{"id":832,"date":"2009-07-26T04:01:12","date_gmt":"2009-07-26T04:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/07\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-61.html"},"modified":"2009-07-26T04:01:12","modified_gmt":"2009-07-26T04:01:12","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-61","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/07\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-61.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

God Will Fulfill His Purpose for You<\/h3>\n

READ Psalm 57:1-11<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0I cry out to God Most High,
\nto God who will fulfill his purpose for me.<\/p>\n

Psalm 57:2<\/a><\/p>\n

David composed Psalm 57 when he was surrounded by his enemies, who were like \u201cfierce lions\u201d (57:4). Thus he cried out to God for mercy and protection: \u201cI cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me\u201d (57:2).
\nThe high elevation of God emphasized in the title \u201cGod Most High\u201d (\u2019elohim \u2019elyon<\/em>) is reiterated in the refrain of Psalm 57: \u201cBe exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth\u201d (57:5, 11). God is more glorious, more powerful, and more worthy of praise than anything else in all creation.
\nThus when David says that God \u201cwill fulfill his purpose for me,\u201d this is not some hopeful wish, but rather a confident conviction. Because God is \u201cMost High,\u201d he has the power and authority to do whatever he desires. He will bring to fruition his plans for David. . . .
\nAnd for us too. If we put our trust in the Lord, if we seek to honor him with our lives, then he will fulfill his purpose for each one of us. We find an echo of Psalm 57:2 in the first chapter of Paul\u2019s letter to the Philippians: \u201cAnd I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns\u201d (1:6).
\nSometimes it can seem as if our lives are pointless, filled with empty routines. Our plans and hopes are scuttled by an economic crisis, a physical illness, or a broken relationship. We can become discouraged, fearful that our efforts will add up to nothing. In these times, we are encouraged by the truth of Psalm 57:2 and its echoes throughout the Bible. God will, indeed, fulfill his purpose for you.
\nQUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>: What is God\u2019s purpose(s) for your life? How have you experienced God\u2019s faithfulness to fulfill his purpose for you?
\nPRAYER<\/strong>: Gracious God, what a marvelous affirmation and encouragement in Psalm 57. How good it is to know that you will fulfill your purpose for me. My heart yearns for this reality, so that my life might really matter. Let it be so, Lord! May your plans for me come to fulfillment.
\nHelp me, O God, to know your purpose for me so that I might cooperate with you each day. Teach me to live for your purpose every moment, wherever I am.
\nToday I\u2019m reminded that you are not just any god, but God Most High. You are more powerful, more glorious, more gracious, more majestic than any being in all creation. \u201cBe exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth!\u201d Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?\u00a0 <\/strong>
\nHere’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

God Will Fulfill His Purpose for You READ Psalm 57:1-11 \u00a0I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. Psalm 57:2 David composed Psalm 57 when he was surrounded by his enemies, who were like \u201cfierce lions\u201d (57:4). Thus he cried out to God for mercy and protection:…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=832"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}