A Clear Sense of Purpose
By Dr . Mike Townsend , Chair of Trustees
“ Hello Mike , are you coming to take assembly ?”
Oxford , my guide dog , was trying to negotiate the building works at our school .
“ Hi , Jayne , still here ? I thought you were giving up !”
“ I DO listen to your sermons . You talked about needing purpose in our lives ; having a reason to get up in the morning . It changed my approach .”
God has purpose for all of us - even if we are not able to get up .
Do you think Jesus would ever be unkind ? I struggled with a recent daily Bible reading , where a Canaanite woman came to Jesus desperate for him to heal her suffering daughter . Matthew 15 23-24 tells us that ‘ Jesus did not answer a word . So , his disciples came to him and urged him , “ Send her away , for she keeps crying out after us ”. He answered , “ I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel .”’
On the face of it , this seems very unkind . Jesus ’ ministry was to the Jews not the Canaanites . The woman persisted . Jesus said , “ It is not right to take the children ’ s bread and toss it to their dogs .” ( Matt 15 26 ). I think Oxford agrees with the woman , who replied , “ yes , Lord , but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters ’ table .” Jesus responded to the woman ’ s determination . ‘“ Woman , you have great faith ! Your request is granted .” And her daughter was healed from that very hour .’ ( verse 28 )
Had Jesus relented from his seeming unkindness ?
No . Jesus had a clear sense of purpose . Israel was where he would die to bring salvation to all peoples . Very little would divert his focus . However , Jesus was not inflexible and responded to this purposeful faith .
These past eighteen months have been tough for me in lots of ways , not just because of the pandemic . I am grateful that God clearly told us to take a break , rest and reflect so my wife , Edith , and I are just back from a cruise . That has been my purpose recently .
Through the Roof is seeking God ’ s purpose for the next stage of our ministry . Belonging in church is still key . Should we join other marginalised groups with this goal ? No . The trustees feel that our clear purpose is with disabled people . Can you see God ’ s purpose for you ? Join us in praying for the future work of Through the Roof , and a clear sense of purpose for your own life and work .
If you ’ d like to take part in Through the Roof ’ s online devotions , and share in prayer with us , you can find details just below .
What is your purpose ? Can you share it with others ?
Join Us for Devotions
We invite you to join us for a time of prayer together on Zoom – every first Monday of each month 9.30am - 10.15am . There will be a short devotion , and chance to share in a time of prayer together for the work of TTR . The Zoom link to join is available from our office : info @ throughtheroof . org or by calling 01372 749955 . We ’ d love to see you there !
www . throughtheroof . org www . throughtheroof . org