God Has A Purpose For Your Life
Ever since we founded Integrity in 1987, our purpose has been to "help people worldwide experience the manifest presence of God."
Why is the presence of God so important? Moses prayed, "If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" ( NIV). Without the presence of God, it's impossible to experience the Christian life.
Thankfully, the Lord created a pathway for us to enter His presence: "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations" ( NIV).
As Integrity has grown, we've seen amazing things happen when people enter His presence; they're born again, they're healed, they learn God's purpose for their lives.
A few years after we founded the company, the Lord taught me something powerful through Isaiah chapter 6, where Isaiah describes a vision of the Lord sitting on His throne. The Lord showed me four life-changing things that happened to Isaiah when he entered God' presence, and told me that if Integrity would help people experience His presence, the He'd touch their lives, too.
(1)Isaiah saw the Lord in His glory, seated on His throne, high and exalted (verse 1). You never really get in touch with your destiny until you see the Lord - not only at the new birth experience, but in the call being released in your life.
(2)Then, Isaiah saw himself (verse 5), and cried "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips" (NIV). His sinfulness was all too apparent in the light of God's glory. Isaiah knew he wasn't worthy and needed God to cleanse him.
(3)Next, the Lord cleansed him (verses 6-7). One of the angels surrounding God's throne took a burning coal from the altar and touched it to Isaiah's mouth, saying, "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for" (NIV).
(4)Then, the Lord showed Isaiah his calling and purpose (verses 8-13). The Lord opened Isaiah's ears so that he could hear God's heart and His plan: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, 'Here I am. Send me!" (verse 8 NIV). God revealed His plan and calling to Isaiah, and it changed his life.
Perhaps you need to hear from God. Maybe you're searching for direction and need to know God's calling and purpose in your life. Like Isaiah, you'll find your answer in God's presence. Remember, you can't hear from God until you've first seen Him, seen yourself, and been cleansed. It's impossible to get to step four without going through the first three steps.
You don't have to be a super spiritual Christian to have access to God's presence. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, the veil of the temple was torn in two, and you now have access to the presence of the living God at any time.
1999 Michael Coleman, President, Integrity Incorporated. Used with Permission.
