Take a look at several of the personalities in the Bible. Peter was the impetuous, self-proclaimed leader and spokesperson. He was always putting his foot in his mouth and speaking whatever came to his mind. G.o.d used Peter's personality to empower him to fulfill his destiny-to announce the public beginning of the church. Paul, on the other hand, was a studious thinker. G.o.d used him to write much of the theology in the New Testament. John was the loving and intimate personality who liked to lean his head on Jesus and have a relationship with Him. G.o.d used John to write about the power of abiding in Christ (John 15) and the importance of loving relationships (1 John 34).

Throughout Scripture, G.o.d used people's personalities to help them fulfill their destinies. G.o.d's calling is consistent with how He made you. You don't need to change your personality to pursue your destiny. In fact, a healthy awareness of who you are and how G.o.d made you will give you insight into how He wants to use you.

Several tools can help us along our path of personal discovery. One of them is a personality test called the DISC test. No personality test can sum up everything about everyone, but looking at who we are and how we function is often intriguing and enlightening.

Your destiny will include your spiritual gifts as well as your personality. One of the surest ways of finding and fulfilling that which you were designed to do is to honestly examine who G.o.d made you to be. This will take some effort, but it's worth the investment. You are a unique person whom G.o.d desires to use to bless others and advance His kingdom.

9.

Experience Life has a way of serving up a variety of situations. Some are good, some are bad, and some are bitter.

Things aren't always good. But thank G.o.d that things aren't always bad either. Still, sometimes things get even worse than bad, and those are the things that leave us with a bitter taste, a residue of undeserved or unfair pain.

The good experiences in life produce positive benefit. They are productive and enjoyable.

The bad experiences include times when you have done something wrong that has damaged a situation, yourself, or others. If you could roll back the hands of time, you wouldn't choose to make the same life choice again. Perhaps you made a mistake, committed a sin, or suffered a failure.

The bitter experiences leave their mark on you, often through no fault of your own. Someone else caused something to happen in your life-maybe he or she mistreated you, neglected you, abandoned you, or used you. In a sinful world, we run into bitter experiences or bitter people almost by the minute. Unfortunately, hurting people often turn around and hurt others, causing a cycle of bitterness to continue.

Why do some people successfully live out their destinies while others aimlessly check off each day? The difference is often the way they view their life experiences. Successful people view them all-the good, bad, and the bitter-through the lens of purpose. These individuals realize that G.o.d is able to use all of it for His calling on their lives. Aimless people and bitter people cannot see the thread that connects their life experiences to their own destinies. These people's hearts grow hard, their guilt piles high, and they are unable to move forward in life.

The way you manage or mismanage your past experiences has a big impact on your future. Learn from your past, but don't live in it. Satan keeps you from moving forward by getting you to keep looking back. Are you the product of a dysfunctional family? G.o.d can use that for good. Did someone abuse or mistreat you? G.o.d can use that for good. Were you pa.s.sed up for a promotion after years of dedicated service? G.o.d can use that for good. Has your marriage failed, did your dreams come crashing down, or did someone you trusted betray you? Did you make some decisions as a teenager that are still affecting you decades later?

G.o.d can and will use everything in your past for good-the good, the bad, and the bitter-if you let Him. Resist the tendency to grow hard-hearted and bitter. Move past your past. G.o.d wants to use the good, the bad, and the bitter to lead you into your destiny.

The Good The apostle Paul is the foremost spokesperson for Christianity. n.o.body can compete with Paul. He is the official theologian of the church. He wrote the church's const.i.tution, the book of Romans. In fact, he wrote 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. G.o.d could have just zapped him his great ability, but instead, G.o.d used some things in Paul's background to facilitate his mission to spread the Christian faith. G.o.d worked through Paul not only spiritually but also academically.

In the book of Philippians, we find Paul's resume. As you may know, a resume is important because it links your past performance to your future potential. A resume tells where you have worked and what experiences have shaped you into the person you are. Most of us have a resume that demonstrates continuity in our lives.

