LESSONS FROM THE MASTER’S LIFE: Your Destiny Awaits, Embrace It!

Source: Google Images

⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. – Luke 2:52 KJV

Here we see Jesus growing both physically and mentally and also in favor with God and with people. We get the idea that He was well liked by those who came into contact with him as He was growing up into being a fine young carpenter. Before long it would be time for Him to start fulfilling the purpose for which He came, which if I may give you a hint, wasn't to be the best carpenter that ever lived, but you already knew that, didn't you?! 

Lesson #1

Child of God you, as you grow in grace you will go through times of transition, expect them knowing you are being molded into a vessel fit for the Master’s use. By His Spirit, like the Apostle Paul, endeavor to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of you. He’s got everything figured out, He knows the future, He is there already. Trust Him and pursue Him with everything you've got, and we actually do that by responding to the Holy Spirit who’s constantly tugging at our hearts and drawing us to Himself.    

***********************************************************

After His baptism and routing of the enemy, Jesus came back in the power of the Spirit, ministered powerfully in Capernaum then went to His hometown of Nazareth where He had grown up. And as was His custom, on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, was handed the book of Isaiah; He opened it and found Isaiah 61 and basically declared who He was and what He came to do:

Source: Google Images

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

²⁰ And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.²¹ And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. – Luke 4:18-21 KJV

As soon as He says, today this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears, to say the people of Nazareth, the familiar faces He’d grown up among, were not amused is an understatement. They were like, we know this guy, isn't this the carpenter’s son? Aren't His brothers and sisters here with us? Where did He get all this wisdom and power (Matthew 13:55-58)? Their attitude in essence was, who does He think He is? Coming here and claiming to be the messiah…He fell out of favor with them very quickly. These were the very people who should’ve been the first to support Him. We know that even His own family did not believe in Him, at least not right away (John 7:5), they eventually did.

        

Even in the face of such sudden hostility Jesus didn't back down, He stuck to His guns, as it were, saying “a prophet has no honor in his own town”. That went over well...NOT!

²⁸ And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,²⁹ And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. ³⁰ But he passing through the midst of them went his way. – Luke 4: 28-30 KJV

Lesson # 2:

Source: Google Images

The moment you step out to fulfill your destiny in God, don’t expect everyone to support you. Those closest to you may not understand you. Others may think they've got you figured out and know what you ought to be doing and now they are shocked and outraged that you are not toeing the proverbial line as expected. Don’t fret, don’t back down, don’t try to defend yourself, like the apostles of old remind yourself, the enemy and everyone else that: ...We ought to obey God rather than men. – Acts 5:29 KJV

You are better off obeying God and being in the center of His will than living miserably in disobedience (and I'm being extra nice here..it's actually living in pride and idolatry) just because you are afraid of offending people. Doesn't the Word say the fear of man will prove to be a snare (Proverbs 29:25)? If you are still on the fence, I urge you to consciously choose to pursue your destiny in God today. Do not let anything or anyone deter you from fulfilling the ministry that God has entrusted to you. When faced with opposition, consider Jesus and know that He is with you and in you. You have Heaven’s backing.

*********************************************************************************

There is an infinitely lot more we can glean from the Master’s life, this is but a tiny snapshot, a momentary flash, a sneak preview, if you will! Much blessings to you!