Destiny: A predetermined course of events often held to be a resistless power or agency.
Destination: A place which is set for the end of a journey or to which something is sent.
I don't know if you've ever seen the movie blockbuster "FOREST GUMP," starring Tom Hanks, but in the movie Forest gets news that his mother is dying and he runs to her bedside to be with her in her last day. In their conversation, Forest asks his mother "What's my destiny, Momma?" Her answer was that he would have figure his own destiny out for himself.
What is the destiny of the believer today who truly walks by faith as the Bible commands us to do?
Men of faith of old, such as the Smith Wigglesworth's, the Lester Sumrall's, and the D.L. Moody's and those listed in the "hall of fame" of faith found in Hebrews chapter 11 were committed to the Gospel to the world. Their hunger for God-like faith was never satisfied and they soared with eagles in their pursuit of the Most High.
Each of these men & women listed have moved on to heaven and are in that great cloud of witnesses cheering us on.
Hebrews 12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doeth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
Let's look at that same verse from the Message translation of the Bible: "Do you see what this means---all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running---and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins."
Who will be the faith giants of this generation? Who will grab the torch and press towards the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus? Will it be you? Will it be me? Good news: IT CAN BE IF WE ARE OBEDIENT!
What do I mean by a destination? Remember the definition I gave you: a place set for an end of a journey. In our modern day language its called the finish line.
Many believers would love to live the lives of men like the Wigglesworths, the Sumralls, the Moody's, yet they go through their Christian lives with only one destination in mind: "To have faith."
They spend years trying to attain faith. Faith is not the prize at the finish line. What is faith? It's the action that will carry you to your destination. It's the supernatural force that gives the endurance to go through life. It's the force that enables you to do the works that Jesus did and greater, until you finish your course.
Faith is the action that will carry you to your destination, if you have a destination in mind.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU WON'T KNOW WHEN YOU GET THERE
The prodigal son had a destination. Luke 15:18-21 "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in they sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."
The woman with the issue of blood had a destination. You can read her story in Mark chapter 5 verses 25-34. The keys to this passage I'll give you here: 1. She said. 2. She reached out. 3. She received. 4. She told.
Many young people have a destination. They want to make money and have fun and they think that selling drugs, or joining a gang is the way to do so. Many times they appear to succeed. How many times have we seen or heard of a teenager overdosing on drugs, or being shot down in a drive by shooting or is killed in an car accident while driving intoxicated?
You cannot live on second hand faith. You can't live off your mother's relationship with God or even your pastor's faith. And they can carry you while you're still a baby, but as you grow and mature, you'll develop your own faith. When you grow up (spiritually speaking) you have to have a first hand relationship with God. You can't live off their faith any longer. The "cord" is cut, so to speak.
1 John 3:1, 2 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." HALLELUJAH!! Bear with me, I just had to get happy for a second after reading that scripture!
These verses clearly show us that not only should we be called the sons of God, we ARE the sons of God. That is sure to stir some feathers of "religious" people. Hear me now, I did not say we are THE Son of God, but we are sons of God.
Why is that so important? If you don't know who you are in Christ, you will never fulfill your destiny. Notice that in verse 2 it states, "it doth not yet appear what we shall be." That means we are not finished products. You will be different tomorrow, next week and next year. It doth not yet appear. If you're not changing, you're not going anywhere.
Why? Your faith doesn't have a destination!!!
Romans 10:17 " . . .Faith comes by hearing." You have to have faith to reach your destination.
Don't rehearse what the devil did, rehearse what Jesus has done! Instead of saying "I'm sick", say "I am healed by Jesus' stripes." If your healing doesn't manifest immediately don't get into doubt and unbelief. We give an aspirin or Tylenol more time to work than our faith in the Word of God.
Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised;)"
You have to have a light to reach your destination. Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto me feet, and a light unto my path."
When you drive a car at night you turn your lights on to see the road. Now days, the lights come on automatically for us. Thank God for modern technology. BUT, in the Word, we have to choose or "cut on the light" ourselves. Many Christians are wandering around trying to reach their destination with no lights on. (no Word). The Bible says that without a vision (light) the people will perish. Those that have wandered have gone off course.