A resume not only tells where you have worked but also highlights your commitment and faithfulness. It tells how long you have worked where you have worked. A resume that lists new jobs every six months is not going to be a positive addition to your job interview. It implies that employers cannot depend on you for a long period of time.

A resume says a lot. But most of the time, people try to put the best things they have done on their resume. That's what Paul did on his resume. Keep in mind that Paul's resume includes items that predate his conversion to Christ.

If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circ.u.mcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless (Philippians 3:4-6).

Essentially, Paul says that no one had more to brag about than he did. When bragging about human accomplishments, he was at the top of the list. In stating that he was circ.u.mcised on the eighth day, he was affirming that his parents were highly religious because they kept the Old Testament law. Paul was telling us that he was raised right. He showed his parents' deep commitment to start him down the right Jewish path. His resume began with a strong home.

He then said he was a part of the nation of Israel, meaning that he was from the nationality that was uniquely blessed by G.o.d. He was born on the right side of the tracks. He also told us he was from the tribe of Benjamin, indicating that he was from the right cla.s.s in the right nationality. The tribe of Benjamin was one of only two tribes that remained faithful to G.o.d when the kingdom split in two. Paul summed this up stating that he was a "Hebrew of Hebrews." In other words, he was a super-Jew. In urban American language, Paul might have said, "I'm Jew and I'm proud."

To be a Hebrew of Hebrews meant that Paul was special. He went to the best schools, achieved the highest marks, and quickly rose to the top. Some commentators believe he had even been a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council.

All those things could be cla.s.sified as good things in Paul's history. And G.o.d used those experiences to prepare Paul for what He wanted him to do. When G.o.d looked for someone to lead the church, write the theology for the church, debate religious leaders who opposed the church, foster the cause of Christ both academically and socially-someone who could go uptown to Caesar at Rome and who could also go downtown to the people who hurt the most-G.o.d found a man whose resume included items He could sanctify and use to fulfill His purpose.

To sanctify something is to set it apart for G.o.d to use. Paul experienced a lot prior to his salvation that G.o.d would later use for His purposes, and G.o.d can do the same with you. He can sanctify your past experiences in business, personal achievement, worldly success...G.o.d can sanctify all of it to lead you to your destiny.

Before you were saved, or before you dedicated your life to pursuing G.o.d and His purpose for you, G.o.d already recognized the experiences you needed in order to fulfill your destiny. The things you had going for you back then-G.o.d still may want to use them today. The training you received, the family you were raised in, your employment opportunities...G.o.d had a purpose in all of it. Now G.o.d wants to sanctify those experiences and use them as you fulfill your destiny.

Paul had all the raw ingredients and experiences G.o.d wanted to use. As do you. He had a purpose for that degree, education, training, job, relationship, mentor, success, and everything else that shaped you for good. G.o.d wants to sanctify the very best of your experiences and use them in your destiny.

The Bad We might expect G.o.d to use our good experiences for His purposes, but we might wonder how a holy G.o.d could possibly use our mistakes, our failures, and even our sinful choices for His good.

One of the greatest things about G.o.d's grace is His ability to turn a mess into a miracle. I'm not saying G.o.d endorses mistakes or failures or that He accepts sin. He doesn't. Nevertheless, G.o.d can use our mistakes and failures to better equip us to reach our destiny.

We've seen how G.o.d used Paul's good experiences for his purpose. Next I want to take a look at my favorite person in the Bible, Peter. Peter is my favorite because he was always running his mouth. He always wanted to be in charge. He wouldn't let anyone else talk, lead, preach, or appear more devoted than he was. Peter was always out in front, trying to take control of the situation.

But sometimes Peter's mouth got ahead of his feet. In fact, Peter even went up against Satan, and he lost-big time.

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:31-32).

Jesus Christ predicted Peter's failure. Yet even though the words came from the Lord Himself, Peter thought he had everything under control. His response speaks to his own navete: "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" (verse 33).

