Purpose is Written, Not Imagined

“Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything.” Joshua 1:8 (NCV)

Everyone wants something to live for—but many of us look for it in the wrong places. You can’t find your mission in a billboard, on social media, or by watching TV. You can’t just guess what it is either.

You can only find God’s mission for your life in one place: God’s Word.

Studies show that each of us has 600 to 700 talents, but we never use most of them. When you embrace God’s mission for your life, though, you’ll find that he can use many more of the gifts and talents he’s given you.

Jonah, one of God’s prophets in the Bible, received his life mission from God. The Bible says, “The LORD spoke his word to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up, go to the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it, because I see the evil things they do’” (Jonah 1:1-2 NCV).

God gave Jonah his mission. He’ll give you one too as you read his Word. The more you dig into the Bible, the more you'll understand your mission for life.

God uses many different ways to get his Word into your life. Sometimes you sit down to read it. Other times, you may hear someone preach it. And on other days you’ll read a devotional like this one. If the only time you open your Bible is when you’re in church, you likely will never discover God’s mission for your life.

Instead, make the Bible a regular part of your life. Spend time with God every day, even if it’s just a few minutes. Put it in your schedule—write it on your calendar, or set a daily alert on your phone.

Joshua 1:8 says, “Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything” (NCV).

If you want to successfully accomplish God’s mission for your life, stop looking for a vision and start looking for a verse. God won’t write your mission in the sky. He has already written it in his Word.

In summary:

True success and purpose come from discovering God’s mission for life through His Word, not from social media, entertainment, or guesswork. The Bible teaches in Joshua 1:8 (“Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything.”NCV)) that studying and obeying Scripture daily leads to wisdom and success. Just as Jonah received his mission directly from God, we too will find ours as we consistently engage with the Bible—whether by reading, hearing it preached, or studying devotionals. God has given us many untapped gifts and talents, and when we align with His mission, He can use them fully. To discover and live out our purposes, make God’s Word a regular part of our daily routine and let it guide life.

Bottom Line: We will only discover God’s mission for our life by regularly reading, studying, and obeying His Word so make Bible reading a daily habit—schedule it, set a reminder, and commit to spending time in Scripture so you can understand and live out God’s purpose for your life.

Why Self-Reliance Will Always Runs Dry

“My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” Jeremiah 2:13 (NLT)

The sad reality is this: I live in a broken, fallen world—a world where sin and evil exist. And as a result, I live with unmet needs.

This is not a perfect place, so all my needs will not be met while I live on earth. I have unmet relational, physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual needs. I have a need to be known and understood and loved.

It’s understandable to want my needs to be met, but the last thing I should do is try to meet them my own way instead of trusting God. When I think I can meet my needs better than God can, it leads to broken hearts, broken dreams, broken bodies, and broken promises.

God said, “My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” (Jeremiah 2:13 NLT).  

A cistern is a hole dug into the ground to store water. In a well, you have water that’s coming up from the ground. But a cistern is not connected to a water source, so it has to be constantly filled with water. Over time the water leaks into the ground, and the cistern goes dry. It eventually runs out of water. It’s temporary. Also, because there’s no new water coming into the cistern, the water can become murky and polluted. 

God is saying that when I try to meet my needs in my own way, it’s like trying to keep fresh water in a cracked cistern. I will always run out of water in a cracked cistern—and I will always run out of power when I'm trying to meet my needs on my own.

In the book of John, Jesus refers to himself as Living Water. He said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38 NIV). God’s love and care for me and the power he gives me to live the Christian life are like a well that never runs dry. When I trust in him, he’ll take care of all my needs in the best way and at the right time. I will have everything I need.

So I shouldn't dig my own cistern that will always go dry. Instead, trust in the Living Water that never runs out!

In summary: 

This passage reminds me that in a broken world, I will always have unmet needs—relational, emotional, physical, or spiritual—but trying to meet them on my own only leaves me empty, like storing water in a cracked cistern that leaks dry. God warns that when I abandon Him, the true fountain of living water, and rely on my own ways, the results are temporary, polluted, and unsatisfying. Jesus, the Living Water, offers a never-ending source of love, strength, and provision. The wisest choice is to stop digging my own cisterns and instead trust fully in Him, who alone can meet my needs in the right way and at the right time.

