Life Is Precious

By: Joseph A. Nagy, Jr. God has a purpose for each and everyone of us, and like Solomon relates in Ecclesiastes, a time and purpose for everything under heaven. Yet how many of us feel like we have no purpose? How many of us feel as if God has no use for us? I hope none of you can answer "I do" to either of those questions yet I know there are those of you, for whatever reason, will be able to answer in that manner. I know I used to feel that way, especially before I was saved. Before I was made a new creation in Christ I felt alone and abandoned by God, worthless and undesirable. After God saved me, for a short while I struggled with the idea that God had no purpose for me - at least not one I could discern. Yet God's Word says - and shows time after time - that not only does He have a purpose for me, but that my life is precious. Jeremiah had a hard time believing he could be used of God, thinking himself too young, we find God's calling of this prophet in Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NKJV): Then the LORD came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Now, while we aren't all called to be modern day prophets, we all have been given a purpose! Our days already fashioned since before our conception in our mothers womb! We are told this very thing in Psalm 139:1318 (NKJV): "For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You." This was true with the Psalmist, with Adam and Eve, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with Jeremiah and the prophets, and with you and I. Our life is precious. It has a Godly purpose, one that will not be frustrated

regardless of how we try. Every single life. How many of you are willing to seek out that purpose? How many of you are willing to seek out God, give your life back to Him, and say, "Use me for Your purpose!" How many of you will devote your entire life to Him? It's not a matter of can or cannot. Paul told the church of Philippi that he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). It wasn't only to Paul or the Apostles that Christ has given strength. This wasn't the first time Paul spoke of strength not his own. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul relates God's word not just to him but to all of us when we feel weak or oppressed or in pain: "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'" His grace, His strength. There is nothing we do for God - and all we do should be for His glory - that we can do in our own strength. Paul implores us in Colossians 3:17 (NKJV): "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Our purpose, our life, from even before we are conceived, belongs to God. Our every action should be glorifying Him and working toward His purpose and His goals. As Christians we are called to take up our cross and to lay down our lives, our desires, and our will in exchange for His life, His desires, His will. There is no room for the things of this world. We have divine purpose, one that will not be frustrated by the hand of man. Going back to Jeremiah, we see that no one - whatever else we may believe - is without Godly purpose and when such is revealed to us, we have nothing to worry about for God will be with us, Jeremiah 1:7-8 (NKJV): "But the LORD said to me: 'Do not say, "I am a youth," for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,' says the LORD."