Peter didn't accept Jesus's prediction. He didn't own up to his own frailty. He told Jesus that he was the man. He could be depended upon. He was Jesus's mainstay-so much so that he would even die before denying Christ.

To which Jesus quickly replied, "The rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me" (verse 34).

Which is exactly what happened. Three times Peter denied even knowing the same Lord he had hours before claimed he would die for.

G.o.d allowed Peter to get in this mess, and He used it to better equip Peter for ministry. Jesus had already told him why: "Strengthen your brothers." We create some messes, make some mistakes, and commit some sins simply because of our own weaknesses, flaws, or rebellion. Yet G.o.d allows us to fall into some because He knows that when we come back, we will be stronger-our perspective will be deeper and our commitment will be truer. At times G.o.d allows Satan to trip us up so G.o.d can teach us something about ourselves and about Him.

Scripture tells us that when the rooster crowed and Peter became aware of his own sin, he wept. Failures don't get much worse than that-denying the Lord after you publicly said you would die for Him. Peter denied Jesus openly. But after he did, his repentance bore fruit in his heart. It produced an authentic humility that someone as strong willed and capable as Peter needed in order for G.o.d to use him to reach thousands.

When we repent of our bad experiences, G.o.d uses them to make us stronger. He doesn't excuse them, and He doesn't remove the consequences, but He is bigger than our failures.

G.o.d didn't turn His back on Peter because of his sin. In fact, He did just the opposite. G.o.d made sure Peter knew that He was still there and that He still cared. The angel at the tomb specifically said when speaking about Christ's resurrection, "Go, tell His disciples and Peter..." (Mark 16:7). "Don't forget Peter," the angel said. "I know he's blown it. I know he's betrayed Jesus. And that's why I'm calling out his name-so that he will know G.o.d wants him to know He still cares for him."

The angel singled out Peter to a.s.sure him that his denial would not destroy his destiny. G.o.d had a plan and a purpose for Peter. In fact, Jesus singled out Peter for ministry, as we read in John 21. Jesus cooks Peter breakfast over a charcoal fire-just like the one Peter stood by when he denied knowing Jesus-and lets Peter know that He still has a plan for him. Despite Peter's failures, G.o.d still had a purpose for him, just as G.o.d has a plan and a purpose for you. Despite your failures, mistakes, and sins, G.o.d calls your name. Listen, and you will hear it. He still has a blessing to give you and a destiny for you to fulfill.

Buildings sometimes implode. They collapse, leaving a mess to clean up so the rebuilding process can begin. Sometimes the same thing seems to happen in our lives, but the hope of your Christian life is that Jesus Christ can turn the rubble and the ashes into something new.

Peter had promised to never forsake Jesus, but the rooster still crowed. Friend, when does a rooster crow? A rooster crows early in the morning, at the beginning of a new day. If the rooster has crowed after a night of your failure, that just means the sun is coming up and you can start again. The Bible is full of men and women who failed and yet discovered their destiny as G.o.d used them greatly-people such as Moses, Abraham, David, Sarah, Solomon, and Rahab.

You may have failed, but you are not a failure. That is not who you are. In Christ, you are a new creation. G.o.d can use yesterday's mistakes to strengthen you for a brighter tomorrow. Seek G.o.d in your mess. Let Him know that you are not proud of it, you wish you could undo it... but since it is there and done, you want Him to turn it all around and use it for good.

G.o.d can use the bad for good. Let Him. Make yourself available to His grace and to His mercy. He has a plan for you.

The Bitter More than any other account in the Bible, Joseph's story ill.u.s.trates how G.o.d can use the bitter things in your life to get you to your purpose. The bitter things are the situations you didn't cause and couldn't control. Rather, someone or something negatively affected you in some way.