Bottom line: 

Only God, the Living Water, can truly meet my needs—if I try to do it my own way, I’ll always end up empty.  My next wisest step is to pause and identify one “cracked cistern” in my life—one area where I've been trying to meet my own needs apart from God (maybe control, overworking, seeking approval, or numbing distractions). Write it down, and then intentionally surrender it in prayer, asking God to be my Living Water in that specific area.

Finding Hope in a Broken World

“The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him.” Lamentations 3:25 (CEV)

We live on a broken planet, with natural disasters, physical decay, and death. There’s emotional distress and disappointment, distance and discord in relationships, and spiritual discontent and darkness. It’s no wonder why there is an epidemic of hopelessness in our world. I would feel hopeless too if I thought this broken place was the end of the story—but it’s not. There’s good news!

How can I be happy in a world full of pain and suffering and sorrow? How can I be happy when I deeply and personally feel the effects of broken bodies, broken relationships, and broken hope? 

Do what Jeremiah did. Jeremiah was a prophet who experienced plenty of suffering and disappointment. He wrote the book of Lamentations, where he gives his testimony:

“I cannot find peace or remember happiness. . . . Thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed. Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, ‘The LORD is all I need; I can depend on him!’ The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him” (Lamentations 3:17, 19-25 CEV).

The key to happiness in a broken, messed up, damaged world is ultimately this: The Lord is all I need.

So I shouldn't put my trust in people, because they can let me down. I shouldn't put my trust in circumstances, because they can disappoint me. I shouldn't put my trust in the things of this world, because they won’t last.

Instead put your trust in God. Remember his promises to me in his Word and his faithfulness to me in the past. Then I'll be able to trust in his unfailing kindness for my future. I'll be able to obey him with joy and say with confidence, “The Lord is all I need. I can depend on him!”

In summary: 

In a broken world filled with pain, disappointment, and hopelessness, the key to true peace and joy is trusting in God’s unfailing kindness. Like Jeremiah, who poured out his struggles in Lamentations yet found hope in God’s mercy and faithfulness, we are reminded that people, circumstances, and things will fail us—but the Lord never does. His kindness and mercy are new every morning, and when I choose to trust and obey Him, we can confidently say, “The Lord is all I need; I can depend on Him.”

Bottom LIne: 

In a broken world, true hope and lasting peace come only from trusting in God’s unfailing kindness and depending on Him each day.

Based on this, my next wisest step is to pause and recall a specific moment when God has been faithful to you in the past—write it down, thank Him for it, and let that memory fuel my trust and obedience today. 

Hope in a Broken World

“The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.” 2 Peter 3:9 (GW)

When God looks down on the earth and sees so much sin in the world, why does he put up with it? He’s got the power to shut it all down. So why is he allowing a broken planet to continue to limp along?

Because although the world’s broken, God is still in control—and history is moving toward a climax. History is his story, and he’s not finished yet.

The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act” (GW). 

God is patiently enduring all the grief that he sees on this planet. Why? Because he’s waiting for people to step across the line and follow Jesus as their Savior and Lord. He wants all people to become part of his family—that includes me!

And if I'm in his family, he wants me to tell everyone I know about the Good News of Jesus because he wants them in his family too. God is waiting so that more people have the opportunity to receive his grace.

Many people say, “I can’t believe in a God who would callously stand by, unmoved, and watch children suffer.” I don’t believe in that kind of God either!

I believe in a God who weeps when he sees the people he created hurting each other. And I believe in a God who is one day going to stop evil dead in its tracks and settle the score. The Bible says there’s going to be a day when God judges all sin and evil.

But here’s the good news: Since I’ve accepted Jesus as my Savior, I don’t need to fear that day. The Bible says, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NLT). That means when I stand before God, I won’t stand there alone or ashamed. I'll stand in his grace—totally forgiven, because of what Jesus has already done for me on the cross.

