We all must seek to be like David and fulfill the purposes of God that he has for us in our generation. But one way to ensure that this happens is by encouraging one another. It is just too easy to get discouraged and wrongly think that we are doing nothing of value, and thus ask, ‘what is the point of keeping at it?’ To ensure that each believer keeps on keeping on with his divinely appointed tasks, we really do need to encourage one another and keep telling them they are doing a great job, and they need to continue.

Christians are here for a reason. Getting a free ticket to heaven is not the end all and be all of the Christian life. Yes, it will be wonderful to live with our Lord forever, but here on planet earth we all have a job to do. We are here for a purpose.

And those purposes will vary and differ as much as individual Christians vary and differ. And there may well be many purposes that God has in mind for you. He might have a number of jobs for you. So the goal is to discern what it is that God would have you to do, and then to do it faithfully and whole-heartedly, for his glory.

A major text on this is found in Acts 13. There we find the words of Paul to those at a synagogue on Antioch. He is comparing Jesus with David, and he says this (vv. 36-39):

For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

After David had fulfilled the purposes that God had for him, he passed away. That is something all believers should be concerned about. In this regard recall what is found in Esther 4. A plan to kill all the Jews was revealed, and Queen Esther had a chance to do something about it, as we read in verses 12-14:

And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Thankfully she went on to fulfill the purposes that God had put her there to do. We also all have purposes that God has for us. Will we be faithful in fulfilling them? Just to make this practical and not too airy fairy, let me mention a few purposes God has for me.

I obviously write a lot, and have done a lot of teaching over the years. And my love for reading, writing and sharing what I had learned with others has been with me from an early age – well before I became a Christian. I even helped to edit an underground newspaper back in my wild hippy days. So God had put gifts and talents in me before I came to know him, and now they are being used for his purposes – and for his glory.

Other things can be mentioned, even if seemingly a bit more low key. I have stated before that in my twice daily dog walks, I will try to pray for all the folks who live in the houses I walk past. That includes prayers for their salvation and the like. Chances are good that I might be the only one praying for these folks. So that too might be another purpose that God has in mind for me.

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