Joseph was born into a dysfunctional family. His father, Jacob, was a trickster from birth. Some of his brothers were murderers, and one had an affair with his father's wife. Another had an affair with his own daughter-in-law. A reality show about Joseph's family probably couldn't air during prime time. It would be too dicey even for today's viewers.

Joseph was the eleventh son of twelve boys. His problems began when his brothers realized that his father loved him the most. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age" (Genesis 37:3). Jacob (or Israel, Joseph's father) didn't hide his favoritism at all. In fact, he broadcast it by giving Joseph a lavish, multicolored coat.

As you might expect, this made Joseph's brothers jealous. To make matters worse, Joseph had a dream and shared it with his brothers. In it, his family bowed down to him. Rather than sit around and wait for this dream to come about, the brothers decided to kill Joseph.

One brother, Reuben, stood up for Joseph and intervened, asking his brothers to fake Joseph's death and throw him in a pit instead. The brothers later sold Joseph as a slave to a Midianite caravan heading for Egypt.

If anyone knew what it was like to be treated unfairly, Joseph did. His brothers left him for dead, lied about him to his father, and sold him into slavery. Joseph may have dragged a grudge along with his ball and chains on his way to his new destination.

In Egypt, things got even worse for Joseph. He was sold as a slave to a high official named Potiphar, and G.o.d began to bless him. We read, "The LORD was with him and... the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand" (Genesis 39:3). Because of this, Joseph began to receive favor from his overseer, which was wonderful-until he also caught the attention of Potiphar's wife. "Joseph was handsome in form and appearance" (verse 6), so she also thought of a few things for Joseph to do-things that involved her.

Joseph could not comply with her requests or s.e.xual advances because he refused to sin against his master or his G.o.d. h.e.l.l hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Potiphar's wife was no exception. She quickly accused Joseph of rape and had him imprisoned.

Being imprisoned for doing good must have been a very bitter experience for Joseph. He went to jail on a lie. It's bad enough that his family messed him over, but to do an excellent job only to be lied about, sent to prison, and deprived of everything he had worked to attain... these could have put a bitter taste in Joseph's mouth.

Yet even in jail, "The LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor" (Genesis 39:21). Because of this, Joseph was promoted to a position of responsibility in the jail. Joseph didn't sit, sulk, and sour. Rather, he got busy doing the best he could with what he had where he was.

When things get bitter, we shouldn't ask, "Why am I going through this?" Rather, we should ask, "Lord, how do You want to use this to help me fulfill my destiny?" When you don't ask the right question, you will get frustrated. You will spend your time dwelling on issues of fairness rather than looking to see what G.o.d is going to do.

Joseph didn't dwell on the bitter. Rather, he acted responsibly on the a.s.signment he had been given. After he had spent some time in the prison, a couple of his fellow inmates had dreams. G.o.d empowered Joseph to interpret the dreams, and he told his friends the meaning of what they had seen. One man, who had been the king's cupbearer, had dreamed of being released and reinstated, and Joseph asked him to remember him when that happened.

"Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him" (Genesis 40:23). Just when Joseph thought he might see a change coming, his situation grew even more bitter. The chief cupbearer was set free. He was reinstated to his position, just as Joseph had said he would be. Yet he also forgot all about Joseph-that is, until Pharaoh also had a dream that he couldn't interpret.

Finally the cupbearer remembered Joseph and called on him to interpret Pharaoh's dream. Pharaoh was clearly impressed.

Since G.o.d has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you (Genesis 41:39-40).

Joseph was suddenly thrust from behind bars straight to the boardroom. And finally, G.o.d fulfilled the dream He had given Joseph and positioned him in a place of power over his family. The same brothers who had once betrayed him, selling him into slavery, later knelt before him (though they didn't recognize him), asking for food during a famine. Through a series of events, Joseph's brothers ended up alone with him, and he decided to reveal himself to them. He sent everyone else out, pulled his brothers near to him, and showed them that he was truly their brother Joseph. By then, Joseph looked and spoke like an Egyptian. Yet Joseph still carried the mark of a Hebrew. He was circ.u.mcised. Revealing himself to his brothers, Joseph attempted to comfort them with his wisdom. "Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for G.o.d sent me before you to preserve life" (Genesis 45:5).

