People with a
Purpose

Who does God use in His work? In a word, everybody. Many of the people in the Bible expressed shock that they were used of God. One of those was Amos. To put in our current vernacular, Amos said he was a nobody (Amos 7:14-15). Saul was also hesitant to accept promotion from the Lord (I Samuel 10:21-22). The Bible is an endless parade of different types of people who God used.

This points to the fact that we are in a war. The Apostle Paul, among other authors, talks of this ongoing struggle (Romans 7:19).

God, in His infinite wisdom, gave us a number of weapons to use in this ongoing battle. One of those weapons is the lives of others that we can look at and learn. The Bible is a long, steady stream of biographical pictures that can be an example to us all. Unlike most books, the Bible does not attempt to gloss over people's shortcomings. For that reason we do not get a picture of Biblical people being superhuman people that we could never identify with. From the first of Genesis where Eve does battle with Satan to the last of Revelation where an aged and weary John cries out "... even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly," we are confronted with a parade of people who are, as we are, all too human.

In Hebrews chapter 11, we have the famous hall of fame of faith. Yet a reading of this chapter finds many of these heroes of faith had days of great darkness. We see a drunken Noah; Abraham using immorality to "help out" God; Sara laughing at the promises of God; Jacob ever deceiving; Moses losing his temper; Samson letting lust reign supreme in his life; Jepthah sacrificing his only daughter and the list goes on. In spite of their human weaknesses they were able to be used of God and fulfill their purpose in life.

Every person ever mentioned in the Bible was put on earth for a purpose. It is still that way today. This study of many different characters can help us to not only see the success stories, but also look at some of those who fell short. We can learn from the positive as well as those who are a negative example. We need to realize that we are all people of purpose. It is just that many never fulfill that purpose. Hopefully these lessons might help us to live in such a way that one day we can hear the Lord say "well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Billy Earl Watson

Josiah
Haman
Job
Shadrach, Meshach & Abendnego
Isaiah
Anna
Nicodemus
Zacchaeus
Rich Fool
Mary, Martha & Lazarus
Bartimaeus
Mary Magdalene
Luke
Prodigal Brother
Ananias and Sapphira
James
Mark
Stephen
Philip
Timothy
Thanksgiving
Onesimus
Dorcas
Barnabas
Christmas Lesson
Bible Lesson