The Wow Factor!
“But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16 NKJV)
Why am I Here?
The question that arises in everyone’s mind (if they are honest) is the question, “Why am I here?” Most of us also ask “Who put me here?” Most of us have days when we wish whoever put us here would have asked us if we really wanted to be part of this journey. Normally, we hold these lives dear but there are some who get so discouraged that they end their lives on this earth. We can ignore these questions that arise in our minds or we can try to find answers that will encourage us while we are on this brief journey through time. I believe that the answer is found in the Bible.
Pharaoh’s Purpose was to Set a Bad Example
Some people’s purpose in life is to set a bad example for others. The Pharaoh that Moses dealt with in the book of Exodus is a case in point. Before the contest began between Pharaoh and his gods and Moses and the LORD, Pharaoh had told Moses, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I DO NOT KNOW THE LORD, nor will I let Israel go (Exodus 5:2 NKJV).” A Pharaoh was an intermediary between man and the pagan gods that the Egyptians worshiped. As a result he was considered to be a god by many.
I am convinced that he had heard about Jehovah from the Jewish slaves that he was mistreating. So why would he worship a God like the Jewish God who would leave HIs people in slavery? Where was that god’s power? He thought he had the power to keep the Jews enslaved and so his god’s were obviously better than the Jewish Jehovah. But just as people make bad decisions today, he made a bad one when he said I do not KNOW the LORD. That was a statement of pure rebellion in my opinion. The LORD did harden his heart several times with regard to the LORD’s purpose for him, but not before he had openly rejected the LORD.
What Should Our Purpose Be?
Our purpose on earth is to glorify God. That is we should praise Him, honor Him, extol Him, worship Him and of course obey Him.
When we design a house and build it, we normally want to show it off. When we renovate a car we normally want to show it off. Before we show the things we create to others we make sure that they will represent us in such a way that others will go “WOW!” We glorify God when our lives are such that the angels and even the devil have to say “WOW!” We all have been placed on earth for the purpose of making God look good. We do that by fulfilling the specific purposes for which he saved us. Paul’s purpose was to be a minister and witness. The Lord told Paul when he saved him, “‘But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you (Acts 26:16 NKJV).”
Our purpose is to glorify God by first believing in the Lord Jesus and then by proclaiming His goodness to others. People should believe that we believe He is the best thing since our mother’s apple pie. Spouses and children come in a close second of course.
What was the Lord’s Purpose
Simply put, the Lord’s purpose was to show us Who God is and then to die for us. He was willing to bear the punishment our sin deserved. His purpose was to show us that God loves sinners. He doesn’t wait for us to get good to get saved, but the saved normally get good. But trusting someone is a great honor and we can glorify God by trusting the Lord Jesus..
Conclusion
David says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1 NKJV).” If the heavens can declare the glory of God, surely we who have been created by Him should be able to do the same. Those who end up in heaven will glorify Him for having created all things. John records the elders in heaven saying, “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created (Revelation 4:11 NKJV).”
Let’s not be bad examples like Pharaoh and suffer eternally for a stupid foolish prideful decision. May we glorify the Lord by coming in simple trusting faith to Him so that our sins can be forgiven. Then let us worship and praise Him and tell others about Him. That should be our purpose in life.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of October 10, 2021