Our Purpose

Psalm 17:1-15 (KJV)

1 Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.

3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

10 They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.

11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

1. Life is a precious gift from God.

Psalm 139:13 (KJV)

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

Psalm 139:16 (KJV)

16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

2. Life is valuable.

Psalm 8:3-4 (KJV)

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 139:14 (KJV)

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

3. Life is can be hard

Job 5:7 (KJV)

7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

4. Life is short.

Psalm 39:4 “ LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.”

5. Life is to be lived wisely.

Psalm 90:12 (KJV)

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

We know when we read the book of Genesis that God gave man purpose.

We are not here just to die.

We are not here just to have existence.

God has given us purpose.

In Genesis before sin entered into this world we know some things to be true.

A. God wanted to fellowship with man – God walked with man in the cool of day – there was fellowship.

Genesis 3:8 (KJV)

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:

B. God made man in His image – Man is triune (God is a trinity) – we have a body, we have a spirit and we have a living soul.

Genesis 1:26 (KJV)

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

I love the story of the boy sitting on his father's lap as they were looking into a mirror. The boy said to his dad, "Dad, who made me?"

He said, "God made you, son."

He said, "Dad, who made you?"

He said, "God made me, son."

He said, "Dad, who made granddad?"

He said, "God made him, son."

He said, "Dad, who made great-granddad?" He said, "God made him, son. Why do you ask?"

The boy took one look back in the mirror and said, "Well, it just seems to me He's been doing a better job in recent years!"