LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. – Psalm 16:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 11, 2013): Psalm 15 & 16

Sometimes I struggle with thoughts about the future. I admit that sometimes I wonder if I am really making a difference – or should I be doing something else or maybe even be somewhere else. I think it is a universal fight. We all wrestle against the temptation to wonder if this is the place where we are supposed to be. It is such a common experience that we even have a saying for it – we say that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Those people that cause you problems in the place where you are now would not be present at the other place. The set of problems that you are struggling through in the place where you are now would not be present somewhere else.

A few weeks ago Perry Noble (Newspring Church) preached about an early experience that he had in his ministry. He talked about his first experience as a paid staff person at a church. And he could not wait for that first church meeting, because it was going to be great. What else could it be when a group of loving Christian people get together to talk about the Church of Jesus Christ. But there was one group that was there that he was not expecting. And they blew up the meeting. So Perry, after a period of time, accepted another position at a different church. And he looked forward to the new experience because he knew that this one group of people that were wrecking the first church would not be allowed at the second church. But after he took the position he realized that their cousins were already there. And so he decided to start Newspring, a place where these people would not attend. But then they showed up at Newspring too. And he called these people the Angry Birds. But Perry’s reality was that he thought they would not be at the next place, but they were. I have watched friends jump from job to job because the next job would be different – it would be better. But it never is. And I have watched people jump from church to church because it will better over there – but that is never true either.

David says, God I understand that you have assigned me to this place in life. A lot of commentators seem to focus on the good things in the king’s life, but I think David is talking about the negatives things as well. This place, with all of the good and all of the bad – and even the presence of the angry birds – is good because it is the place that God has placed me and this is where he has assigned a purpose just for me.

I am here for a purpose, and so are you. Now we need to go in confidence and fulfill that purpose.      

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 17