I am sure that all of us have asked the question: “Why am I here?” The question could be in regards to a specific situation in our lives or we could be asking it in a broader context regarding life itself. The question is really a question about the purpose of life, or more specifically the purpose of my life. It is easy to determine our significance based on what we can offer. The Bible reminds us that we can place our significance in who we are!
I have found over the years, that the Lord has a way of keeping me attached to certain verses or passages in my devotional life. These are verse that repeatedly come to mind out of the blue or because of another passage that it correlates with. I have learned there is more to a simple passage of Scripture than what I first grasp. A recent verse for me has been Revelation 4:11. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11).
Revelation 4:11 is an incredible stand-alone verse, but it is even more significant in the context of Revelation chapters 4 & 5 and also in light of the whole Bible. I have been meditating on it (thinking it over from different angles) for a couple of years now. Initially I was drawn to God’s worthiness of our worship. My focus then shifted over time on how glorious God really is when all the created beings in heaven (many with much higher cognitive abilities than humans) voluntarily choose to worship God continually. Most recently, over the last several months I have been in awe of the phrase, specifically: “and by your will they existed.”
I want you to take a moment and reread Revelation 4:11 with a focus on that particular phrase: “and by your will they existed.” We need to consider what this phrase reveals about our relationship with our Creator. First, it means that God has shaped me to be who I am. This would apply to us physically, but would also include our personalities. We also know that God is steering our lives as well through situations and circumstances. Paul reminded us that this guiding works for the good of those who belong to Christ. Wow!
Second, is the reality that I am here today because God wants me here. I need you to stop and ponder how special you are to God. We as individuals exist because He determines that we exist. This should change how we look at ourselves and our situation. It must move us from despair to hope. It should change our resolve from giving up to pressing forward!
Let me leave you with another related verse that has grasped my attention. It is a reminder of the importance of focusing on our Lord. “By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27).
-Pastor Joe Parkinson