Day 47: Jesus, You Have Made Me For Yourself

Have you wondered about your purpose in life? My husband’s grandfather used to ask his family, “What’s it all about?”, to stimulate lively conversation at the dinner table. The Lord took me on a journey today in His Word to teach me a powerful truth about His desires and purposes for me. He took me first to Leviticus 22:31-33, part of my reading in the God Sightings version of the NLT One Year Bible. Here’s what I read:

“You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD. Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who makes you holy. It was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. I am the LORD.”

As I read those words, the NT verses, Colossians 1:13-14, immediately came to my mind. I firmly believe that when Scripture comes to our mind, the Holy Spirit is speaking to us and leading us there. So we MUST turn to those verses in our Bibles and read and think about what God is saying. In those verses I learn that God has “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” God rescued the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt and took them to the promised land. He says in Leviticus that He accomplished that amazing rescue to be their God and to display His holiness among them. A much greater rescue has now taken place for us. God has rescued us from darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of Jesus. Peter elaborates in 1 Peter 2:9-10 where I learn that I am now the Lord’s possession – I’m chosen, royal, and holy – He has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. And now, I am to proclaim my Lord’s excellencies. At one time I didn’t belong to Him, but now I’m His. At one time I had not received mercy, but now I have received mercy. Finally, the Lord took me to Isaiah 43:20-21 where God speaks about His “chosen people”. He calls them “the people I formed for Myself that they might declare My praise.”

I see through all of these passages that the Lord has made me for Himself. I exist for Him. That’s really what life is all about. It’s not about work or even ministry, but Him! Everything else is the result of and flows out of my intimate relationship with my Lord. And so, my focus must always be riveted on Him. I must let nothing pull my eyes away from Him.

The reading in Leviticus 22:17-23:44 in the New Living Translation was just amazing. I was underlining everything. What I saw was that the Lord rescued His people for Himself. And then He gave them official days and festivals to celebrate Him. These were times where they stepped away from “ordinary work” (Leviticus 23:8) to officially observe the Lord, give Him gifts, celebrate and worship Him, and display and declare their praise and holiness (set apart for God). The Lord encouraged me today that I need to officially celebrate Him every moment, hour, day, week, month and year. I spend time with Him not out of duty but out of delight and devotion. I’m going to say along with David, “I WILL celebrate the LORD” (2 Samuel 6:21).

So today, rejoice in the fact that you are made for Your Lord. And more than anything, He desires that you celebrate Him out of a heart of delight and devotion. As Peter said, you are “a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who call you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). So may you step away from the ordinary, focus on your Lord, and proclaim His excellencies with your words and with your life.

My Response: Lord Jesus, I am officially thrilled today to belong to You. Thank You for designing me for Yourself that I might praise and celebrate and delight in You. Like David, I resolve to celebrate You today. In Jesus name, Amen.