DYNAMICS OF PURPOSE: GEOGRAPHY FACTOR

Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. – Genesis 12:1

REFERENCE
Genesis 12:1-9

God’s instruction to Abraham as seen in our text was simple, “Get out of your country…to a land I will show you.” Imagine what would have become of Abraham’s purpose in life if he had disobeyed or ignored that instruction. With the final outcome of Abraham’s decision to move to the land God told him to go to, we can tell that someone’s location is an important factor when it comes to fulfilling purpose.

God made places before He made people, therefore, where you are is as important as what you are doing. In most cases, the fulfillment of one’s purpose is tied to a particular place. Never stay where you have not been assigned by God to be. God will not bless you just anywhere you go, that’s why it is very important that you seek God’s face before you change your location. Don’t also allow anybody to move you away from your assigned place, job, business, city and church.

Have you ever heard someone say, in describing a fortunate turn in their life, “I was at the right place at the right time”? Where you are determines what you see, who sees you, and what favors come your way – it’s just like a fish in water; all it needs for life, breathing and feeding is in there. If however, a human ‘relocates’ into the same water, he will never live to tell the story. When you are in your appointed place, your appointed opportunities, blessings, job, spouse, etc., come easily to you. Those who are ‘planted’ in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Stories abound of people who left a place they’ve always been to a new location with nothing but the clothes on their backs and in a few months/years became very successful. Also, we’ve heard stories of others who changed their location and lost everything as a result of that decision. This was the case with Naomi in the book of Ruth, chapter one. Her family (husband, herself and two sons) left their home town- Bethlehem for Moab because of a temporary famine in their land. But while in Moab, everything went downhill; her husband and two sons died and she lost everything. Afterwards Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem with her daughter in-law Ruth and within a short time, Ruth met Boaz and their lives changed for the better!

In retrospect, we understand that their decision to move to Moab for greener pastures was made rashly; because the same Bethlehem they left because of famine was where Boaz stayed and prospered in his business. Be careful, don’t let the devil(using offence, lack, delays, anger, etc.) ‘uproot’ you from your ‘appointed’ place.

Never make permanent decisions (moves) because of temporary setbacks or circumstances in life. Make sure you have God’s backing before you make a move regarding your location, in order to fulfill purpose.

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Genesis 26:1-3 & 32:9-10 , Ruth 4:13-17 & Acts 16:6-10.

PRAYER POINT
+ Pray for sensitivity in your spirit to know the location God is calling you to go to in order for your purpose in life to be fulfilled.

+ Pray that you will be able to discern where He has not permitted you to go, no matter how juicy the offer in that place may seem

+ Pray that conditions may not be favorable where you are, but nothing will soon remove you from the assigned place.