The Shepherd's Voice

Scripture:
"Now my soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father save Me from this hour?' But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father glorify Your name." John 12:27

Observation:
There are certain verses in the Bible that are flat out tough to read. As I look upon the words of this verse my eyes burn as if they have been splattered with soapy water. In a day and time when everything is designed for my comfort, the words of my Savior remind me of another call that is upon my life. The voice of my Shepherd rings out over the hills beckoning me to join Him where His flock is gathered. His flock is not seeking the convenience of a club with great benefits. His flock is prepared to sacrifice everything to walk in obedience to the call on their life.

Application:
The mission statement of our church is "To help people discover and fulfill their God given purpose for living." Our motto is "It's not just church…It's life." I believe in both of these worthy causes. It is energizing to talk about these things. To think that I have a purpose and that there is more to church than just attending services on Sunday's and Wednesday's stands as a sort of oasis in a desert land of people just doing things out of routine. I grew up following the example of a man who believed in this long before I came to Pinelake and even before Rick Warren brought The Purpose Driven Life to market.

My dad sat this example for me. He has always sought God's mission and fought to make church more than a service. As he lived this example before me, God has used it to call me down the same pathway. I have never been able to settle for anything less than a genuine pursuit of God. In that pursuit, God allowed me the honor of chasing after Him alongside my dad. For nine years I stood beside my earthly dad and together we pursued our heavenly father together. It was an amazing season of life. We had the opportunity to sit together daily and discuss where we were going with both our business and our walks with God. I remember one conversation in particular that stands out in my mind. My dad and I sat down in his office and began discussing where we were in business and in life. God stirred inside both of us the desire to be closer to Him. We wanted to live on mission. In a moment of pure faith, we committed to pursuing God above all things. It was a beautiful moment, but it came with a harsh reality.

In my finite mind I had the whole thing worked out. I would commit to God the works of my hands and pursue excellence in all that I did and the world would respond by yielding her bounty to my worthy cause. Success was all that I was thinking about. Success in my career. I was to become one of the great business minds in the world. Success in my marriage and family. I was to have a marriage that writers would author books about. Success in my faith. I was to lift up my hands in prayer and miraculous things would come about. This was my dream. This was my pursuit. In reality it was a defenseless jaw in the path of a vicious upper cut.

The words of Jesus noted in the passage remind me of the pain associated with allowing the flesh to manipulate things of the spirit. God's ways are not my ways. His desires for me are not the same as the desires I have for myself. Success is not the measuring stick God uses; it is obedience He's after. God definitely has a purpose for my life, but that purpose is not to pad my earthly life. His purpose is for me to spill out my life in pursuit of His desire to introduce a lost and dying world to the beautiful salvation that is to be found in His Son. Over the past 9 years, God has taken me on a journey that I never expected. I sit in a place that I never planned to be. As I reflect back over the dreams that I had for my life, most of them sit smoldering in a pile of burnt rubble. My heart has been broken more times than I can count and I still struggle to process some of what has happened.

In the midst of all this I have made an amazing discovery; success on this earth is a fleeting goal. Earthly prosperity is a shaky wall of defense. I would not trade one single goal or dream for the relationship that I now have with my God. The price I paid to be where I am today is held cheap in my mind when I compare it with what all God has given me. I am grateful for my life, not because of its benefits, but because of its purpose. God has allowed me to join Him in His mission and pursue a kingdom that is worthy or pursuit.

Prayer:
As much as I have learned, I still have so far to go. I am grateful for You reminding me this morning of the example Christ set before me. I still have a tendency to pray in opposition of discomfort for me rather than seeking Your purpose in spite of the personal cost to me. I have clearly heard the voice of my shepherd this morning. That voice finds me outside of the flock. Most of my prayers have once again centered around my desire to be successful. I ask for You to forgive me of my pride. Three things I ask of you this morning; a pure heart, a clear vision, and a secure soul. In all that I do today may my hands be clean before You. Help me to pursue only the things of the spirit. As I seek You today, please grant me a clear vision of what You desire for me. Let Your wisdom stand before me and allow my judgment to reflect Yours. Hold my soul securely in Your hands and affirm me in my standing with You. Help me to stand confidently in Your truth and not waver as the storms of life threaten me.