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&In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths&

“He Did That on Purpose”

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How many times have you been driving down the highway and someone cut you off or they just pulled out in front of you and then they went very slow? How many times have you been standing in the checkout line in a store or some other place of business and someone just stepped in front of you in the line? Or how many times have you been lining your car up for a parking place and someone just whipped their car into that parking place? Many times, I'm sure and these are just a few of the rude things people do and each time you probably said something like, "He did that on purpose." Well, hopefully you didn't say anything much more severe than that, but it is a fact that the world can be and is very rude at times. And though these people seemingly do these things on purpose, it is a truly sad fact that these people most often have no real purpose for their lives. They so often do rude things and they do them on purpose, but if the truth were known, so many times these people are desperately searching for a purpose in life. So many times people seem to be in such a hurry and they are really going nowhere. Just searching, but for what? Purpose! Now, I know what I'm talking about, because I used to be one of those people. I realize that it doesn't make any sense to pull out in front of someone and then go slow, but to many of these people, life itself doesn't make sense.

As I heard of some people like this the other day, the Lord allowed me to read about a man in His Word who had a purpose in life and he pursued that purpose with all diligence. The man's name was Gideon. His purpose was to save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Now, Gideon had just taken three hundred men and whipped the fire out of the hosts of Midianites and they fled. Gideon and his men were diligently pursuing them and they were very faint from not only whipping them in battle, but also from now having to chase them. And we read, "And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian." Judges 8:4-5. Now, Gideon was not searching for a purpose in his life, for he had that purpose and he was busy pursuing it.

There they were faint from the battle and from pursuing the Midianites and they sought help from the men of Succoth which was on their way. But what was their answer? "And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?" Judges 8:6. Now, that would have been enough for most people to have given up and gone back home, but not Gideon, for he had a purpose. "And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briars." Judges 8:7. No, he not only kept going after his purpose, but he promised to come back and whip the men of Succoth too.

Then they came to yet another place where they might find help and relief. A place called Penuel. "And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him." Judges 8:8. Talk about a confidence breaker. But not with Gideon, for he was a man with a purpose. "And he spake also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower." Judges 8:9. If you will read the rest of this chapter, you will find that Gideon did as he had said and he did accomplish his purpose.

But Gideon never lost sight of who gave him that purpose as we read, "Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you." Judges 8:22-23. Yes, Gideon did all that on purpose, but more than that, his life was on purpose, because God had given him purpose.

There was never but one man who was born knowing the purpose for His life and He is the giver of purpose. His name is Jesus. As we are about to celebrate the holiday known as Easter, it is so wonderful to be reminded that Jesus came into this world with one purpose and nothing would stop Him from fulfilling that purpose. The law was given and no man could fulfill that law. So God, Who is Holy and the giver of the law, took off His robe of judgment and came down to where we were to fulfill that law for our sakes. He was born a man to live a sinless life like no other man could ever do. And to then take the sins of the whole world upon Himself. And to die a most cruel death upon a cross for your sins and mine. But that's not all. He would and did spend three days and three nights in a grave, but then He rose from that grave giving victory over death and hell to all those that would but believe.

But that's not all either, for had it been all, that would be the end of the story and God would have already called those who believed on to heaven and ended this world with judgment. No, that's not all. You see, after living His life on purpose and dying on that cross on purpose and rising from the grave on purpose, He ascended back up to heaven on purpose to be seated on the right hand of God, so that we who have believed might have purpose.

Do you remember in the beginning of this little article, I said that I used to be one of those who pulled out in front of people and cut people off. Yes, I did all those things and more. And I did them on purpose, but it was because my life had no purpose. You see, I was a sinner, lost and headed for hell. On Friday the 13th of November in 1992, God saved me. But not only that, which was gracious a plenty, Jesus, Who died on that cross for my sins and rose from that grave to give me victory over death and hell and Who ascended back up to heaven, giving me purpose for my life as He came into my heart, that I may tell you what He did for me. I no longer pull out in front of people, at least not on purpose and my wife kids me sometimes because I turn on my turn signal before turning into our driveway, which is on a deserted gravel road. But it's not because I'm perfet now. I do that I guess to remind myself of the new purpose in my life. I want to live my life on purpose and though I cannot be perfect, I want to live it for Him.

Every morning when I wake up and realize that we are still here, I am first of all truly amazed and then I realize that there is still purpose. There is still someone who will be saved. If you are reading this little article and you have not trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and Lord, you might just be that someone. If you realize that you are lost and in need of the Saviour, that's Him talking to you and I urge you to ask Him to forgive you and to save you. He will, and then your life too will have purpose.