Holding onto One's Purpose

Scripture: When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Matthew 11:2-3

Observation: John sends this message to Jesus, and Jesus will answer the messengers not with a direct response, but with statements about what he is doing - healing the blind, curing lepers, etc. - which are the signs of the Messiah. Jesus then goes into a speech to everyone about who John is; John is the prophet foretold in Malechi who comes and prepares the way for Messiah.

However, John's question is curious. If John is the prophet that prepares the way, and he knew Jesus was doing great things, why ask this question? In fact, what John really asked was ... Are you, Jesus, the prophet that prepares the way for the Messiah who is yet to show himself? Or, to put it another way, John was asking ... Am I really the messenger, or was I just some guy baptizing people?

Jesus not only knew who John was, but he clearly also understood THAT was the question, and then answered it by both stating that, indeed, he is Messiah, AND that indeed John is the prophet who prepared the way. Jesus understood that, in that moment, sitting in a prison cell, John was doubting his own life's purpose.

Application: John was a great prophet, himself a fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy. His own birth was surrounded by miracles, and he was so in tune with the spirit that he recognized Jesus as Messiah even before either of them were born, and immediately upon seeing him every time in life. He knew his mission and life's purpose, and did it dutifully in full submission to the Lord's will. And yet, at the end of his life ... he doubted if it had all been true, and thought that maybe he was nobody and he had gotten the order of things all wrong.

I know I'm a nobody. There are no prophesies about my life, and no purposes spoken over my existence from birth. I wouldn't know how to hold onto my purpose and believe in it, as no such grand purpose exists.

However, that's not completely true. I have a purpose, to love the Lord, and serve him in faith and obedience. I am to be an organizer and administrator of activities that foster outreach and evangelism. And I do question that, as I have exited doing those things after literally decades of doing so. I am also to be a good and loving husband and father, though currently my kids are grown and moved away and my wife is angry with me often. Most days I sit in this room, not much bigger than a cell, doing work I don't really understand, and wondering ... did I miss something along the way?

I do have a purpose within the Lord's plan, and I need to return to it. All of it.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter a new season of faith and our walk with you, may you lead me and my family where you would have us go to serve within your purpose for us. Amen.