God's Place



On Monday night the pastor asked me to lead the Wednesday evening service. He and the elders were leaving town to attend a meeting. I had a busy week planned, but I agreed to lead the meeting thinking that we would probably just pray, since I did not have time to prepare a message.

However, as I prayed in the Spirit on Tuesday, the Holy Spirit gave me something to share. I rarely use alliteration, but the Holy Spirit gave me five words that start with P.

We live because of God's purpose. David served God's purpose in his generation, then he fell asleep. (See Acts 13:36) There is no reason to live other than to serve God's purpose.

When we commit to serve God's purpose, then he reveals to each individual a plan for his life. God doesn't reveal the whole plan upfront, because God requires that we walk by faith. But, as we walk in obedience to God, he will reveal more of his plan for our lives.

My main area of focus was on God's place. Being in the right place at the right time is important. God called Abraham to leave Ur, and to dwell in the land of Canaan. God's will for Abraham could not have been fulfilled, if he stayed in Ur. Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach in certain areas. God led him to another place to preach the gospel. (See Acts 16:6-10) Late in his life Paul set his face to go to Jerusalem, even though he knew he would be arrested. He knew that Jerusalem was the place where God was leading him at that particular time in his life.

I talked about God's place in relation to the church to which a believer joins himself. Obviously, God desires every believer to be a part of a local church. And, I believe it is vital that each believer pray and allow God to plant him in the church that is God's place for that believer.

When we moved to Atlanta in 1992, I wanted to join a large church. I ministered in small churches for many years, and I was tired, and I wanted to be refreshed by the dynamic ministry of a larger church. However, we visited our current church and my family immediately fell in love with the people of that place. I wanted to visit other churches, but I couldn't deny that God was in our participation in that place.

During our first years in Atlanta, I did have the opportunity to often attend the Sunday night service of a larger church in Atlanta. Their ministry was powerful, and it did bless me, but we stayed joined to the smaller church, because that was God's place for the Williams family.

The young people of our church each year attend a youth camp called the Camp of Champions. Each year when the young people return from camp, the pastor devotes the entire Sunday morning service to allow the young people to give testimonies of what God did in their lives during their time in camp. That service is one of the highlights of the church year. Every year young people give powerful testimonies of the reality of the Holy Spirit working in them during the camp.

One Sunday night I attended the larger church after their young people returned from a youth camp. Several of the young people shared testimonies of their time at camp. To be honest, the testimonies I heard were weak compared to the testimonies I heard each year at our church. I realized how God was blessing my children to be a part of the youth ministry of our church. They were in the place God desired, and it was a better place, than the place I would have chosen for them.

Then, last November, my daughter married the pastor's son of that place. God had plans for us in that place. As young adults both of my children desire to serve God and to please him. Certainly, God could have used another place to bless my children. But, I believe we found the right place, and we stayed put in that place, then God provided an open door to bless my family exceedingly.

Staying faithful to God's place opens the door to the fullness of God's provision and peace.

Find out God's place for you, and then be faithful to that place. You will not be disappointed!!





Wayne L. Williams
April 28, 2006
Atlanta, Georgia


wayne@fotwm.org
Wisdom From the Word
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