City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 1:27-28 (NKJV)

² Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:2-4 (NKJV)

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s scriptures encapsulate two bookends in humanity: the beginning and the end. In the beginning, God blessed man, empowering us to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth and subdue it. The end reveals God’s intended purpose for man–that we should dwell together with God forever. 

However, that plan and purpose was thwarted when man sinned. Sin causes separation. Yet God, in His divine mercy and wisdom, made a way for sinful humanity to be redeemed and set free from sin. He gave His only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). 

Flipping to the back of the book and seeing God’s purpose come into fruition sheds light on what our purpose is now: to dwell with God and allow Him to rule in our lives. Giving God free rein in our lives seems like the biggest risk we could ever take, yet it is only when we submit to God’s Lordship that we are truly fulfilled in our purpose. 

Purpose is a partnership. The only way to live out purpose is to do it with God and with those He’s calling you to serve in this moment. I think we place too much importance on the details and not enough on the big picture. Sometimes we miss the forest for the trees. I struggled a lot with the idea of purpose because I was so focused on trying to fit what I was doing right now into God’s picture and couldn’t seem to reconcile my reality with the vision I had for my life. However, I think the root of my struggle is I lost sight of the truth that God was with me right now (even if life didn’t look the way I thought it would). He’s here with me right now…and that’s better than anything I could have ever dreamed of. 

When you actively live life with a grateful heart towards God moment by moment, everything is packed with meaning and purpose. Nothing has to be mundane or boring or stressful because God is with you leading and guiding you into all truth.

Application

What is it that you’re holding onto that doesn’t fit within God’s purpose for you? Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to you what that is. Allow the Lord to speak into your life and be willing to accept what He says. Obey Him and don’t look back! You won’t regret it. 

Prayer

Father God, thank You for shining Your Light into my life. Your word is a lamp unto my feet. All of Your promises are true. Thank You, Lord, for not letting me go. In Jesus’ name, amen.