I looked up the word "purpose" in Webster's Dictionary in the 1828 edition. I happen to love the 1828 edition, it is from Noah Webster himself, the way he defined it. And it has in it all the things regarding God, which they have now moved out of the dictionary.

In Noah Webster's definition of the word purpose it says, "That which a person sets before himself as a object to be reached or accomplished."

Noah Webster also said the word purpose means "the end or aim to which the view is directed in any plan. Measure or exertion." Then Webster said, "we believe the supreme being created intelligent beings for some benevolent and glorious purpose and if so how glorious and benevolent must be his purpose in the plan of redemption."

We're Talking About The Webster
That's the man that wrote the dictionary. He said God has a plan and purpose to redeem man and that God's plan is glorious. God has a goal for you to reach. He has a job for you to accomplish. He has an aim and he has a view whereby he will measure whether or not it is half successful, quarter of the way successful, fully successful.

To fail God's purpose means that many, many who otherwise would have been saved, delivered, loosened, and helped will not be.

In Proverbs 20:18 it says, "Every purpose is established by counsel and with good advice make war." You notice it didn't say just run on out there and start fighting. It said you better get some good advice before you get out there.

Let me tell you what happens in warfare and people die. When we're kids we like to play solider. But let me tell you when they grow up and become men and its real bullets flying and people get killed, that's a whole different story. It becomes serious business.

During a peace time, armies do a lot of things that is seemingly unnecessary to its troops. "Why are you making us do all of this?" You think it is not necessary, but when you get in real war or you get in a position where you're coming up in something, that can take your life. What you have trained to do will come out.

Now that's true with anything. The enemy wants you graveyard dead because he sees the purpose on you and he will try and take you out of here.

Proverbs 20:18 says, "Purposes and plans are established by counsel." The first counsel you get is from God. You go before God and God's the one who gives you the plan. He gives you the plan and then gives you the counsel. And then he'll give you advice. Verse 22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisors they succeed."

Counsel From God
Plans fail for lack of advice, lack of counsel. That's what happens with ministries. Every success is a prayer success first. And every failure is a lack of prayer for failure first. The reason why things don't go first and foremost is that you don't have God's plan. You don't have his counsel or his purpose. God wants you to get down to the place where you stay before him until you get the exact counsel from him and then God will even give you a model.

I know I've done things when I knew it was God's will for me to move into this area but I moved out ahead of the thing. I was going in the right direction, but you're out ahead of Him. We all know there is a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to pluck up, a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to break down, a time to build up. He has made every thing beautiful in his time and that's the only time it's beautiful. It always winds up being a mess if it's not his time.

People ought to be able to see in you that you have a purpose towards God. What I want people to see is the purpose of heart that I have, which is to bless them. That's what they see while I minister.

God will bring together all the things required for his purpose to be done well. It's going to be good when you respond to the call. But you've got to respond to that call.

The closer you get to him, the more you raise to him, the more you keep coming to him, the more he splashes off on you, the more you start looking like Jesus. You start sounding like Jesus. You start flowing like Jesus. And you start getting Jesus' results.

When God is a partner in their labor all things work together and are fitting into a plan. He will cause all part of the plan to fit well.

Ephesians 3:11 says, "According to eternal purpose, which he purposed in the anointed one Jesus our Lord in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." Now I've spent enough time before God that I found out what my purpose was. Where am I supposed to be and what am I supposed to do.

I took the time, hours, and prayer. Praying in the Holy Spirit. Stayed there until I got instruction from the Lord. The Lord gave me specific instruction. He told me when, where, and how. But it came from prayer.

Prayer is the basis for success. There isn't a short cut to it. That is when you get the plan. And when you have the plan, guess what happens? You know where you're supposed to be. You know it's the time. People can tell you there's no way - you are stupid, you are foolish. But if you have the plan, you have confidence and can just stand there and believe God.

You see, faith can only be exercised where? When the will of God is known. Until you settle that question you are not going to be able believe without doubt.

You don't have to prove anything to men. You only have to prove it to God. When you prove it to God, God will show it to men. You don't need other men's favor. Let God's favor go before you. And God's favor will open the doors. You will notice how God ties everything together.

Daniel 1:8 says, "But Daniel purposed in his heart he would not defile himself." He made a decision. He purposed. He decided. Now even if you have had a problem in the past you can purpose now that never again will you have the problem. You can purpose now and God will treat you as though there never was a problem.

Purpose in your heart today. Often times what the Lord will tell you is not what you thought it would be. I've been there. That's when you find out really what you are about. Whether or not you will obey God. God is not trying to hurt you when he calls you into something that you think isn't what you want to do. Actually God is putting you position to get blessed out of your socks.

Whatever God is asking you to do right now, it's time to stop being resistant about it and it's time to stop running away from it. Step up to it and have confidence that God is not trying to hurt you. He's trying to bless you and a lot of other folks along with you.

Copyright © Keith Butler Ministries
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