God has a Plan

“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”

Proverbs 19:21

Are you enjoying your new year? I pray that you are.

I have something I want to share with you today.

~God has a plan for you.~

For some of you this is going to be easy to believe. For others, it is not going to be quite so easy. However, it is the truth. Whether you can see as clearly as day the road which God is leading you down, or whether you feel like you are traveling through the darkest night, God has a plan.

I have been in both places. I understand how each one feels.

Maybe you started out the new year with a bang. Everything is going great. You are excited about the new year and you know exactly where you are going. Oh, the joy that we feel when we are high on the mountain top of life. The skies are clear, the sun is shining, and we are certain that we are right where God wants us to be. Looking ahead we can clearly see the road paved for us, and we travel it with joy in our hearts.

Maybe your year has not started out so well. Maybe you have run into an unexpected storm. Maybe life has handed you a situation that you were not expecting. What happens when God’s plan seems so far out of reach that you fear you may never find it? Instead of a mountain top you find yourself in a valley. What was once clear skies and sunshine has suddenly turned into storm clouds and darkness. Where you could once see the road ahead, now it seems a fog has set it and you can only see one step at a time.

Let me assure you today, God is there! Whether on a mountain top or in a valley, God never leaves us. He has given us that promise in His word. Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

So many times we allow the devil to make us believe that God is with us when life is easy and all is going well, but somehow leaves us because the clouds have come and a few rain drops are falling. This is simply not true. God is with us all the time.

Sometimes in life, we must go through the valleys. Sometimes we must endure the rain in order to enjoy the sunshine again. Jesus knew that life would be this way. In John 16:33 Jesus says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” 

No matter where you find yourself in this new year, I assure you that God will reveal His plan for your life in His time, if you will keep seeking and will remain faithful. If you are on the mountain top, praise God. If you find yourself in the valley, praise God anyway. He is there, no matter how you feel.

Remember: God has a plan. Whether mountain top or valley, whether sunshine or raindrops, God is working in your life. No matter how long the road, no matter how steep the hill, God’s plan is perfect. He will give you the grace and the strength you need if you will place your faith and trust in Him.

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A Little Encouragement For Your Friday

As this week comes to a close I find myself looking for a little nudge to get me through the day. As I thought about what I wanted to share with you this morning, I came across this song. As I listened to it, I could not help but be encouraged by the reminder that we are simply pilgrims on a journey.

Remember today, if your sins have been covered by God’s blood, then you have a home to which you can look forward. God has gone to prepare a place for us and SOON he will return to take us to that place.

The encouragement I want to offer you this morning is simple. God loves you. No matter how difficult life is and how many trials you must face, God understands. One day soon, the clouds will part and we will be called home. Take comfort in this thought today and continue in the work to which you have been called.

I pray you have a very blessed week in the Lord.

God Will Take Care of You

 ^“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10: 29-31

I awoke with a song on my heart and felt that it was the right thing to share today. I believe that God lays things on my heart about which to write that not only speak to me, but that also speak to you, my readers.

I do not know what you are going through today, but I want to take time this morning to encourage you. I want you to know that no matter what you are going through…

God will take care of you.

Friday Fun: What Are You Thankful For?

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18

Do you take the time to thank God for all the things with which you have been blessed? I know that sometimes in the craziness of this life we forget to stop and say,”Thank you.” Today I want to do something different. I borrowed this idea from a friend and I wanted to share it with you.

Today I want us to take a few minutes to think of 5 things for which we are thankful. These 5 things cannot be the big things, like God, family and country. They have to be 5 simple things, something that will help us to remember to be thankful today. We always seem to be thankful for the big things, but what about all of the little things which God blesses us with each day.

I will go first:

1. Today I am thankful for you, my dear readers.
2. Today I am thankful for quite time alone with God. Time that I can sit and listen for God to speak and to study His word.
3. Today I am thankful for warm coffee to wake me.
4. Today I am thankful for the ability to bless others with God’s word.
5. Today I am thankful for a safe, comforting place to call home.

Now, it is your turn. Please join me by commenting below and listing 5 things for which you are thankful.

Let us always remember to count our blessings. May we never find ourselves too busy to stop and remember how blessed we are each day.

Life Is Not Always Fair

^“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45

Have you ever had something happen and you thought, “That is not fair!” I think we can safely say that, yes, we have all felt that way at some point. I, for one, am guilty of this more than I would like to admit. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people? These are questions I find myself asking over and over again.

God does not always offer an explanation as to why certain things happen. Sometimes God simply tells us to trust Him. We can not see things as God does. We do not understand the things of this world as God does. We have been granted limited understanding, and limited vision of the lives we live.

What are we to do then? How do we respond when a situation arises that we feel is unfair? What do we do when something happens that we do not understand? We trust God. We focus our attention on doing what God’s word tells us, as Christians, to do and we leave the things we do not understand up to God.

In Matthew 6: 25 Jesus tells us: “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” Jesus is telling us here not to worry. He is telling us to leave the things we do not understand up to Him. He is whispering to us, “Trust Me.”

I believe there is something else we are told to do. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

God has called us to trust Him, to put our faith in His plan for our lives, and then to live for Him. God knows that we can not understand everything that happens in this life. We can, however, give those things to Him and seek to glorify God with the lives we live.

Sometimes things happen in this world that we do not understand. The important thing to remember is that God is in control. No matter how crazy life may seem, no matter how unfair a situation may feel, God knows and He has a plan. Let us focus on living our lives as God has commanded us to, and leaving the things we do not understand up to the One who created it all and set it all in motion in the first place.

I pray these words have encouraged you today. I pray that we will remember these verses, and remember to place our faith in God’s plan for our lives. Even if we do not understand it all, we can find comfort in knowing that we serve a God who does.