“There was a man sent from God…” John 1:6

John the Baptist was born with a destiny. He was commissioned by God. He came as a messenger on divine assignment into the world – or circle of influence. If we are commissioned by God, then we have a definite assignment.

God has a plan and a purpose, for each life. By no means did any of us arrive on the scene by accident and without a mission. So, the issue for consideration is simply, what is our mission? How are we progressing with God’s task for us? Are we executing the assignment we were sent to do? These are some vital issues we must deal with along life’s way, as we will have to account to God how we fared at our journey’s end.

To discover our assignment, we need to seek God sincerely and submit to Him in simple obedience. It is God who prepares us for the divine assignment He has created for us. Then in His perfect time, will lead us to it. What is required on our part is to be alert and attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit of God. Then, choose His way instead of our own. John is an example for us, demonstrating it plainly with his life.

“There was a man sent from God…” (Jn. 1:6)

Once I attended an Ordination Service in Ohio. God used Pastor Wesley with vim, vigor, and vitality as he executed his assignment. Little did I know that that would be the last time I would witness this man, I had met 38 years ago, operating under a mighty anointing! Within a matter of days, he travelled to Canada in ministry and then within hours of arriving in Britain was promoted to glory. In 60 years, he had run his race, fought a good fight of faith and left a rich spiritual legacy. The way he successfully accomplished his divine assignment to his last days will always serve me as an example to be emulated.

“I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day:
the night cometh, when no man can work.” (Jn. 9:4)

These words of our Lord Jesus, remind us that even He felt the pressure of time in His day and the vital importance of progressing with His assignment speedily without procrastination. This ought to serve us as incentive to hasten towards our God ordained task. Each of us has an assignment given us by God Himself. We have been placed in our specific location, with a mission – sent from God to play a vital role in blessing our world, or circle of influence.

In order to accomplish this, everyone is allotted a specific time span, known as a “day”. Each one’s “day” is his lifetime. A day can be described as a brief period of time. It is not a prolonged period of time from the rising of the sun to its setting. The duration is a prescribed time – when the sun comes up to its going down, no power in all of creation can extend it by a fraction of a moment. When death comes, it will not wait even a millisecond. So unfinished business at that time will remain unfinished forever.

Yet “the day” is sufficient for God’s plan for your life. The sun never sets too early for His purpose. Each little life is long enough for the little part of the world’s work assigned to it. This applies in the life of an infant that lives just an hour, seemingly to endow its parents and nurses with sweet smiles before flying away. It is true in the life of the child of a young military officer who was killed in action while serving his country, with his hands full of yet unfinished tasks. It all goes to prove there are no excuses to cover an unfulfilled life assignment based on an insufficient time span. It will always be long enough, if only each moment of it is filled with simple faithfulness and obedience to the divine assignment.

To have our assignment completed when the end comes, we must be focused while the “day” lasts. J.R. Miller speaks of a noted individual who had the picture of the setting sun inscribed on the dial of his watch. With it were the words: “The night comes!” This not only reminded him of the shortness of the duration of his life, but also the urgent need for diligence and steadfastness in his divine assignment. May this lesson serve as a serious reminder in each of our lives too.