God’s People with A Destiny!
GOD INTERVENES SOVEREIGNLY WHERE THERE IS DESTINY!
Moses, Joseph, and Jesus of Nazareth are examples of God’s people with a destiny. Some of the facts in their lives are remarkably parallel. There are three big similarities among them.
Spared From Death – Escaping the Enemy’s Attack on Your Life!
Moses was spared from the deaths of male children Pharaoh ordered to be thrown into the Nile River: “And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months” (Exodus 2:1-2). Moses’ mother laid him in a basket and sent him along the Nile River and Moses was picked up by Pharaoh’s sister to groom him in the palace.
Here is the account of how the brothers of Joseph plotted to kill him: “Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, ‘Look, this dreamer (master of dreams) is coming! Come therefore let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams” (Genesis 37:18-20). The elder brother Reuban spared Joseph from death and his other brother Judah suggested that they sell him to the Ishmaelites which they did!
Herod’s massacre of the innocents is documented: “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more’” (Matthew 2:16-18). The wise men were warned, Joseph was instructed in four different dreams, and the Baby Jesus was protected from the massacre of the innocents by Herod!
When there is a calling with destiny upon your life, the enemy does not like it and the very first attack of the enemy is to cause danger to your life and take you out. God’s mighty hand comes to preserve you because He has chosen for a purpose and destiny and no power on earth can stop it. Isaiah 59:19: “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).
GOD INTERVENES SOVEREIGNLY WHERE THERE IS DESTINY!
Here is the question – Have you been spared from death to life? Has God intervened in your life miraculously and delivered you from the hand of the enemy killing you? If so, what have you done with your life? God spared your life to preserve you for a purpose and to glorify His holy name by your destiny. Have you considered it? What have you done with it?
Escaping the Temptation of the Enemy from Within!
WISDOM RECOGNIZES GOD’S SOVEREIGN INTERVENTION IN OUR DESTINY THAT HELPS US OVERCOME OUR TEMPTATION FROM WITHIN!
All three examples escaped the temptations of the enemy from within. Moses escaped the life of Pharaoh’s palace and the pleasure of sin to his destiny: “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing (temporary) pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach (reviling because) of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:23-27). Moses made a choice and chose to rather suffer affliction with the people of God than enjoy the pleasures of sin!
When Joseph was tempted with seduction by his boss’ wife, Joseph ran: “But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that (Potiphar’s wife) caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand and fled and ran outside” (Genesis 39:11-12).
Jesus defeated Satan on the Mount of Temptation by His obedience to His Father: “And the devil said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ But Jesus answered him, saying, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God’” (Luke 4:3-4). “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Luke 4:5-8). “Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Luke 4:9-12).
WISDOM RECOGNIZES GOD’S SOVEREIGN INTERVENTION IN OUR DESTINY THAT HELPS US OVERCOME OUR TEMPTATION FROM WITHIN!
Destiny!
Moses was a Faithful Servant of God and God spoke to him face to face!
Here is the testimony of Moses from God’s Mouth to Moses’ siblings Aaron and Miriam: “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings (riddles); and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:6-8).
Joseph saw his dreams from God fulfilled and became the Governor of Egypt and taught wisdom to Pharaoh’s elders!
“Moreover, (God) called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread. He sent a man before them—Joseph—who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his elders wisdom” (Psalm 105:16-22).
Joseph died dreaming of the fulfillment of another God’s powerful promise that one day (430 years later) God would lead Israel out of Egypt to the land He had promised them! It came to pass!
“By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22).
Jesus’ destiny is best described by Apostle Paul: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation (emptied Himself of privileges), taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:7-11).
I pray God helps you achieve your destiny to leave your rich legacy and posterity behind for your descendants!
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John Jeyaseelan
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