A few chapters later, Joseph delivered the Bible's greatest statement on destiny: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but G.o.d meant it for good in order to bring about this present result" (Genesis 50:20). The bitter scenario that others intended for Joseph and that Joseph endured unfairly was transformed into good when G.o.d brought about His perfect purpose.

Friend, if you've had bitter experiences-things that have the potential to make you bitter-they do not have the final say. They are not the defining factors in who you are. If your parents, your spouse, or your employer didn't treat you right; if you struggle with infirmity, addictions, or emotional insecurities... none of that defines your destiny.

Sometimes people treat you wrong, and as they walk away, they claim you will never be able to make it on your own. They fill your head with lies of defeat-but they are lies. These people may have deserted you, yet their exodus only opened the door for the right kind of people to enter your life. If people are putting negative thoughts into your mind and spirit about you, they are not a part of the destiny G.o.d has for you. Yes, G.o.d may use them to humble you, strengthen you, and move you along the path toward your purpose. But rather than hang on to negative relationships that wear you down, let them go. You are a product of your past, not a prisoner. Let it go. Let them go.

Just as G.o.d reunited Joseph and his brothers, G.o.d may bring people back into your life when they are ready to relate to you in a productive, healthy manner. But until then, let them go. Don't allow bitter events or bitter people to keep you from achieving and optimizing your destiny in every way. I know it hurts when people turn against you. But remember Joseph's words: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but G.o.d meant it for good in order to bring about this present result." Let it go. Let the bitterness go. G.o.d allowed those negative people and those negative circ.u.mstances to make you who you are today. Just as He had a plan for Joseph, He has a plan to use all of the bitter events in your life for good. Somewhere down the line, He will work through you to help someone else who has been hurt, abandoned, lied about, broken... someone who is looking for hope.

View your pain theologically, not socially. Don't just say, "That's not fair." Rather, say, "G.o.d, even though that's not fair, I believe You are going to use it so I can fulfill my destiny. I trust You to use the bitter things in my life for Your glory."

You're right, it's not fair. That thing that happened to you that you had no control over-it's not fair. But G.o.d is a master at turning unfair things into miracles when we let Him. Choose not to block His work in your life by harboring bitterness, anger, and hate. Tell Him it wasn't fair, and then tell Him you are going to let it go, sit back, and watch Him use it for good. G.o.d is a just G.o.d. Let Him have it. He will bring about justice if you step out of the way and let Him. Trust Him with the deepest, most authentic faith within you.

G.o.d can make the bitter things in your life better. He can make the good things great. He can cover the bad with His grace. In the next chapter, we'll see how the good, the bad, and the bitter can intersect and lead to your destiny.

10.

Intersections You have an a.s.signment to fulfill. You have a destiny. We've looked at the way your destiny relates to your pa.s.sion, vision, gifts, and experiences. Now I want to discuss how all of these connect in what I call a divine intersection.

An intersection is a place where things converge. When you reach an intersection while driving, cars coming from one direction converge with cars coming from another direction. They intersect.

One way for you to discover your destiny is to watch the pieces of your life intersecting in a divinely ordained way.

Chasing Donkeys First Samuel contains one of the greatest biblical ill.u.s.trations of a divine intersection. We read about Saul, who would later be chosen as the first king of Israel, going about his normal business of taking care of his father's donkeys. One day, some of the donkeys got lost.

Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, "Take now with you one of the servants, and arise, go search for the donkeys." He pa.s.sed through the hill country of Ephraim and pa.s.sed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they pa.s.sed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he pa.s.sed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them (1 Samuel 9:3-4).

In Saul's day, donkeys were used to carry things. Donkeys were about as common as vehicles are today. So when Saul's father's donkeys went missing, Saul set about to track them down. He wasn't doing anything special or unusual. Saul was merely going about his regular routine. However, this time he couldn't find the donkeys. Saul searched in several locations but came up empty.

