UNDERSTANDING YOUR DESTINY

Vital step in Christian living.

BY: Peter Qeko Jere.

The word, destiny has been on many Christian’s lips for a long time and some up to now wonder when this whole concept will be realized in their lives. Many times Preachers of the Word get busy encouraging their members to keep their fingers crossed because of the uncountable blessings that God has prepared for them.

Now what do we mean when we talk of destiny? What is the meaning of this word in our lives and the lives of other people? Do we have anything in the world that could physically enable us to understand the meaning of this word? Since this word is many times used by men of God, do we therefore have any biblical account that could help us define and interpret this word?

To begin with, the word destiny has multiple meaning and it means a lot of things depending on what one is saying and also on what one has in mind. This word has something to do with that which shall happen in the live of somebody in the future. This is an event or a fulfilled plan hidden from the physical eyes but known by God alone.

Destiny is about something extraordinary, set apart, appointed, foreordained and able to happen in the life of somebody. This is the unstoppable divine plan that is designed by God to happen in the life of somebody. Here no one has power to stop it from happening. It is the kind of event that has a seal of authorization from God to take place no matter what in the life of somebody. This is also the predetermined major event that will happen and permanently change the direction of somebody’s life. In all this, we need to know that the realization of somebody’s destiny normally goes through a process that has to move in the will of God.

Having said this, I want to point out that there is a better way of understands this word. In this regard, the Old Testament has many written accounts that give us a clear understanding of this word. Three such accounts include the life and history of Joseph and Jephtah and Jabez.

Firstly is the life and history of Jephtah. Judges 11 says that he was the son Gilead has with a prostitute. Gilead took custody of the boy and he lived together with the other sons that he had with his legitimate wife. However Gilead other sons didn’t like to see Jephtah around and many time they would want him gone. Thus they one day told him that he had no part in the inheritance of their father because he was the son of a prostitute. Thus Jephtah left and went to stay alone in Tob where the bible says that a group of adventures gathered around and made him their leader. He thus created his own battalion where he was the commander. In Tob Jephtah won many battles and he made headlines all over the region as the great fighter and Army General. However some time later the Israelites were in trouble because the Ammonites waged war against them and they had no-one to lead them in battle. They then remembered Jephtah and went to Tob to ask if he could come back home and be their leader. Thus Jephtah agreed to become their leader and he managed to defeat the Ammonites in battle.

Secondly and finally is the life and history of Joseph in the book of Genesis. The book of Genesis states that he was the first-born son of Jacob and Rachel. Rachel didn’t stay long because she died soon after she delivered Joseph’s young brother, Benjamin. This means that both Joseph and Benjamin grew up with their father Jacob. Since these two grew up with their father, they were more loved by Jacob and he favoured them in many ways something, which other sons of Jacob didn’t like. In Genesis 37 we see that his brothers plotted to kill him but then later resolved to sell him to the Midianites who later sold him in Egypt to Portiphar, who was Pharaoh’s captain of the guide. While in Egypt, he was falsely accused and imprisoned. While in prison he interpreted dreams of the baker, cupbearer and pharaoh. After interpreting Pharaoh’s dream Joseph was released from prison and made the Prime Minister and minister responsible for Agriculture and Food Security in the whole of Egypt. He graduated from prison to State house. He was the most powerful man in the entire land of Egypt next to Pharaoh himself. In Genesis 42-47, we see Joseph’s brothers (who sold him) coming to Egypt to buy food since there was hunger and famine in the entire Middle East. However Joseph recognized all his brothers and later didn’t revenge but gave them food for their survival.

From the account of Jephtah we see that his brothers had no idea of the God given potential in stored in him. They saw him as the son of a prostitute but God saw him as a victorious Army General and a leader. They undermined and underrated him but God paved a way for him to be lifted up higher and became one of the great biblical characters. They also thought away would finish and completely destroy all the hope he had but they had no idea that their action was just helping God’s plan to easily usher him into his destiny. In fact they had no idea that Japheth’s inheritance was the whole nation of Israel and not what those brothers were worried about. Someone they chased away became their savour and redeemer and he rescued them from defeat and death.

Like Jephtah, Joseph’s brothers went extra mile by selling him to the Midianites and they had no idea of what he was to become years later. They thought they had finished and destroyed all what he said in those dreams. They had no idea that Joseph’s destiny was right in God’s hand and that their action was just helping God’s divine plan that his destiny should easily be realized. Joseph pain of seeing his own brothers was the fuel that gave him the strength to trust God the more.

Therefore don’t allow the pain and bitterness you are going through discourage you. You need to pass through that pain if you have to get what belongs to you. You need to go through every kind of hell because that prepares you for a victory. You are unique and special and what God has destined for you will be given and restored to you no matter what and no devil in hell will stand against you because when God says yes, it remains yes!