Yes, the world is broken, and yes, there’s evil—but God is in control. He’s still got the whole world in his hands. And he’s giving everyone a little more time to choose him and to tell others about his love for them.

What am I waiting for? 

In summary: 

God has not forgotten His promises, nor is He slow to act—He is patient, giving the world time to repent and turn to Him. Though the world is broken and filled with sin, God is still in control and history is moving toward His final plan. He endures the grief of evil because He desires everyone to have the opportunity to receive His grace and join His family through Jesus. For those who have accepted Christ, there is no condemnation, only forgiveness and hope. Until the day He sets all things right, God calls me to trust His timing, live in His grace, and share the Good News so that others may also find life in Him.

Bottom line: 

God delays judgment out of love, giving everyone more time to turn to Him—and if I already belong to Christ, my role is to share His grace and hope with others. 

I need to prayerfully identify one person in my life who needs encouragement, hope, or an introduction to God’s love—and then take a small, intentional action to reach out to them this week (a conversation, a note, a prayer, or an invitation).

From Harm to Hope: God’s Greater Purpose

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

Every problem in life has a purpose; there’s meaning in the mess of it all.

When I'm in the middle of a difficulty, it’s hard to see its purpose. But hindsight is 20/20—so when I look back at a problem after I've gotten through it, I often can see what God was doing.

God can take everything in our lives—the good stuff, the bad stuff, the hurtful stuff, the bizarre stuff—and use it for good.

Remember, God doesn’t cause my problems. But he does allow them so he can use them for his own good intentions, even when other people have bad intentions.

A great example of this in the Bible is the story of Joseph. Joseph faced a whole string of terrible problems. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was falsely accused of seducing his master’s wife. He was thrown into prison. 

But Joseph kept on being faithful. And eventually he was placed second in charge over all of Egypt. In this role, he was able to save entire nations from famine. He was even able to save his own family—including his brothers, who had sold him into slavery. 

He told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20 NIV). Joseph knew that God’s good intentions had been working, even in the bad circumstances of his life.

I will be in bad situations at times. It may seem like everything has gone wrong. People with bad intentions may have hurt me. But God intends to bring good out of it. He wants me to bring him the broken pieces of my life. He can bring peace out of those pieces.

Remember, God’s purpose is greater than any problems I've been through. And he’ll bring good out of them if I'll trust him.

In Summary:

Life’s problems are never wasted—God can use even the hardest and most painful circumstances for good. Like Joseph, who was betrayed, falsely accused, and imprisoned before being raised to power and saving countless lives, I can trust that God’s purpose is greater than the intentions of others or the trials I face. Though God doesn’t cause my problems, he allows them and weaves them into his greater plan, turning brokenness into peace and setbacks into opportunities for growth. My role is to stay faithful, trust him with the pieces of my life, and believe that he is working for good even when I can’t yet see it.

Bottom Line:

No matter the harm or hardship, God can turn it into good and fulfill His greater purpose in our lives.  The next step is for me to Bring a difficult situation or painful memory to God in prayer, asking Him to show me how He can use it for good.

Wonderfully Made, Purposefully Placed

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!” Psalm 139:13-14 (NLT)

What I'm learning is that God custom-designed me. In fact, he custom-designed each and every person who’s ever lived. Just stop and actually think about that truth, it’s amazing.

David says this in Psalm 139: “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born” (Psalm 139:13-16 NLT).

Few things are as complex as the human body. But all of the systems in my body work together in just the right way because God designed them. In fact, Psalm 139 says that God was watching as I was developing in my mother’s womb. He oversaw every detail of my creation—because even before I was born, he had a place, a purpose, and a plan for my life. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.

I shouldn't ever let anyone tell me that I was an accident. I'm not an accident. 

There are no accidental babies. God planned me. My parents may not have planned me, but God did. I may have had good parents or bad parents or indifferent parents. Or maybe some may not even know their parents. Whoever my parents are, God chose them because they had just the right DNA to create me. And he wanted me.

Remember, there are no illegitimate children. God had a plan. If I'm here, it’s because he wanted me here. That’s amazing. 

