Tag: Jesus is Love

Plan A, Plan B

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

If you are a parent, you know what it is like to make plans for your children only to see them thwarted by choices they make. They have a free-will. You can raise them right, pray for them and direct them down the right path but ultimately it is up to them to walk on the straight and narrow.

That is how it is for God as well.  He is our heavenly father and has plans for us. We have a free will and can easily walk our own path outside of God’s purpose for us if we are not seeking God’s advice and direction in all that we do.

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.”  It doesn’t necessarily mean your plans for tomorrow but rather plans for your purpose while you are here on this earth.  We know His plans are good because God is good. That is his character. He does not want bad things to happen to us. But just as you cannot stop bad things from happening to your children, God does not stop bad things from happening to us when we make bad choices.

Even when you make a bad choice, remember, Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Turn back to the Lord after a mistake and ask him for forgiveness and direction. His promise to us is found in Psalm 33:11, “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

So, seek the Lord and ask for his guidance in all that you do so that the Lord’s purpose for your life can prevail.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your loving and forgiving heart. Forgive me when I make mistakes and direct me in your purpose for my life. Amen.

He Shed His Blood for YOU

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

I am not the kind of person that you can just say, “Go do this” and I will do it. I need to understand the WHY behind what I am doing so that it makes sense to me. Today is Easter so you might ask yourself, “Why do I need Jesus?” I believe in God; I know I am filled with the Holy Spirit. But what part did Jesus play in all this?

When man first sinned, we were separated from God because of our sin. We were given laws in the Old Testament books of the Bible to follow to bridge that divide. But because we are sinful, we could never follow those laws perfectly. Everyone has lied, everyone has put something (money, success, family) before God, everyone has dishonored their parents, and everyone has had lust in their heart for another person or thing. No matter how hard we try to be good, we sin.  Because of sin, everyone has deserved death – eternal separation from God. The beginning of Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.”

But God does not want us to be separated from him. So, in the Old Testament he gave the people of Israel the ability to atone for their sins through sacrifices. The blood of a lamb could be shed to wipe away their sins. But then they sinned again. So, they would make another sacrifice. But then they sinned again. So, another sacrifice was made. It would never end. So, God sent Jesus. The Lamb of God. The ultimate sacrifice. The final sacrifice. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and then he died on the cross to shed his blood for our sins. But he didn’t remain in the grave because God accepted His Lamb’s sacrifice. The rest of Romans 6:23 says, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

You see, every sin ever committed by every person who has ever lived must be punished. That is required. It will either be punished everlastingly by the sinner (you) or that punishment will be borne by the blood of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection were sufficient to pay for all your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Trust in Jesus. Abandon all the hope you put into your good works and what a great person you are and trust in the person and works of Jesus Christ alone.

Dear Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to save me from eternal punishment. I give my heart to you today. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me the courage to tell others about you. Amen.

The Great Resignation

Isaiah 43:19 (MSG) “Be alert, be present. I am about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.”

Resignation.  This is the word that we are hearing at an unprecedented rate in 2022.  Employees that you never expected to change jobs are resigning from the company they have worked at for years and going to find something new. This reminded me of Isaiah 43:19, “I am about to do something brand new”. Brand new things are happening, not just for the employees that are leaving but for the new employees that are taking their places. For the companies that are experiencing the turnover and for the companies that are hiring new people.

I love this quote:  

“Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.” ~ Author Unknown

Personally, our company has lost about 10% of our colleagues in the first quarter of 2022 to resignation and it feels like we are in the middle of a storm. But are we? Perhaps God is moving things out of our path to make way for something brand new. To me, the idea that a storm will clear away things that we never would have moved on our own has God written all over it. I would never have wished for these people to leave our company, but God has a plan, and that plan is good. Good for them and good for us.

So maybe, just maybe, the storm you are in right now was not sent to block your path. Maybe it was sent to clear out the unnecessary things that are lying in your path, the driftwood and rubble that has started to pile up and over time and has become an obstacle. Romans 8:28 says that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Yes, even a storm can be used for good. Because maybe, just maybe, God is doing something new and that is exciting.

Lord, thank you for sending the storms. Your ways are not my ways, but your ways are better. So, I trust you, Lord, to clear my path and to lead me to something brand new. Amen

Way Maker

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

There is a worship song called “Way Maker”.  A few lines of the song say “Even when I don’t see it, he’s working.  Even when I don’t feel it, he’s working.  He never stops, he never stops working.”  This song has been on my heart and I knew I wanted to write about it, but I wasn’t sure exactly how.  Then God gave me this Bible verse and it all came together. Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

God has a plan and His plan is that everyone comes to know Christ Jesus.  So, you and I, as Christians, go about our everyday life but behind the scenes, the Holy Spirit is working on people.  He is working, even when you don’t see it.  He is working, even when you don’t feel it.  He is working on your neighbor.  The neighbor that doesn’t mow his lawn and leaves his trash cans out too long.  He is working on the funny co-worker that sits across the office from you.  He is working on the total stranger that rides the same train to work as you do.  He is working on your son.  He never stops working and you are part of his plan.  He is going to use you, because you have been called according to his purpose.

If you are a Christian, the Bible says that ALL THINGS that have happened to you will be used by God for good.  Not just isolated incidents, ALL THINGS.  But that doesn’t mean that everything that happens to you will be good.  The pain of loss, the sorrow of depression and the sting of rejection can be used for good too.  Because you have experienced those things yourself, you can recognize them in the friends, family, co-workers and strangers you encounter every day. 

Then comes the cool part, the Holy Spirit will do what he does best and put that person in your path.  All you have to do is be aware of the people around you.  Look up.  Smile.  Say hello.  Have a conversation and let the love of Jesus shine out of you.  You may be the only Jesus that person sees today.  Then when the time is right and that person is ready, invite them to your church.  Most people that have never been to a church say they have never been invited to church.  So, let’s get that obstacle out of the way.  Invite them.  Then let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

Lord, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to help me with your plan.  Please open my eyes to what the Holy Spirit is doing in the people that are all around me every day so that I can be the physical hands and feet of Jesus on earth.  Amen