God’s Got a Plan - Episode 1
We all screw up. Fail in some way. We fall short of goals or get embarrassed in some kind of career implosion. It’s easy then to feel like we’ll never win again.
That’s not how God sees you.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Hope and a future. That’s what’s ahead, not depression and failure.
The Bible is full of stories of people God would not allow to slip away. Peter denied Christ, and the Savior forgave him! Sarah mocked the idea that she would ever have a child, but God let her be a mother late in life!
This is the world God created. Not one of misery and losing. Does it make sense that He would create you in very specific ways, uniquely gifted as you are, and then give up on you?
Don’t let that be your story. Your part in it is refusing to believe the enemy when you hear that voice that tells you it’s all over. He knows the plans He has for you!
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank you that you don’t let us sink out of sight. Thank you for setting us on our feet, and helping us move forward. Amen.
God’s Got a Plan - Episode 2
Who likes to wait for what we need or want? Basically, nobody.
Of those nine elements that make up the Fruit of the Spirit, patience may be the hardest to find.
Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
And patience is learned. Which makes it one of the sweetest fruits the Spirit gives us. Waiting for a “payoff” of some kind makes the end result that much more rewarding. Life teaches us that.
A childless Hannah endured mocking and ridicule, but the Bible tells us in First Samuel that she prayed and waited. Imagine how she felt when the date of her delivery drew near! She eventually had several children, but it was her patience in waiting on Samuel that made all the difference!
If you are waiting for something very important, read and meditate on the Fruits of the Spirit, especially patience.
Let’s pray.
Lord, give us the patience of Hannah when we are frustrated by the waiting game. Teach us humility in the process. Amen.
God’s Got a Plan - Episode 3
Under Construction
Have you ever visited a construction site, or lived near one?
A construction site is a unique kind of mess. Dirt and mud mingle with piles of wood, shingles, and other building materials. Utility flags poke up from the ground like man-made weeds. Trampled grass and dirty sidewalks give further evidence of the work at hand.
Eventually, what began as an empty field will grow into something more: a business, a medical facility, or a home.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Sometimes, in the midst of building our lives, we look around and see only chaos: Our relationships aren’t as blissful as we hoped. Our career isn’t following the upward path we planned. Our health or finances or life circumstances are a mess, and we wonder why our best laid plans didn’t result in the stable, structured life we wanted.
God does some of his very best work in the midst of our biggest messes, if we invite him in, and step back to let him work in our lives.
Let’s pray.
Lord, what we see as unworthy, undesirable, and impossible — you see as beautiful, loveable, and filled with potential. We invite you to be the master architect for our lives, and to bring a sense of order to our days, and our circumstances. Amen
God’s Got a Plan - Episode 4
Standing in the door of the plane, with a fierce wind whipping his whole body, Curtis wondered why he’d volunteered for the paratroopers.
It was glamorous, they said.
It’ll make a man out of you, they said.
Shutting his eyes, Curtis prayed the most honest prayer of his life. He stretched out his hands and took a step…
Lamentations 3:25-26 says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of
the Lord.”
Rolling on the ground wrapped in silk, Curtis realized he had followed his instructions to the letter. With his landing, he graded out the highest of anyone in his company.
That story is exactly how we are to interact with our Savior. When we let go, confident that Jesus has us, we have no more pressure on us. He is carrying us to safety.
We land in the right place every time.
Let’s pray.
Lord, we have so much gratitude for the countless ways you lead us through life. We love you. Thank you for every safe landing, and for holding us safe in the palm of your mighty hand, always. Amen.
God’s Got a Plan - Episode 5
The Bible contains a huge amount of wisdom for us. It’s the Word of God, after all.
Usually, that wisdom is most valuable to us when we are living through tragedy. Those days and nights can be among the hardest we’ll ever have, because the pain seems to be too strong.
Have you ever felt like that?
Our topic this week has to do with Walking By Faith.
Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.”
What does this mean? Well, Scripture tells us that true faith in God is “the evidence of things not seen.” It gives us a picture of waiting for a promise from God; we haven’t yet arrived.
If you are in that place today, make a choice to believe God. He won’t fail you, not even for a second!
Let’s pray. Lord, your timing is perfect, even if we can’t see the end of the journey. Give us strength for that journey. Amen.
See the t-shirt this devotional was inspired by here