On Purpose
What is God’s purpose? Ephesians 1:4 and 6 says: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:… To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:17-23 continues, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is”“to come: 22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23. Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Pastor Pete McKenzie says that there are four reactions upon hearing the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone . The first reaction is outright rejection. The second reaction is by those who try to do the will of God but never enter into God’s saving grace. The third reaction is those who think that they are saved by their good works. The fourth category is those who know whom they have believed and are persuaded that he is able to keep that which he’s committed unto them against that day of righteous judgement.
Bill Kauble was in category three. He and his wife were both leaders in their church. Bill’s wake-up call came two years ago when his wife Debbie said to him, “I want a divorce.” Bill was completely shocked. Debbie had been a faithful wife and never once asked him to check off the items on her “honey do” list. Even though Debbie had studied her husband, Bill realized that he didn’t even really know his own wife. That night, Bill prayed, “Lord what shall I do?” God’s answer was, “Stand your ground and love her.”
Debbie had been abused by her own father from the age of five through sixteen. Because of her abuse she built herself a mental prison. However, even though her father had died many years before at the age of forty nine, her father was still stuck with her in her mental prison. She kept these thoughts locked up in the recesses of her mind.
Creativity is sometimes born of repressed unresolved feelings, pain and anguish. Debbie had become an accomplished song writer and musician. She worked with renown song writers and producers in the music industry. Collaborating with a music executive in Nashville, she developed an intense infatuation for him even though they had never met in person.
Shortly after Debbie had asked him for a divorce, Bill attended a retreat with the Christian Men’s group “Solely Business.” At the retreat, God showed Bill a vision of his marriage like Ebenezer Scrooge’s dream in Dicken’s story “A Christmas Carol.” God gave Bill a picture of the ghosts of his marriage past, present, and future. Bill recalled that when Debbie was twenty nine and walked into a room, she was so beautiful that every man’s eye was drawn to her. Many years later when she announced that she wanted a divorce, Debbie confessed that she had absolutely no feelings left for her husband. At the men’s retreat, the assignment was to spend some alone-time meditating with God. The Lord said to Bill, “what you’ve done to your wife, you’ve done to me. You never had a real love relationship with either your wife or me.” God answered Bill’s prayer, “Lord what shall I do?” with the command, “Stand your ground.” From that point on, he felt an unconditional committed love for his wife. When she asked him, “why don’t you just move out?” He said, “God told me to stand my post and to love you unconditionally.” Even though Bill’s heart was broken, “it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Bill thought that you were supposed to flee fornication. However, there was an opportunity for Debbie to travel to Nashville to collaborate in person with the man with whom she had fallen in love. She was about to book the flight. However, the man refused to meet with her. Thank God for divine intervention, for all things work together for (God’s and our) good to those who love him; to those are called according to His purpose.
Bill recalls that his Master’s degree at Stanford was “strategic planning.” God taught Bill that you might as well throw your strategic plan out the window. For his thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. When Bill asked God what direction he should take, God said, “you are to encourage older men.” Bill realized that Jeremiah 29:11-13 was God’s plan: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
God wants each of us to know that he has given each of us a future and a hope. Our calling is to love him above all. He called married men to understand that we must love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. God answered Bill’s prayer and today Debbie honors, loves, and respects her husband in the Lord.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace according to the power of the Holy Spirit. For our purpose is this: to live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
May the God of peace give unto you wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael