When Purpose Takes You Where You Didn’t Expect

Like stepping onto a moving walkway, we are carried along by God’s purpose, even when we do not see the full path ahead.

Devotional Credit: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Oswald Chambers reflects on Jesus’ unwavering march toward Jerusalem, the place where He would fulfill the Father’s will. For Jesus, Jerusalem symbolized not personal ambition but surrender. He did not come to carry out His own ideas or build His own legacy. He came to do the will of the One who sent Him, and nothing, joy or sorrow, acclaim or opposition, could distract Him from that purpose. His life was singular in aim: obedience.

Chambers challenges our modern tendency to frame discipleship in terms of our own decisions and goals. We often say things like, “I chose to follow Jesus,” or “God called me to this work.” But the focus of Scripture leans more heavily on God’s initiative. Jesus reminds us, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” Chambers insists that we are often swept up into God’s plans long before we understand them. His purposes do not always match our expectations, and often, they remain unclear even as we walk with Him.

This devotional invites us to loosen our grip on personal ambition, even religious ambition. It reminds us that the compelling drive behind our lives is not to fulfill our version of God’s call but to be set apart for God’s purpose, whether or not we see the end clearly. When Jesus takes us aside, it is not always to reveal a strategy. Sometimes, it is simply to draw us more deeply into trust.

Our goal is not to understand the journey fully. Our goal is to follow Jesus with hearts surrendered to the Father’s will, trusting that His purpose is bigger, deeper, and more complete than our narrow vision can grasp.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

I have chosen you. You did not awaken one day with spiritual insight. I drew you. I called you before you even knew how to respond. My plan for you existed before time began, and I have taken you by the hand to walk in it. You are not here by accident. You are part of something higher than your understanding.

I never said you would always see the road ahead. I said I would be with you. When My Son turned His face toward Jerusalem, He did so because the Father’s will was His joy. That same joy now lives in you, because He lives in you. You do not need to grasp the entire purpose. You are walking in it already because you are walking with Me.

The pull you feel toward something deeper, something unseen, is the echo of eternity I placed within your heart. I am guiding you. I am setting you apart. I am accomplishing My purpose through you, even when it feels hidden. Your calling is not just about tasks. It is about trust. Keep your eyes on Me. Keep yielding. I will never mislead you.

Scripture References: Luke 18:31, John 6:38, Luke 9:51, John 15:16, Proverbs 3:5–6, Romans 8:28–30, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Psalm 37:5, Ephesians 1:4–5, Philippians 1:6, Ecclesiastes 3:11

Real-Life Analogy

Think about stepping onto a moving walkway at the airport. You step on, but the path is already set. It moves you forward at a steady pace, taking you where it is designed to go. You’re not choosing the direction. You’re choosing to stay on.

God’s purpose often feels like that. You may not see the full route, and you definitely don't control the speed, but you are already in motion. He’s the One who set the path. He’s the One who carries you.

So today, if you're wrestling with not seeing the full picture or wondering whether you're where you're supposed to be, pause. Say to the Lord, “I trust You to carry out Your purpose through me right now, even if I don’t see the destination. Let me rest in Your direction and not my own ideas of progress.” Then move forward, one step at a time, with confidence in the One who sees the full design.

Prayer of Confidence

Lord, I am not the author of my calling. You are. And I am content with that. I don’t need to grasp every detail or predict the destination. I belong to You, and that is enough. You are leading me, working in me, and fulfilling what You began.

Thank You for choosing me, for setting me apart, and for inviting me into Your greater purpose. I will walk today not with ambition, but with trust. I will rest in knowing that Your plans for me are already unfolding, and I lack nothing. You are faithful. And I am Yours.