purpose – Judy in the Sky

Read Psalm 8 – Who is God? Do I matter to him? Beloved, sit with Psalm 8 for a while.

Look around at the skies, look into the eyes of a baby, look around and see the fingerprint of God. Look at the veins within a leaf that has fallen to the ground, then look at the mighty tree from which it fell, and consider our amazing God who designed it all as you read David’s observations in :1-4.

Now, look at your own fingerprint; it is the only one God made just like that. Inhale and feel your body respond… processing the air, bringing it to your lungs, blood, cells… David asks, “what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” :4-5 Not only are you fearfully and wonderfully made, but God created you to rule over His creations! (:7-8) Do you matter to God? Why just look at how carefully he designed you and all the good work he ordained just for you!

Psalm 8 speaks of God’s holiness. It speaks of our unique design and our calling to rule over the works of God’s hands. And it lands with the only response possible – PRAISE.

“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” :9

Beloved, be more, do more, love more, laugh more because God created you for greatness – live differently today because of who God is.

Read Acts 20 – It’s like a divine scavenger hunt. Did you discover the miracle? The treasure? The drive? The blessing?

First, Paul is saying goodbye to the believers in Troas, and no one wants the preaching to end. He goes on until midnight. One believer, Eutychus, was lulled to sleep, causing him to fall to his death from the 3rd story. Paul took him into his arms and declared, “Don’t worry. He is alive,” :10. And sure enough the man was taken home, alive and well, :12. MIRACLE!

Paul moves on the next day by land and sea to Ephesus. There he declares the message, simply and clearly: “I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike – the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.” :21. Beloved, that is the TREASURE!

And Paul speaks about his hardships, and the fact that he provided for himself, and he is glad for it because he knows he represented Jesus full and well. “I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know,” :26-27. DRIVE!

And Paul leaves them with this assurance: “And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself,” :32. And that, Beloved, is the BLESSING!

My prayer for all of us is that we see these things in Acts 20, and that we see these things in our own lives as well. Beloved, be aware and alive to the miracles, treasure, drive and blessings that are all part of a life lived for Jesus our Savior!