A Birthday Card From Your Creator (A 7-Day Devotional) Sample

YOU HAVE A PURPOSE (AND IT IS FOUND IN HIM)!

Everyone wants to live a life filled with meaning and purpose. Discovering and sharing our gifts plays a big role in that, as does consistently choosing to learn and grow.

At any high school or college graduation, amidst a sea of caps and gowns, you will almost certainly find at least one student with a reference to this verse adorning their mortarboard…

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I love knowing there is a plan for my life. And don’t we all want to look forward with hope and confidence toward our future? It is comforting to be certain that God has good plans for us. That sentiment is echoed here, as well as other places in scripture.

And as we try to discern those plans, we should also give special attention to the verses that follow…

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV)

Yes—God has a purpose and plan for each of us (just as He did for Israel in Jeremiah’s day).

And—If we want to know what those plans are, we need to seek Him wholeheartedly.

Often, we come to God with OUR plans and ask only for His blessing. We strive for material security, or personal promotion, or perfect relationships. We take our cues from the world around us as to what a “good future” includes and we pursue those things.

In contrast, what we are asked to do is simply seek Him. And when we seek God first—by coming to Him in prayer—we will find Him. And in finding Him, we will find our purpose.

As we seek Him, we will continue to discover the gifts (gifting) He has given us. As we seek Him, we will continue to be transformed to be more like Jesus. As we seek Him, we will find that He has placed us exactly where we are for a reason.

As you go into this next year, remember that God has good plans for you. Spend time finding out what they are by first discovering who He is.

Reflect, Pray, and Celebrate Your Birthday!

To discover your purpose, begin by spending time with God in prayer and asking Him to reveal more of Himself to you.

Try these two exercises today:

1 - Pray this prayer: “God, will you reveal more of yourself to me? Is there something you want me to hear or see that will help me to understand you, or my purpose, more fully?” Write down anything the Lord brings to mind as you pray.

2 - Read through one of the prayers already written in the Psalms. Pick a Psalm and, as you read it, write down what you learn about God and who He is. (For example, you might read through Psalm 18 and notice that God is “my rock,” God is “my shield,” and God is “worthy to be praised.” Other Psalms you might start with are Psalm 5, Psalm 33, Psalm 84, or Psalm 121.)