August 4, 2018

Surrender Plans to God

“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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

– Jeremiah 29:11-13

Sometimes it seems that the harder I try to get control of my life, the more my life is out of control. Anybody know what I’m talking about?

It’s all those little things that pop up, taking my plans and causing them to zig and zag until there’s no time left for what was on my to-do list. I try to laugh it off. Some days I even succeed. But there are those days when frustration gains a root hold that won’t seem to let go.

It helps to know that while I’m not in control, God surely is in control. Nothing surprises Him. God knew the cows would destroy the gate and take a section of fence down. He knew the dog would get sprayed by a skunk – again. God understood that I would need to prepare food, attend a funeral, visit a friend who just had surgery. He even knew I would have furniture orders to get done in this high-humidity week.

I gave up trying to predict the future several years ago. What was the point? I could never have predicted some of the things that have happened. It’s a good thing. I think God sometimes keeps us in the dark because He knows we’d never keep going if we knew what awaited us.

And, yet, when we surrender whatever it is to His will, God always uses it for our good and His glory. That’s the kind of loving Father God happens to be.

That’s the thing about trials. When there’s no place else to turn, we turn to God. When we’ve done all we can, we turn to God. When everything we once believed is crashing down around us, we turn to God. It’s in the valleys that we truly learn who He is.

Oh, but we want the mountaintop, don’t we? Sure, we do. But that’s not where we live. That’s not the real world. And while we enjoy those experiences immensely, life is messy and prone to disruptions. We think we’re headed in one direction and, almost without notice, we’ve changed course.

What happened? Life. Our plans are thrown out and we’re struggling to stay afloat and there is God. When everyone else seeks higher ground, there is God. When nothing seems to work, there is God.

A sweet friend said today that she’d finally found true happiness. But – and this is a big but – it didn’t happen until she’d surrendered it all to God. I’m not talking about salvation. She’s been a Christian for a long, long time. It’s about trying to live life, make choices, find happiness, without handing all your plans over to God first and trusting Him with all of it. Once she did that, everything fell into place.

The truth is we can’t predict how our days are going to turn out. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We can plan, and make lists, and stubbornly hang onto our goals, but it’s God that determines our steps. And they are good steps. Don’t miss that. God wants good things for us.

I’m learning how to roll with things life throws my way. I’m getting better at trusting that God knows how it’s all going to play out and that He’ll work it out however is best for me and for Him. He’s got good plans for me and you. So seek His will and walk each step by faith, trusting that He’s got you no matter what the day might bring.

April 6, 2016

Enjoy This Season

4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” -- Jeremiah 29:4-9

Where did the day go? I had plans and, once again, what I planned didn’t come to pass because of the many things I didn’t plan that came up along the way. Do you ever travel that road? It can be so frustrating!

But God always gives us what we need and I needed these verses from Jeremiah. I’ve read them before, of course, but this time the writer pointed out that this is what God told His people BEFORE He told them about the good plans He had for them.

Why is that so significant? Because God was telling His people to plant gardens where they were going to be in exile for 70 years. THEN came the good plans.

I am not good at waiting. I’ve said that many times before. Yet sometimes we don’t have a choice. God puts us where He wants us and tells us to stay until it’s time to move on.

At that point, we can choose how we handle where He’s placed us. Do we let our hearts fill with bitterness and impatience or do we open ourselves up to serve and be His hands and feet where we are? The choice belongs to us.

Waiting isn’t passive. It’s active and full of things to do. I think that’s where we sometimes get off track. We think that waiting means we allow our lives to become stagnant and that’s not what it means at all.

We all have seasons in our lives. There are seasons for being children, for advanced learning, for marriage and children and working day after day. I am in the season of caregiving. I cherish this time, yet it is stressful and emotional.

What season are you in? Did you plan it or did life intervene? And are you okay with it? That’s a big one. Learning to be okay where you are, planting a garden and watching it grow and bloom, makes the seasons seem worthwhile.

God has good plans for us. It just may take a while to see them come to fruition. Enjoy the journey.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Draw Closer To Him This Year

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

-- Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

What are your dreams? What are your regrets? What would you do with your life if money was not an issue? What kind of life would you lead if your health allowed? How would you fill your days if you could choose your own course?

This first day of the New Year brings reflections of the past and renewed commitments to the future. Most of us want to lose weight and get in better physical shape. Some people have career goals. Some have vacation goals. Some have no goals or resolutions at all. How about you? What do you want to accomplish in the coming year?

“In those days when you pray, I will listen.”

-- Jeremiah 29:12

Is God part of your plan for the New Year? Do you plan to spend more time with Him? Do you vow to study His Word? Or do you plan to continue on as before?

God wants us to know Him. He wants us to desire to spend time with Him. It’s sad that so often we don’t turn to Him until something catastrophic happens in our lives. He wants to share the good times. He wants to be part of the journey. And, yes, He’s there in the bad times too.

“If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land.” -- Jeremiah 29:13-14

Are you lost? Are you seeking to fill an emptiness deep in your soul? God can fill that spot. He wants to. But you have to seek Him first. You have to ask Him to come into your life. You have to want His counsel.