After Saul had spent enough time searching for the donkeys, he adopted a quitter's mentality. "When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, 'Come, and let us return, or else my father will cease to be concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious for us'" (verse 5). In other words, Saul said, "The game is up. The search is over. Let's call it quits and go home."

Saul wasn't about to spend any more time on a mundane task that appeared endless. Because of his frustration and hopelessness, he wanted to throw in the towel. But right at that time, Saul's servant advised him to keep going. He suggested they seek out a man of G.o.d who might be able to help them.

Why talk with a spiritual man (a prophet) about a natural problem (lost donkeys)? Saul's servant had deftly moved from Saul's earthly frustration to a heavenly realization. He connected the routine activity to the spiritual realm. He brought heaven to bear on earth in order to hear from G.o.d about the ordinary, which is critical for discovering the divine intersections in life.

Some of us have such an ethereal view of G.o.d, He exists only outside of the realm of sight and sound. But G.o.d is intricately involved in the everyday activities of life (Deuteronomy 4:7; Matthew 10:29-30). We begin discovering our divine intersections when we seek G.o.d in the midst of our normal, everyday events. When we keep our eyes open to the spiritual, we will see the spiritual. But if we keep our eyes focused on the natural, we will miss out on the spiritual.

As Saul and his servant were chasing donkeys, the servant gave Saul golden advice. He told him to seek the prophet, who in this case was Samuel.

Connecting at the Intersection As you carry out your normal routine, G.o.d sets up situations and intersections for you to enter. As He prepares you for the destiny and future He has for you, He also prepares others for you. He creates the perfect scenario for situations and people in your life to connect at just the right time, leading you to fulfill your destiny.

You may think that you are in a dead-end career right now. Or perhaps you see no end to changing diapers, washing clothes, and chauffeuring your children around to their different events. Perhaps you've had a dream in your heart-a pa.s.sion-for quite some time, and yet you see no real connection between that dream and your current daily activities. If you feel that way, remember Saul and his donkeys. As Saul was wandering about the countryside doing nothing more significant than fixing a flat tire, getting his oil changed, or looking for some transportation, G.o.d was busy hooking up Saul's intersection. He was speaking to the prophet whom Saul's servant would lead him to.

Now a day before Saul's coming, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel saying, "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines" (1 Samuel 9:15-16).

Did you catch the connection? Saul is not out looking for a kingship-he's looking for donkeys. Yet G.o.d tells Samuel that He has a purpose and a plan for this man. He tells Samuel to get ready because He is about to make a divine connection at an earthly intersection.

In fact, we see G.o.d arranging a three-way connection. At the end of verse 16, we read, "I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me." In one direction we see Saul out chasing donkeys. In another direction we see Samuel looking for a man to anoint. In yet another direction the people of G.o.d are crying out for a leader. G.o.d intercepts each party at just the right time to make their paths intersect.

But keep in mind that Saul will find Samuel only if he listens to his servant and doesn't quit. Saul wanted to throw in the towel, but someone in his life was willing to nudge him and point him in the right direction. Like Saul, you absolutely must have people in your life who won't let you quit. Sometimes life really does make you want to throw up your hands and cry uncle. It's tough. It's long. You don't see your change on the horizon. If you are on the path to G.o.d's purpose for you, you need someone to encourage you to keep going, keep pressing, and keep hoping.

That someone may be a friend. It could be your pastor, a preacher on the television or radio, an article you read, a Facebook or Twitter post, or a book. Make sure to position yourself where you can be encouraged because you will encounter resistance along the path to your destiny. You will face difficulties as you chase your own donkeys. Boredom may tempt you to give up as well. Unless you learn to connect the physical with the spiritual, the ordinary with the extraordinary, you will miss your anointing. The donkeys of life are tools in the hand of the Master. They can lead you straight to your destiny.

