"You did that on purpose!" Sound familiar? Most of us have heard children use that phrase during a quarrel. Sometimes the accusation comes from a toy being broken.
Other times it happens when one wants to be first to do something and the other races ahead to do it. It could be to open the door for Dad or take Grandpa his glasses or give Mom her birthday present. And sometimes we hear it when one child pushes, hits or kicks the other child.
All of these incidents are unfortunate but they happen among siblings and playmates. Almost always the one who "did it on purpose" ends up being punished. Albeit the one who is punished has been provoked in some way.
Wouldn't it be nice if "you did that on purpose" meant something good? A story about my youngest nephew comes to mind. He was in first grade and the school year had just begun. For days, he asked the teacher when they would get to go the playground.
Well, it had rained a good bit that year and the ground in the play area was quite muddy. Naturally, this made the playground off limits. It didn't stop my nephew from asking his teacher every day if the kids could go out and play.
Finally, the day came when the playground was dry enough for the children to go outside and enjoy it. When my sister in law picked up Will after school that day, he was so excited. "Mom," he said proudly. "We got to go to the playground today and it was all my fault!"
Asking every day "on purpose" turned out to be a good thing. Actually when we stop to think about it, many good things we do for each other are done intentionally. Oh sure, sometimes we might be at the right place at the right time and keep someone from stumbling -- or warn someone to stop because a car is coming. Even when the situation isn't one we planned, we are still acting with a purpose.
We should remember when we are the recipient of a good deed, a smile or a hug it is because the other person was "doing it on purpose." If your spouse brings you flowers or your child draws a picture for you, they meant to do it. If your co-worker says something encouraging it is because they made a deliberate choice to do so.
Let's think of it another way. God's favor is bestowed upon those who actually seek it. Noah and his family were not chosen by some willy nilly notion. Why do you think Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord? (Genesis 6:8). It is because he sought it!
Noah wanted God's favor. Do you think God would have chosen to save someone like all the rest of the people on earth at the time -- someone whose every intention was to do evil continually? No- Genesis 6:5 tells us everyone else on earth (except for Noah's family) were evil on purpose. It was what they chose - it was the intention of the thoughts of their heart.
If Noah had chosen the same evil ways, he would not have escaped the flood. But Noah intentionally sought God's favor. We have to be looking for something to find it folks! Noah made a deliberate choice different from everyone else. He and his family purposely chose to follow God. No one else made that choice.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us "And without faith it is impossible to please Him for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him." Do we get that? We have to seek God to find Him.
Seeking is a deliberate action. It is a choice - something done on purpose. We will not draw near to Him by some crazy accident. We will only do so if we want to. Believe me, there are plenty of people who do not want to. We need to pray for them.
Who does God reward? Those who seek Him through faith. What does that mean? Well, Hebrews chapter 11 explains it very well. Every person named in the chapter not only had faith but acted on it. They did something. They obeyed God's commands.
In verse 5, we are told Enoch was commended as having pleased God. How did he do that? By doing what God commanded him to do. Abraham left the land he knew. Why? He had faith in God. Abraham wanted to be near to God. He chose to obey God's command because he knew God would reward him.
Read through the chapter and see verse 6 in action over and over again. These people wanted to be near to God. They believed in His existence. They wanted Him to be part of their lives. So they obeyed because they had faith that He would reward them.
Faith is a deliberate purposeful lifestyle. It is choosing to study and obey God's word. It is "doing it on purpose." It is seeking to know the things He would have us do and the life He would have us live. It is having faith in His reward.
I want to live for God on purpose. Don't you?
Christ above all things,
Robin
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