Transformation Garden - Sept. 26, 2010

 

Uriah said to David, ‘The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as my soul lives, I will not do this thing.'"
II Samuel 11: 11
Amplified Bible

EXPLORATION

"Uriah the Hittite - A Purpose-Driven Man " - - Part 2

 

"We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from it."
William Osler

 

If I were to identify the core purpose of my life, what would it be?

 

"I expect to pass through the world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
William Penn

 

INSPIRATION

 

"Service to a just cause rewards the worker with more real happiness and satisfaction than any other venture of life."
Carrie Chapman Catt

 

A number of years ago, Pastor Rick Warren wrote a wonderful, best-selling book called, The Purpose-Driven Life. I believe one of the reasons the message in this book struck a cord with so many people is that we all long to live lives that have meaning. I have never met anyone who said to me directly, "I don't care about anybody. I don't care if my life has no value at all." In each of us, I feel certain there is a longing to live a life that matters - a life that touches others and makes a real difference.

 

Frankly, a perfect sub-title for Pastor Warren's book could easily have been - The Purpose-Driven Life: Lessons From the Life of Uriah the Hittite. If ever there was a man whose life was driven by a purpose higher than self-interest, it was Uriah.

As we studied yesterday, Uriah was a man who had his priorities in the right order. When David encouraged him to wander off God's path, the first thing we find on Uriah's mind was the "Ark of the Covenant." God was the top priority in Uriah's life.

Once Uriah had priority one in the correct place, his life was open to being filled by a heavenly purpose - a purpose that gave him a focus outside of himself . This is exactly what we find  expressed by Uriah in his response to David in

II Samuel 11: 11.

I have to admit, the first several times I read this passage, I missed a very important point. But as I prayed about the lessons God has for us in this text, all of a sudden, a hidden jewel began to gleam brightly.

We already know that Uriah was born of Canaanite heritage. He was a convert. A Hittite who accepted the God of the Israelites. This was not some half-baked attempt to follow the God of heaven and earth. Uriah was whole-hearted in his belief and acceptance of Jehovah.

This is why, it is interesting to note what he said to King David when he told him he would not leave his post to return home during a battle. "The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents." Some Biblical scholars disagree about the exact location of the ark for they doubt it was out on the battlefield with the troops lest it be stolen by enemy forces. However, at this time in history, before the Temple was built, there was not a permanent home for the ark and as we can tell by Uriah's words, this pained him. A purpose-led person would be concerned that the spiritual wasn't in a place of permanence in the lives of the people of Judah and Israel. But here's the interesting point Uriah made. If we recall, when David came to the throne after the death of King Saul, there was a bitter fight among the twelve tribes as to who would lead them. Even though Samuel had anointed David king, there was an heir of King Saul who ascended to the throne and for seven years, the tribes were divided and at war with each other. There was a battle within God's own family!! And here, several years later, we find that Uriah referred to these two groups, Israel and Judah, but notice what he said "they live in tents," on the battlefield together. This unification, against a common outside enemy who had challenged God's people, certainly gave a purpose to all God's children. Rather than having a bitter battle within their own ranks, they were working as a unit. This fact really hit me between the eyes. So often, within the ranks of Christians, there are disturbing battles as we call each other names or label each other with derogatory labels, when in fact, the purpose-driven force behind our lives should and is one we can agree upon for as one writer penned, our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy His presence forever.

This is the focal point of our lives - a purpose-driven life which is motivated by heaven's love. When we have this heavenly purpose in our lives, wherever and whenever our Father calls us into service, there we will be. We'll be on the battlefield in tents together, serving our Father. Rather than being part of side-taking divisions, Uriah's single-focused purpose to serve God, led him to think about the unity of the troops who were in tents living together and not divided by wedges as they had been in the past. This leads me to a question I've asked myself, "How much more effective would God's children be today if we joined hands and worked in service together rather than trying to build walls and divide ourselves from each other when what the battle really needs is a team unified by our loving Father's call to service?

This was the purpose that motivated Uriah the Hittite to put aside the personal desires of his life for a season while he stayed focused on the battle that faced all of God's children, no matter their tribe or family. Would that we would do the same when called by God to live a purposeful and service-filled life for Him.

 

"You will find, as you look back upon your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others."
Henry Drummond

 

AFFIRMATION

 

"O Lord, baptize our hearts into a sense of the conditions and needs of all."
George Fox
1624-1691

 

"Open my eyes that they may see

the deepest needs of people;

move my hands that they may feed the hungry;

touch my heart that it may bring warmth to the despairing;

teach me the generosity that welcomes strangers;

let me share my possessions to clothe the naked;

give me the care that strengthens the sick;

make me share in the quest to set the prisoner free.

In sharing our anxieties and our love,

our poverty and our prosperity,

we partake of your divine presence."

Canaan Banana

Your friend,
Dorothy Valcàrcel, Author
When A Woman Meets Jesus
[email protected]

 

P.S.  My book, When A Woman Meets Jesus, is now available wherever books are sold and on the internet at www.amazon.com, Christianbook.com, or by calling toll-free, 1-800-Christian.  You can also go to www.whenawomanmeetsjesus.com and purchase the book through Paypal for $8.00. Or by calling Transformation Garden at 1-888-397-4348. 

For more from Dorothy, please visit transformationgarden.com.