Saul is not out and about trying to find his destiny. He's out trying to find his donkeys. Yet while he's trying to find his donkeys, he will discover his destiny. When he attaches G.o.d to his ordinary (with his servant's help), the result will be extraordinary. Not only that, but it will put him in a position to help others. Keep in mind that your divine intersections in life are not only about you. They will always somehow benefit G.o.d's people and promote G.o.d's kingdom.

Saul's divine intersection came as a result of G.o.d hearing the cries of His people. Saul was the answer G.o.d was raising up for them. G.o.d's purposes are always attached to His kingdom perspective. In fact, you just may be the answer to someone else's prayer if you make yourself available to seek G.o.d and His kingdom rather than simply keep your eyes on the donkeys.

The Word of G.o.d to You When Samuel saw Saul the next day, G.o.d revealed to him that Saul was the man He had spoken about. So Samuel invited Saul to dinner and told him he would have a message for him the next morning. Following a night of dinner, Samuel told Saul to send his servant on ahead of them because he wanted to give Saul a word from G.o.d. Saul had come to the prophet looking for his donkeys, but he was about to leave with something much bigger than that because G.o.d had a word just for him. G.o.d's word is always greater than what you are looking for. His purpose for you is a lot larger than what you have envisioned. Not only that, G.o.d's word is personal.

Samuel said, "Say to the servant that he might go ahead of us and pa.s.s on, but you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the word of G.o.d to you" (1 Samuel 9:27). I want to be sure you caught the distinction. The words "to you" are very important because the word of G.o.d to you is very different from the Word of G.o.d. The New Testament refers to the logos, which we understand often refers to the inscribed, written Scripture. Another Greek term for word, rhema, often refers to the spoken word of G.o.d, or the word of G.o.d to you. G.o.d sometimes highlights a pa.s.sage on your soul, as when you hear a sermon preached that has your name written all over it.

Sometimes people read their Bibles and say, "I was blessed by that pa.s.sage," or they come to church and say, "I was touched by today's message." But this is different from someone saying, "G.o.d told me exactly what I need to do through this pa.s.sage [or sermon]." That is why G.o.d's Word says, "Do not despise prophetic utterances" (1 Thessalonians 5:20). Do not reject G.o.d's word to you.

Of course you need to test the spirit behind the utterance because G.o.d's rhema will never contradict His logos. People may say, "Jesus told me to tell you such and such," but that doesn't guarantee they have a prophetic word. Their proclamation must line up with Scripture. In addition, G.o.d will often confirm it through circ.u.mstances or situations as well, just as He did in the case of Saul. To go from chasing donkeys to ruling a nation is no small change. Samuel didn't expect Saul to simply take his word for it. He predicted a series of circ.u.mstances that would confirm to Saul's heart and soul that what Samuel had spoken was true. Sometimes we call these signs or confirmations. They are situations that G.o.d allows to validate His rhema. In Saul's case, there were many.

Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you a ruler over His inheritance? When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, 'The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"' Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to G.o.d at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand. Afterward you will come to the hill of G.o.d where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. It shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for G.o.d is with you" (1 Samuel 10:1-7).

Samuel said that his word from G.o.d to Saul would be confirmed through a series of events. G.o.d confirmed externally to Saul what He communicated internally to Samuel. Frequently, G.o.d will validate what He says with a sign. Now, keep in mind that Scripture tells us that "the heart is more deceitful than all else" (Jeremiah 17:9). You can trick yourself if you look for a sign in everything.

The first thing you must always do is confirm that the rhema spoken to you or highlighted through Scripture is backed by G.o.d's Word-be certain that it doesn't contradict the truth G.o.d has already revealed. Next, when you feel that G.o.d has given a word to you, ask Him to provide a divine confirmation. If you are looking for a mate, don't just ask G.o.d to give you a sign that the next single man or single woman you come across will be your husband or wife. No, ask for something that reflects the divine.