him.”

I have found that to be completely true. Of course, I wish that I had found this out sooner,  and not had to suffer so much loss and disappointment; but it had to be a revelation of the heart. No journey is wasted or trial misspent, if it ultimately leads us to Jesus’ feet. And so here I rest now, here I can sleep. No longer anxious to prove my worth, my value, myself. Here, at His feet, I know who I am, I know why I’m here and I know He will finish the work He has begun in me, and see to it that I finish the work that He has called me to do.

We may seek God with our intellect, but we will only find Him with our heart. Cotvos