Chosen for a Purpose – a Romans 9 Story
After losing her job for the third time in a year, Sarah sat in her apartment feeling lost and hopeless. She had tried everything she could think of to make ends meet but nothing seemed to work. As she sat there, tears streaming down her face, she remembered the words her friend had spoken to her a few weeks ago. "You were chosen for a purpose," she had said. Sarah didn’t believe it at the time, but now, she was desperate enough to pray and ask God what that purpose could be.
As she read through Romans 9, she came across a verse that stood out to her. "But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?" (Romans 9:20 NIV). Sarah realized that she had been trying to do things her way, rather than trusting in God’s plan for her life. She decided to surrender her life to God and ask Him to show her what He had in store for her.
A few days later, she received a call from an old friend who owned a catering business. He had a big event coming up and needed someone to help him with the preparations. Sarah jumped at the opportunity and spent the next few days working hard to make the event a success. The guests were impressed with the food and presentation, and Sarah’s friend was thrilled with her work.
After the event, her friend offered her a job as a full-time caterer. Sarah couldn’t believe it. She had never considered catering as a career before, but she felt a sense of peace about accepting the job. As she worked in her new role, she discovered a passion for cooking and serving others.
Sarah realized that she had been chosen for a purpose – to bring joy to others through her cooking. She had been trying to force her own plans and ideas, but it wasn’t until she surrendered to God that He showed her the path He had for her.
In Romans 9, Paul talks about God choosing people for specific purposes, even before they were born. He explains that it is not by our own works but by God’s grace that we are chosen for these purposes. Sarah realized that her job loss wasn’t a punishment, but rather a redirection towards the purpose God had for her.
Sarah’s life had been transformed by the realization that she had been chosen for a purpose. She had a newfound sense of direction and purpose, and she knew that she was exactly where God wanted her to be. She had learned to trust in God’s plan for her life, even when it didn’t make sense at the time.
Romans 9:16 says, "It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy." Sarah found peace in this truth and knew that her life would never be the same again.