Destiny is a place we travel to. Have you ever asked yourself, What are God’s Plans for me? How will I arrive at my destiny? In this post:
- God has pre-appointed our destiny.
- You number my steps. (Job 14:16)
- Destiny delayed is not destiny denied.
- Destinies assured.
God has pre-appointed our destiny.
We have a heavenly Father who loves us so much that He gave great consideration to how He created each of us. Our Father created us in His heart and determined when we should arrive on earth at the time of His choosing. He even decided when and where we should live! We can see glimpses of our destinies in our dreams and visions.
” And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings ” (Acts 17:26).
You number my steps. (Job 14:16)
Our very wise God does not reveal everything He wants us to know about our lives all at once, and for good reason. We can see this illustrated in the life of Jesus.
Long before His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus came to fulfill many prophecies about His life. For example, Psalm 40: 7 states:
… “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
By age 12, Jesus knew His calling to God’s service and sought it. Yet, His frantic parents spent three days looking for Him. “Why did you seek me?” He asked. “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49)
Nevertheless, as the time approached for Jesus to go to the cross to bear the punishment for the sins of all mankind, He grew quite sorrowful (Matthew 26:37-38). Pre-destined for great suffering, that knowledge would have been too weighty for a 12-year-old. Instead, the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus’ destiny to Him step by step by step.
Likewise, the details about our lives written on “scrolls” of destiny unfold with purpose, accuracy, and timing. We soon recognize that things we were passionate about yesterday trigger little interest today. Furthermore, the end of our lives will look quite different from how we began our journey. This is because yesterday was a steppingstone for today, just as today will help us transition to tomorrow. Dream by dream, step by step.
Destiny delayed is not destiny denied.
Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, provides another example. He was a carpenter and most likely the son of a carpenter (because sons usually assumed their fathers’ trades), but Joseph could not have guessed that his most significant assignment would be to protect the Christ child! God unfolded Joseph’s destiny to him through dreams and visions, one step at a time.
Some people feel confident about their steps because they have learned obedience and self-discipline and have enjoyed great success. While others may harbor regrets about some of their choices and decisions. Look no further than Moses who committed murder at age 40 in Egypt and ran away to hide in the desert. He was sure his destiny was beyond repair. Still, God had chosen him to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt. Moses received that job offer at the age of 80, much to his surprise! Older and wiser, he declined the offer, but God insisted that Moses was the perfect candidate.
King David, beloved by God as a man after God’s own heart, committed some serious missteps that could surely have disqualified him from his destiny. Nevertheless, David was quick to ask God’s forgiveness, and doing this set him back on track.
Destinies assured.
Turning back to God (repentance) and seeking His forgiveness each time we veer off-track is a crucial step to ensure we arrive at our destinies.
Be encouraged, dear friend, that your walk has neither been a waste of time nor without meaning. This is also true for your dreams. Chances are you are much wiser today than yesterday from what you have experienced or learned. The Bible states that the one who has been forgiven much loves so much more deeply. In fact, there is an ever flowing fountain of gratitude from the heart that has sought forgiveness from God, the same God who willingly gave the life of His Son to pay the price for our forgiveness.
When our destiny seems delayed it does not mean it has been denied. Let us turn to our Father in heaven who has already calculated every step and misstep we will ever take. Psalms 121 assures us of this:
“He will not allow your foot to be moved.”
Dreams from God will be fulfilled because God watches over our lives as much as He watches over His Word…every step of the way!