The more you fellowship with God, the more you are aware that you are His son. The more you know who God is, and who you are, the less you fear the devil or man. When you are in right standing with God, everything changes. When you start the race, you've already won. The prize is yourse. You don't have to prove yourself to God. Jesus has already "been there, done that"
What if I don't know which way to go?
Get into the Word (and let the Word get into you) find out what the Word says concerning your particular situation.
In Matthew 14:24-32 Jesus told the disciples to go to the other side. They had their destination. The storm arose and they were being tossed on the waves. Jesus came walking on the water toward them. Peter said, "if it is you bid me to come." What was Jesus going to say, "it's not Me?" NO! He said "COME"!
Faith will direct you to get out of something man made (programs, denominations), and get into something God made (the glory). Remember He had given man authority over things at creation.
Joshua 3:13 "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priest that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap."
Each time in the old covenant they corssed a river or sea the waters would divided. To walk in God's glory we start from the ground and walk deeper into the water. We lose ourselves in the water of the Word. To arrive at your destination, you have to have a destiny. You have to have the attitude of success, not failure. Know that what God says, he will do. Jeremiah 1:12 "For I will hasten (watch over) my word to perform it." You have to expect the Word to work.
The atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles.
Mark 11:23, 24 "For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, whe ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
The centurion in Matthew 8 understood the authority of the spoken word. "But speak the Word only, and my servant shall be healed."
If you fall short, get up, and continue. Never, never give up. Micah 7:8 says, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I SHALL ARISE; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me."
In your own strength you will fail. When He strengthens you, you will make it. Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."
You can't sporadically study the Word and expect to live in victory. You have to have it written on your heart, not memorized in your head.
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shat meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,and then thou shalt have good success."
Never get complacent. Complaceny is death to the believer. Start thinking about your victory and then you will not let your guard down. Remember what God has done in the past. Don't settle for second best. don't make excuses for failure. Be the best you can be. Slothfullness or laziness will bring you into defeat.
Accept godly counsel. Surround yourself with those of like faith. you have heard the old saying, "you are what you eat?" Hanging around people that are negative, or unbelievers will rub off on you.
To arrive at your destination you have to be on the sure foundation. That of course is Jesus. Renew your mind daily. Be in prayer. Be led by the Holy Ghost.
Know the strategy of the enemy. Put on the whole armor of God. Bind the strong man and remember that the battle is not with flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers and spiritual wickednes in hight places.
Be in His perfect will. Know it is His will to prosper you, heal you and deliver you. God is never late, but He is always on time.
Never run from the enemy, always run towards him. Don't fear. (God has not given you the spirit of fear). The Bible says that God will never leave us or forsake us.
Stay encouraged. Your destiny is to do the works that Jesus did. Winning souls, spreading the Gospel, healing the sick, casting out devils. That is the destiny of every believer. Not just the "faith" preachers of long ago and today. The Bible says that these signs shall follow those who "believe." Do you believe?
Do you want to see your destiny fulfilled? Then it's time to go beyond just trying to attain faith. It's time to start living IN faith. Without faith you are not aware of your true destination and you will not be able to fulfill your destiny. You must have faith with a destination. How will you know if you've gotten there, if you don't know where you're going?
Today you may be a few steps into your destiny or you may be further along in your "fight of faith." Where will you be on your path next week? Or next year?
you have the power to create change in the lives of people around the world. It's not just a catch phrase, it's YOUR destiny!!!
In the movie that many of us watch at Christmas "It's A Wonderful Life", Jimmy Stewart's character was given a chance to see what life would have been like without him. Each person in the town went a different direction because he wasn't there to make a difference in their lives.
You can begin where the great pioneers of faith left off. The flame they ran with has been passed on from one faith generation to the next. it is now extended to you to accept it and run with it to finish your course.
Will you leave this great faith to burn alone? Or will you reach out and grasp its strengthening power?
Give your faith a destination. Grab the torch and begin to run towards your destiny today. Good news: You will win the race and finish the course and claim your prize!!!
