Discovering Your Destiny In Christ Series

There is a vast difference between FATE and DESTINY.

Fate is usually thought of as a predetermined course of events beyond the human control.

A typical response of a person who believes in fate is resignation - if we can't change destiny, then why even try?

Whatever happens, happens and we can't do anything about it.

This is called fatalism and it is not biblical.

Fatalism is a major premise of many religions such as Hinduism.

In fact, it is this fatalistic view of life that helps keep India's caste system in place.

Because you have been born poor, you will die poor, and you cannot do anything about it.

It is beyond human control.

That is fate and it is not Biblical.

What is Biblical is that God is Sovereign over all and man has a freewill to choose to submit to God's plan or not.

We have been created with the ability to make moral choices and we are responsible for those choices.

For instance, in the book of Genesis we read that when Adam and Eve fell in the garden of Eden, it was because they chose to disobey God's Word rather than submit to God's will.

And so, they had to face the consequences of their action and thereupon were thrown out from the Garden which became their ultimate destiny bringing the entire humanity with them.

We cannot blame fate for that.

It was their own choosing that brought the ultimate destiny for their lives.

In the same manner, God has a wonderful purpose for our lives written in God's Word.

He wants us to commit our lives for that very purpose so that we will enjoy our fellowship with God.

This free will is the ability to choose to submit or to reject to God's plan.

And our choice will become our ultimate destiny in this life and in the life to come.

And so, in this message, we are going to learn from the life of Ruth how she discovered her destiny and overcame helplessness and poverty.

You see, Ruth when she arrived in Judah, did not rely on FATE - whatever happens, happen.

"I am a poor widow and I will die in such a poor state. Oh, poor me." NO!

She relied on her FAITH on God and made right decisions to become better and improve her life.

Ultimately, she received what she hoped for and changed her destiny.

In the same manner, we could choose our destiny and improve our situation for the better because of the choices we make each day.

And so, brothers and sisters, I hope you will listen carefully because at the end of this message, I will ask you to make an active response or decision to commit your life to Christ so that you will discover your wonderful destiny as a Christian.

The truth is, so many people from various generations have improved their outlook and their situations in life because of Christ and you can do the same.

How do you discover your destiny?

So far, we have learned about the different characters in this beautiful love story.

Naomi was a woman who was once bitter and full of resentment because of the loss of her loved ones.

She even blamed God for the difficult circumstances she experienced in her life.

But eventually, after examining the godly character of Ruth, her daughter in law, her attitude changed for the better.

She began to dream again and came up with a wonderful plan on how Ruth can have a better future.

She did not rely on fate, but discovered her own destiny through the testimony of another person close to her.

In the same way, we can discover our destiny on he basis of what we can learn from the lives of other Christians who have improved their spiritual lives in Christ.

We must not allow our resentment or bitterness to define our future.

Life has a lot to offer than these.

Believe that God has something better in store for your life.

The next character we have studied is Ruth, the widow who refused to give up in spite of the overwhelming poverty in a foreign land.

Others might have resigned and say, "Whatever happens, happen." but not Ruth.

She is a woman who worked with godly work ethics and unknowingly impressed people around her.

Her humility and self-sacrifice in order to serve and provide for her mother in law was an outstanding example of the moral integrity worthy of respect that defined her destiny.

Hence, her godly character inspired life and confidence in the life of Naomi and developed a love romance with Boaz.

I hope and pray that there are also many women of such character like Ruth among our congregation with exceptional faith in God.