Acts 17:16-17 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.
In the last few weeks and days I have had several conversations with others (not talking to myself this time!) about the direction God is moving me in my life. The winds of change have been blowing for while now but I stood my ground, hanging on to all unmovable objects around me, while God did the work He needed to do in me.
Frankly, I was terrified I was misreading His intentions and was holding out. I’ve made more than one or two blunders in my life, leaning on my own understanding and desires. Yet God knew my fears and starting placing those ‘postcards from heaven’ I kept asking for before me.
First, He gave me peace in my heart about making a change I swore I would never make. That was huge! Second, He placed confirmation after confirmation before me where He knew I’d find it…in my God time and study. I have not been seeking out confirmation…He just plants it in front of me. Below is what He gave me this morning…see for yourself. It goes with our reference verse above; read it again.
Without a doubt, God has plans for you.
Your life is no accident. You have a purpose. Today, we will discover an
important key to help you understand your
calling.
The word provoked literally means that his spirit was deeply troubled;
his spirit was grieved within him.
That gives us the first step in
understanding your purpose. What grieves your heart? Paul was
grieved about this city wholly given over to idols. And the next verse
begins with the word therefore.
He did something about it.
Generally, the things that grieve you
in your heart are things that God has gifted you to change. They point
you to your purpose.
For instance, in Job 30:25, Job said,
"Has not my soul grieved for the poor?" If you read Job's
story, a big part of his ministry had to do with helping the poor. It was
tied to what caused his heart to grieve.
Then there was David who was grieved
and provoked as Goliath was taunting the Israelites. Why? David was
called to be a leader and a warrior in Israel. It was a signpost pointing
to his calling.
What is it that provokes you in your
heart? Whatever it is, do something about it.
Looking back, I can see where God
was ‘grooming’ me for this season of change in my life. I have grieved in my heart for years over the
very thing He is moving me toward. Amazing! The calling is no different now
than it was years ago, just redirected as a weather vane would be by the winds
of change. What
is it that provokes you in your heart? Whatever it is, do something about
it.
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