I am your purpose!

By: Carole L. Haines

  ² But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he puts all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice….²⁷ My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.” (John 10:2-4, 27-30 NASB)

I have been really struggling to find my way after raising my three children and then retiring as a Preschool Teacher. My body and mind just couldn’t take the stress anymore of teaching at my age. There have been closed doors and open windows; yet my heart is still feeling lost. As I have been praying through this with the Lord, I have been crying out to Him with tears to show me my new purpose now that these eras for me are past. When reading through John 10 this morning I heard His whisper, “I am your purpose.” In the verse above I have underlined the phrase, “he goes ahead of them.”

It was clear as a bell, not audible, but in my spirit. I sensed Him say it, “I am your purpose, I have gone ahead of you.” It made me realize that I was looking for what my next task was, and trying to create it, conjure it or find it on my own. All of these paths are fruitless endeavors, for only God can give me my purpose.
I mean, I am still here, so He is still using me to accomplish His Will, even if I can’t see or figure out what that may be. Perhaps some of you are struggling right now with an in-between season, or a sense of purposelessness. Hear His word to you today, “I am your purpose! I have gone ahead of you.” Seek Him and His presence only for now. He alone can show us our next steps and we need to always “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) Rest in Him, Beloved of God, He is guiding you and He is enough.