The Message paraphrase says, “Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God?” (Romans 11:33-34).

The answer, of course, is no. No one can explain God. If you could explain God, they'd be God.  What God has done in custom-designing me is unbelievable, indescribable, unattainable.  It’s an amazing thing.

What should my response to this be? Thank him. Thank him for his wonderful grace and for his wonderful love. The Bible says this in 2 Corinthians 9:15: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (NIV).

In summary:

As described in Psalm 139, every person is intentionally and intricately created by God. God personally oversaw every detail of my formation in the womb, crafting each me with a unique purpose, plan, and design—meaning there I was not an accident or an illegitimate life. Regardless of my family circumstances, God chose the exact DNA and situation needed to create me, because He wanted me here. My complexity and existence are the result of His unmatched wisdom and extravagant love, which cannot be fully explained or comprehended. The proper response to such a profound truth is gratitude—thanking God for the gift of life, His grace, and His indescribable love.

Bottom line: 

I was intentionally and wonderfully created by God with a unique purpose—there are no accidents in His design. My next step should be to spend time today thanking God for creating me with such care and purpose, and ask Him to guide me in living out the plan He’s designed for my life.

Stopping “Truth Decay”?

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NIV)

We are experiencing a crisis of credibility in our culture. We can find corruption pretty much everywhere—in politics, business, sports, academics, entertainment—and even in churches. 

What is the cause of this decline in moral values? It can be said in two words: truth decay. 

Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NIV). Freedom comes from the truth. The more I know the truth, the freer I'll be in my spirit, in my life, in my family—in every way! The opposite is also true: The more I give up on the truth, the more I'll forfeit my freedom.

This phrase “truth decay” exemplifies what’s been happening in our society. Slowly, little by little, there has been an erosion of the value of truth. We don’t value truth like we used to—and it’s slowly eroding the world we live in.

It’s the same with your teeth. When tooth decay begins, you don’t even notice it. You can’t feel it; you can’t see it. But it’s happening—and if you don’t stop it, you’ll eventually lose your tooth.

In recent decades, there has been a shift away from truth as the foundation of our society. At one point, most people genuinely agreed on what was right and what was wrong. If people didn’t do right at least they knew right. But today many people claim they don’t even know the difference between right and wrong—or that there’s no such thing as right and wrong.

This idea that there is no such thing as truth is called postmodernism. It’s built on the idea that there are no absolutes. But that’s an unworkable, irrational philosophy. Everyone depends on absolutes.

When you go into a pharmacy, you trust that the pharmacist will absolutely give you the correct prescription. When you approach a stop sign, other drivers expect that you’ll absolutely stop. When a rocket heads into outer space, there are thousands of absolute calculations to keep it on course. The whole world, every single day of life, operates on absolutes.

In postmodernism, people value tolerance more than they value truth; all ideas are equally valid. But that’s nonsense. If I say, “The moon is made out of rock,” and you say, “The moon is made out of Swiss cheese,” those ideas are not equally valid. There are a lot of things in life that are absolutely and always true—and there are a lot of things in life that are absolutely and always false. 

In a world that values tolerance over truth, it’s easy to let truth decay into our hearts and life. In the coming days, I'm going to look at how I can know and hold on to what’s true so that I can live in the freedom Jesus promises.

In summary:

Our culture is facing a crisis of credibility rooted in “truth decay”—a gradual erosion of the value of truth that undermines moral standards and freedom. Just as tooth decay is slow and often unnoticed until serious damage occurs, truth decay quietly weakens society when people abandon absolute standards of right and wrong. Postmodern thinking, which rejects absolutes and elevates tolerance above truth, leads to confusion and instability, even though daily life depends on absolutes for safety, order, and progress. Jesus taught that knowing the truth sets us free, so holding firmly to God’s unchanging truth is essential for living in the freedom He promises.

Bottom Line:

When truth erodes, freedom is lost—so I need anchor my life in God’s unchanging truth to remain truly free. I need to commit to regularly reading and reflecting on God’s Word so that I can clearly recognize, hold onto, and live by the truth in every area of my life.