Look at us 🥰. One blog post at a time, and we’re almost there. I absolutely love what this challenge has done to my mind and to my will. When there is a will, there is a way. Today’s post is really sobering, and writing this for me is not only humbling, but it’s also something I must never forget in the journey called life.

Have you ever wondered about the criteria that are being used in life, even when you don’t know about them? I’m going to share a revelation that has continued to change my life because every time I think about it, it leads me to sobriety and to repentance. I’m going to use 3 different scriptures God used to explain the criteria of destiny. I’m only going to share the scenarios, but I’ll encourage you to read the chapters again when you have the time

Exodus 18: The Leadership Selection

Cue in Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, who came to pay Moses a visit. He saw how Moses was stressed out from morning to night judging the Israelites, and he gave the recommendation that revolutionized leadership. Many times, people talk or preach about how it’s a blessing to have mentors and teachers who can tell you what to do. But my focus for today is the selection criteria  itself that Jethro mentioned

Let’s look at Exodus 18:21-22 NIV

“21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.”

Verse 21 said to select capable men, men who fear God, men who are trustworthy, etc. If we go down a few more verses to verses 24 and 25, Moses heeded to the voice of his father-in-law, and he chose capable men and made them heads over the people. 

How did Moses know who to choose if they had not already been exhibiting these traits? You can already see where I’m going. Let’s take a look at the second example

Daniel 1: The Palatial Selection

You already know the story of Daniel. Daniel’s story was the first one God used to teach me this selection. Nebuchadnezzar asked them in Daniel 1, from verse 3. Let’s take a look at that too

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well-informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. [a] 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

I’m sure you can already see the pattern. First, it was only those from the royal and noble families that were specially selected. Secondly, there was a criterion that needed to be met to be selected. What baffles me the most is that the King ordered someone from his own court to bring them. How did Asphenaz know whom to bring? It means he must have consulted someone who was a critical assessor of these characteristics and knew who to select. The criteria already filtered them. People are actually watching you and can already access who you are. It wasn’t in that moment that they were looking for who to choose. The criteria already floated some people to the top.

The final example is also an interesting one. Let’s go to Acts

Acts 1: The Apostolic Selection

Cue the death of Jesus and the need to replace Judas Iscariot.

Verses 21-23

21 Therefore, it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.

You can already see the pattern; before they nominated, they had their criteria. Someone who had been there from the beginning. Matthias, when he chose to follow Jesus, didn’t know that he would end up an apostle, especially when Jesus himself hand-picked the twelve, but a day came for him to be nominated, and he had to pass certain criteria.

Every time I remember these scenarios, it makes me shudder and puts me on the path that ensures that I am consistently growing. DDK will call it private preparation for public commendation, and it’s true. Nothing happens by chance, and it’s the commitment we make to ourselves that solidifies our footprint on the path of destiny. 

We see this happen everywhere, at work and in school, when opportunities arise. There’s always a criterion, and occasionally it’s not even known. How much more with God. It’s what we do daily that sets us up for destiny.

I hope we’re encouraged to continue to put in the work. Because the day of the announcement is coming soon.

I’ll leave you with the 3 scriptures I’ve already shared, and I’ll see you tomorrow.