Staying Focused
Scripture:
Romans 9:17 — “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.”
Observation:
God’s sovereign choice of Pharaoh had a specific purpose in mind – to demonstrate through him God’s absolute power so that God’s Name would be proclaimed in the earth. That purpose is as fresh today as it was when He proclaimed it in Moses’ day. In His Name alone is salvation, healing, strength, deliverance, and peace. Peter was asked in Acts 4 in response to the healing of a man born lame, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” He replied, “There is no other Name under heaven…” Salvation comes through No one else. So, in His perfect wisdom, God sovereignly works through every event, circumstance and detail of my life to bring glory to Himself and make His name known in the earth.
Application:
My responsibility is to realize in every situation I encounter today that God is working out His plan in my life to bring glory to His Name. Through Christ I know He has chosen me to be in Him. I am amazed that He would want to use me to give witness to His glory in the earth. As unbelievable as this is to me, this awareness helps me stay focused in all the stuff I encounter today. My responsibility as I work, play, live, and worship, is to surrender myself to Him so that the message others see clearly points to Him. God’s purpose has never changed. He wants me to live today so that His glory will be seen by those watching my life.
Prayer:
Father, I thank You that You are going to bring glory to Yourself through me today. I want Your Name to be heard loudly through my life – my choices, words, thoughts, actions, attitudes today. Thank You that You have chosen me to make Your Name known throughout the earth. Help me not to lose sight of You and Your work in all the busyness of my today. At the end of the day, make Your praise glorious through me.
— Jeff Holland, congregational care pastor, Reservoir campus