He Has a Purpose

God has a purpose for your life.  What?  You don't think so?  You're not good enough?  You don't have enough faith?  You're too scared?

None of that matters.  God will still use you.

1 Samuel 27:1 - Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand."  (ESV)

Background: Saul was still king and his current mission in life was to kill David.

But hadn't David been anointed in order to be the next king?  Hand chosen by God?  Why then did he think he would die at the hand of Saul?  

He was doubting.  This statement "proceeded from gross distrust of God's promise and providence; and that after such repeated demonstrations of God's peculiar care over him" (Wesley).  God had done so much for David already!  Before he was even 20, David had defeated Goliath - a giant that the toughest, most experienced, bravest soldiers of Israel wouldn't even dare go up against.  Time and time again, God had provided for David is amazing ways...yet David forgot all of this in an instant and ran scared for his life.

Not only was David doubting and untrusting at this point, he ran to the one place he shouldn't have.  The Philistines are enemies of Israel (Goliath was a Philistine), outside of "God's chosen," and they worshiped other gods!  David was running to a place where one day, as king, he would have to wage war!  And he was abandoning the very people he had been anointed to rule and protect (Henry).

He messed up.  Big time.  But (spoiler alert) Saul did not kill David and David did become the King of Israel!

God still used him.

God did not choose "perfect" people then, and he doesn't choose "perfect" people now.  God will use you, no matter your imperfections, no matter your fears or your doubts.  He has a purpose for you.

I challenge you today to discover what that purpose might be and start living it.

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11