All things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)
The Lord Jesus derived much strength from this
knowledge of purpose with which His life was bound up. There is no doubt that we
too shall get strength from that sense of purpose, that consciousness of a
divine vocation which is ours. That is why the enemy always tries to discourage
us. He seeks to raise questions and doubts in our hearts as to the reaching of
the goal, telling us that our labor is in vain. If he succeeds to rob us of
that sense of purpose in our life, to make us doubt with regard to our
testimony, our work, or the value of the suffering we have to go through, we
shall lose our strength and the enemy will get the upper hand.
Jesus Christ was maintained in God’s strength
all the way through, because He was dominated by the sense of His mission,
because He kept firm His purpose. If we hold fast the purpose of our life, if we
keep in view our heavenly calling, we too shall be maintained in strength. But
if we try to fulfill some ambition of our own, if we carry out our own programs,
if we keep some movement going, there will be no divine resources available for
us. In order to be maintained in strength it is essential that we know that we
are in the purpose of God. Our service must always be the result of a divine
purpose. It is of the greatest importance for us to realize that we have a place
in God’s plan. We have to deny ourselves. In God’s purpose there is no room for
personal interests. “To them that love God,” to them whose heart is taken
up with God and the fulfillment of His purpose, “all things work together for
good, even to them that are called according to His purpose.” That is a
definite statement showing believers are called into a Divine purpose. We have
got to know as definitely as the Lord Jesus knew, that we are in God’s purpose.