Have A Plan?

Remember the things I have done in the past.
    For I alone am God!
    I am God, and there is none like me.
Only I can tell you the future
    before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
    for I do whatever I wish.

Isaiah 46:9-10 

 

We LOVE having plans, don't we?  If we're going to take a trip, we like to have a plan where we want to stop for food, fuel, and rest.  When we get ready to build something, we love having a plan that tells us what part goes where and how many of each piece we will need.  Plans are wonderful things!

 

Think about this, each of us has a plan for our lives that God has specifically designed for us.  WE can make all the plans we want, but the only plan that will happen is the one God has designed.  Remember, "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" (Philippians 1:6).

 

God is the one who has the plan.  And God is the one who will make sure that His plan for us will be completed.  So, relax...no need to worry...God is in control!  

Just Thinking....

Be careful how you think for your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Proverbs 4:23

Remember the old computer adage "Garbage In, Garbage Out"?  Yeah, I'm old enough to remember that and you may stop chuckling any time now.  The reason I bring it up is so we can consider our minds.  Think about all that out minds absorb every single day.  Our eyes see things, our ears hear things, our nose smells things, out skin touches things, and the mind processes everything (whether we like it, understand it, or not).

I've noted before that one of my favorite theologians is George Carlin for the mere fact that he  made me think.  He got it right when he said, "The church was all about the mind.  If you think it....you've done it so save your cab fare!"  And he wasn't kidding.

Sun Tzu, considered the father of modern warfare, said: "Convince the enemy you are stronger then he and you have already won the battle."  Isn't that what our enemy does to us?  Doesn't he convince us that "it's just a thought, no harm, no foul"?  Yet consider this, Thought precedes action!  

In Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul reminds us where to focus our thoughts:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is TRUE, whatever is WORTHY OF RESPECT, whatever is JUST, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is COMMENDABLE, if something is EXCELLENT or PRAISEWORTHY, think about these things.

Be careful what you let into your mind.  That which controls your mind IS your god!

Get Out Of The Way!

'For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.'

Jeremiah 29:11 

I hate rush hour traffic.  Don't judge! I am openly declaring a weakness of mine.  I ALWAYS manage to get stuck behind that one person who is bound and determined to keep 20 car lengths between them and the next car, and absolutely refuse to move over.  I daydream sometimes about being able to move them along or move them over whether they like it or not.  I just don't get it.  They don't seem to understand or care that there are places I need to be and behind them is NOT on my list of destinations. No matter how much I may rant, no matter how much I cuss (in my mind mostly), no matter what I do.....they ain't movin'.

To say I was frustrated and angry would have been a complete understatement.  I was stuck in a "ministry" job, hating every breath of life, having to smile and be nice to the "church folk" who seemed to take great pleasure in stabbing me in the back at every turn.  I felt as though I had more holes in my back than a spaghetti strainer.  I prayed and prayed and prayed that God would remember His promise that He has plans for me that will prosper me, not harm me, yet I felt like harm was being heaped on my with a backhoe.

Then...a very wise, Yoda-esque friend, who had patiently listened to be rant and spew, told me that when I was through trying to do God's job he would like to give me something to think about.  At first, I was offended that this person thought I was trying to do God's job.  Finally, I agreed to hear him out.  He said, "See those plants over there?  Go make them bloom."  I admit I thought he had been drinking, and told him that was not possible.  He said, "YOU can't do God's job because it's God's job and not yours.  God DOES have plans for you that will prosper you and not harm you.  Getting you there is HIS job, not yours!  YOUR job is to keep breathing, keep going, and keep alert for the door to open."

I went home even more frustrated, adding to that was the fact that I got stuck behind another "go nowhere" drivers.  Come to think of it, I could not even see the head of anyone driving...just some hands on the steering wheel.  But as I tossed and turned later on trying to make sense of it all, it dawned on me.  I really had been trying to push God out of the way and show Him how my life was supposed to go (according to MY plan).  

I got up, fixed some coffee, and started talking to God at 1:39am.  That conversation is still going on, but my perspective has changed from wanting to be completely in charge, to only having sporadic moments where I think I know better.  And have no fear, God is very quick to remind me that I need to remember who really is in control.  Good news is I'm still learning.  Best news is God really does have plans to prosper us and not harm us, because I have the best job because I got out of God's way.

How about you?