Approaching Destiny

As children of God, we wish to become what God has called us to be; we wish to know our destiny and live it just as Jesus did while he was on earth. He didn't immediately start off by fulfilling his destiny, but he started somewhere; for example, he was a carpenter once, but that was not his final destination; amongst other things, he was sent to earth to perform miracles and save humanity on the cross. Matthew chapter 26 is a beautiful chapter that shows how Jesus behaved as his destiny approached, specifically his assignment to die on the cross for our sins, which is what this post will be focusing on. In this chapter, we see his vulnerability and sadness as the day and hour approach for him to be hung on the cross. We see how confident he was in his destiny; he had a deep knowing and understanding of what he had to fulfill; he also had faith that all that was written in scripture concerning his life would come true; and he had the courage to surrender to the will of God even though he knew his assignment would cause him much pain. 

The importance of knowing what is written in Scripture concerning your life 

One of the important things Matthew chapter 26 highlights is the fact that Jesus knew his destiny; he knew the day and the time when his destiny would take place. We see in verse 54 that his death on the cross is written in the scriptures, and he tells his disciples not to fight it, as what's written in the scriptures has to be fulfilled. This teaches us that there are scriptures in heaven that contain important information detailing how our daily lives should look like (Psalms 139:16), what our destinies look like, and who we are to become. Most of the time, we do not know who God sees when he looks at us; we lack this knowledge, so we end up having our own limited views of ourselves, and we live way beneath our potential and purpose. It is very important to pray and ask God to reveal to you what is written in the scriptures concerning your life so that even when the devil tries tempting you, you can identify that it's a distraction because you already know your destiny. 

The Holy Spirit prepares us for our destiny. 

As Jesus was approaching his destiny, he was aware that it wouldn't be an easy task, he was in a vulnerable place where his heart had great sorrow. Matthew 26:6–13 tells us that when he was in Simon's house in Bethany, a woman came to him with expensive perfume and poured it on his head. This beautiful act was an act of kindness and love that not only honored Jesus but had a significant purpose, which was to prepare Jesus for his burial. This is a powerful verse, as it also shows us how the Holy Spirit can come into our lives during our most difficult moments to give us love and strength and, most importantly, to help us prepare for our destiny even when we feel weak. We need to submit to God and pray for his holy spirit to stay close to us in order to usher us into our destiny, strengthen us, and give us peace during difficult times.

Keep watch over your destiny. 

Jesus knew that the time for him to be hung on the cross was near. He was sad and perceived the pain that he would have to go through in order to fulfill his destiny. Out of the 12 disciples, he only took three and went to Gethsemane, where he asked the three disciples to keep watch with him as he prayed for God to take this cup of suffering from him because he knew the pain and difficulty of his assignment, and yet in that same prayer, he asked for God's will to be done and not his. Jesus prayed three times that night, and in his three prayers he asked for God's will to be done. This teaches us that sometimes our assignments are not the easiest or most pleasant tasks to do; however, we have to submit to God and pray that our will aligns with his will so that we step into our destiny and ensure that God's will is done on earth. So when Jesus said the three disciples must keep watch with him, he was saying they should pray for him that he surrenders to God's will and fulfills his destiny. This is why it is important to know our destiny and surround ourselves with people who can pray for our destiny and pray for us to surrender to God's will and do exactly what God tells us to do. Keep watch so that you do not fall into temptation; keep watch so that you do not give into your flesh and miss your destiny; keep watch so that fear may not stand in your way; and keep watch and pray over your life. Jesus knew that he would get hurt by people he loved, he knew that he would get betrayed, mocked, spat on, slapped, and ridiculed; all of these were very hurtful and unpleasant experiences, but yet he continued and prayed for God's will to be done. This is the kind of persistence, faithfulness, reverence, courage, and strength we should pray for as well. 

Faith in your destiny 

This chapter shows us that Jesus knew exactly what was written in scripture concerning his life, and we see how he and the people close to him prepared for it. This shows faith, believing that what God said will happen will come to pass. When Judas exposed Jesus and a crowd came to capture Jesus, we see that Jesus did not fight it; he was prepared for it; he was not running away or panicking; he embraced his destiny. What is also fascinating is how events played out on their own. Judas had to betray Jesus so that the chief priests would know where to find him and arrest him. Certain events were planned out by God to ensure that destiny was fulfilled, and Jesus understood this and kept his position. We too have to have faith and confidence in God's word concerning our lives. Our faith should be so strong that we are able to start preparing for events that have not yet occurred so that once they do occur, we can walk into them with boldness and confidence, knowing our position and purpose.