cool illustration from an artist click the pic

I’m going to continue my study of Purpose, with some verses containing the word purpose in them. This is kind of a faulty way of going about it, because the word purpose could probably just happen to be there in NIV translation, so I will hopefully look up some other translations in the process.

New King Jimmy is in italics

Psalm 57:2—I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me.

who performs all things for me

Psalm 138:8— The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; (NLT) The Lord will work out his plans for my life

Proverbs 19:21— Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand

Proverbs 20:5— The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters,
but a man of understanding draws them out.

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.

Romans 9:21—Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

Philippians 2:13—for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

do for His good pleasure

2 Thessalonians 1:11—With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power

2 Timothy 2:21—If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

So it looks like some other terms for purpose(s) are:

all things; that which concerns me; plan for my life; counsel;  honor; good pleasure; good works

i’d love to find out what the hebrew/greek words used in each case are. they are probably different. i don’t have esword on my mac.

These few verses show the sovereignty of God, that His purposes for us, are purposed BY him, FOR him, and He will actually FULFILL them! What good news (!)

• who fulfills {his purpose} for me
• The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
• for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
• by his power he may fulfill every good purpose

Also, He chooses our purpose. What would it look like to discover you have been made from common use–humble purposes, rather than noble?

Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?”  But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ “ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

I think it would look pretty awesome, all considering: 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 says,  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.

Next time: Time to GET DEEP!

The purposes of the human heart are deep waters,
but those who have insight draw them out.