The 365

Psalm 30:3 (NKJV) states, “O Lord you brought my soul up from the grave; you have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” Listen to the yearning of David to live and come up from the pit, which is where death resides. David’s declaration in this psalm is one of thanks that God desires him to live! God does not want us to die; we were created to live. That is why he has equipped us with so many internal and external defense mechanisms. We are born fighters before we are even aware we are in a fight for our very lives. So I contend that the fight to live is for purpose and destiny. From the very beginning of creation, God had a plan in mind for humankind. “Then God said, Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26 NKJV). We are the work of his hands and the image and likeness of his being. We were created to live according to his purpose and plan, and we glorify his presence as our Lord and Savior when we walk in his purpose. There is also an enemy to God and his creation. He is the ruler of darkness and called the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2 NKJV). I believe this enemy is against us from birth, and he never sleeps or slumbers. He knows and hates God’s plan for our lives and existence even before we are aware of God and our specific purpose in existence. I believe that is why the fight begins within us to stay alive. The enemy does not fight fair! Our purpose is to live first and foremost, and the fight to do so is inside us. God fights for us to accomplish all that he has gifted our hands to do. To understand God’s desire for us to live, I asked God, “Why do we have to die? In the power that you have given us, we still can’t control the days you have numbered for us on earth.” If God’s will is for us to live, why do we have to die at some point? (There goes that why again.) In the following chapters, we journey into the creation of the universe and explore how God made everything in the universe to align with the purpose of humankind. I understand that because of sin—disobedience toward God—our life span was shortened. But from the beginning, God’s desire and design for humankind was to live forever. Let’s walk through the days he has allowed us and increase our awareness of our purposes for life. What is God’s plan for our individual lives? Let us individually, from one year to the next, see the hand of God bringing the best out of our lives. We must ensure we learn how to make good life choices and sow good seeds throughout the days he has allowed us to live. I can promise if we are connected to Christ, the life giver, and follow his carefully laid-out plan that governs how we live by directing our decisions from day to day. We will see purpose revealed in our lives, so get ready to soar! There are 365 days in a year, and in following this plan, be sure to journal what you see as blessings along the way. Look for God’s favor over your life and any doors that God may open for you during your journey through the year. I have learned that being blessed by God means being extremely hated by the enemy of God, which is Satan. After all, the most extreme form of hatred exhibited by Satan is to try and destroy what God created in his image and likeness. And just like I am a recipient of the favor of God, I am also a target for the hater of God. Therefore, it is important that we learn how to walk in the path God set for our lives and choose to be in his divine presence and will. Expect to be tempted, expect to go through trouble and sometimes even affliction, and expect to feel as if you must leave the course you are on because of whatever it is you are going through. Remember, the trick of the enemy is to kill, steal, and destroy. When you stop doing anything that was for your good, or when you give up walking in your destiny because of the trials and tribulations you face, you’ve walked right into the enemy’s snare. We have to believe that we will win if we don’t quit! No matter how hard the struggle, don’t stop trusting, believing, and doing what God has for you to do. Suffering is not always a sign that you are without God; it is also a sign that God is with you.