The reward? Time with our Creator. Guidance in all situations. Love beyond anything we can imagine. Blessings galore. And the very best part? We are never, ever alone. He is with us always, in all things, at all times. Loving us perfectly, no matter what.

The New Year brings us a fresh opportunity to change our path and move closer to God. It doesn’t happen in a moment. It’s a steady journey that requires us to each day seek Him. To devote time to His Word. To turn off the television and close the door. It takes effort. But it’s worth it all to feel His Presence deep down in your soul.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

God Leads. I Follow.

You will seek me and fine me when you seek me with all your heart. -- Jeremiah 29:13

Sometimes truth just sort of smacks you on the head and makes you wonder why it took so long to figure it all out. It's simplicity is so amazing that you can't believe you missed it. That's what focusing on self does for you.

I'm in the middle of a bible study titled Breaking Free. Those who have done Beth Moore studies know that she's all about truth, even when it hurts. Or, maybe, especially when it hurts. This study is leading us to heal past hurts and break away from destructive patterns. Like believing lies and trying to do life all on our own.

I daily beg God to walk with me. I want Him to guide me -- where I want to go. I ask for His blessing on my path. Do you see a pattern here? Do you see anything wrong with this pattern? Yep. That's right. It's all about me. It's all about what I want. It's all about my will. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

My life is not about me. And I'll never be truly happy until I make it all about Him. It's not about Him walking with me. It's about me walking with Him. Like a little child who grabs hold of her parent's hand and happily goes wherever He leads. That's what He wants us to do. That's where we'll find our true blessings -- in the Presence of the Almighty.

So today I'm asking God to let me walk with Him. I'm asking Him to hold tightly to my hand so I can't wander off and get lost. I'm asking Him to bless this path we're on and to light my way. I want to travel this earth with Him, safe and secure in the knowledge that He leads the way.

Friday, October, 8, 2010

God Is Awesome

"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."

-- Jeremiah 29:11

Yesterday morning I got up early in anticipation of the big craft show I do each October. I was nervous. I prayed and I prayed that I would do well but I also wanted God's will to be done. I've learned -- sometimes the hard way -- that God always knows best. Still, it's an expensive show and I knew it would be a financial blow if it was a bust.

What I love most about this show are the people. It's a major fundraiser for Wiregrass Covenant Hospice, which is such a wonderful organization. The people who are involved are such strong Christians. They even call all the vendors together each morning for devotion and prayer. No other show does that. It just makes me feel blessed before the doors ever open.

I knew that it would be okay no matter what. At least, I told myself that. I was trying real hard to trust God to handle things but I was worried and praying so hard that I wouldn't worry. So I opened my little devotional and there was Jeremiah 29:11. It was like God took my by the hand and told me, "Child. Child. Trust Me. I have such good plans for you."

And He does and He did. I have met the most amazing people. I have sold my products. I have laughed. And I have prayed with awesome people who love God just like I do. God is more than I can ever imagine and His love is greater than I will ever fully understand. I am, once again, humbled and grateful for His blessings and His Presence in my life.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

He Plans Good Things For Me

"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."

-- Jeremiah 29:11

God has a way about Him. And He knows me really, really well. So when He planted a verse in my heart last week, He didn't just leave it there for me to figure out. No. He thrust the verse before me not once, not twice, but three times in three separate readings within a few minutes. You just read the verse.

I'm one who wants Him to show me. Now. Especially now. The other day I was ready to throw in the towel. I was done. It was someone else's turn. I wanted a life again (solitude and my own kitchen beckoned me) and I wanted a job with a real paycheck (similar to the ones I used to get on a regular basis). I was tired and I wanted out.

It took fewer than 90 minutes for God to show me why I can't have what I want right now. A calf loose from a gate left open, a fertilizer trailer jack left down as it headed up the driveway, and an air filter inserted wrong that had to be reversed. Simple things in a typical day that is my life.

"For I know the plans I have for you..."

I know He plans great things for my future. I know that. I hear His voice saying "trust Me" and I want to so badly. It's just difficult to see that path to a wonderful future when the forest of responsibility that surrounds me is so thick.

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you"

I am not alone. I visited recently with a dear friend. Last year she quit a job she'd grown to hate and now cares for her grandchild. That will change one day when the military calls her daughter's family away.
She looks out before her and sees endless possibilities. Which to choose? And how do you know where God is calling you to go? He wants to prosper her and not harm her. She wants to do His will. But where is the sign that tells her which way to go?
"plans to give you hope and a future"

God doesn't tell me His plans too far in advance. He knows I'm a coward. Had I known what problems I would face, I wouldn't be here now. I would still be in my own sunny world by the ocean. But this difficult journey I did not knowingly choose has led me closer to Him than I ever could have been. I know that was the point. I have come to rely on Him because, frankly, He's all I have that I truly can count on.

I do trust Him. It's me I don't trust. I bumble along down this uneven path called life, looking for road signs that sometimes aren't too clear. Hope fills me once again. He has plans for me. Good plans. And one day, when the time is right and that far off future is the present, I'll know what He has prepared for me.