God’s Plan

SURRENDER

Jeremiah 29:11-12 – “‘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.’”

This scripture is a great companion to the one that I noted in my previous post (This Little Light of Mine):

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

My husband and I recently celebrated our one year anniversary (we’re marriage veterans now! 🙂 ). I know I’m still technically in the newlywed/honeymoon phase, but I have to say that I really do love being married. I highly recommend it (with the right person 😉 )! Despite the joy that my husband brings to my life, our journey this past 1.25 years has had its challenges, and life has definitely thrown us a few curve balls; but with God’s strength, we have made it through each and every trial.

Since we first married, my husband and I have been praying and hoping for a specific move of God; and as yet, the move we seek has not manifested. We have experienced disappointment and frustration because of this delay, but we remain steadfast in our hope, because we know that God’s plan is to prosper us and give us hope and a future. This faith has given us certainty that, at the right time, God will move in a miraculous, undeniable way!

Now, while we would prefer that this move happen sooner than later, we have to remind ourselves (often) that God’s perfect timing, His perfect plan, is always better than anything that we could imagine. Ultimately, we have to trust Him, leaning not on our own understanding, or on our own vision of how and when things should be. We have to maintain that trust…that faith…when (even in the temporary) the miracle doesn’t manifest.

God is sovereign. He is in control. And if we say that we surrender our lives to Him, we must do it completely, even if it means a delay, or even an outright denial, of our most ardent prayers. God knows best, and as always, we must remember that ultimately, everything will work for our good and His glory.

Shine Your Light!

SONGS

I Surrender – Hillsong United

I Surrender All – Israel Houghton

This Little Light of Mine

FAITH

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

I love this scripture. It is definitely one of my favorites. It’s a poignant reminder that God’s work and move in our lives is not always going to make sense to us…and that’s okay. “His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

What we do know, and can always cling to, is that our God is all-powerful, all-knowing…He stands outside of time. He sees and knows things that we cannot, and He can see an infinite number of moves ahead to perceive how everything comes together to work for our good and His glory. Knowing this makes it easier to trust Him, even in the trials of life, because we understand that He is guiding our path and leading us through the test.

I was watching a TV show the other day, about a woman who was waiting on a miracle that never came. She waited and prayed in faith. She remained steadfast throughout it all. During a conversation with a nonbeliever, after all was said and done, she shared that she was okay, at peace, even though she did not receive her miracle. She explained to him that faith was about continuing to trust and believe, even when the miracle doesn’t come. Touched by her faith, the nonbeliever declared that even though it wasn’t something he did, he would pray for her. She smiled softly and replied, “Wow, that’s a miracle right there.”

I loved that scene, and must admit that I was touched, as well. It was a great depiction of how our decision to trust God, with all our heart, in the midst of our struggle, when we don’t see Him move, when the miracle doesn’t come…can be just the thing that someone observing our walk may need to come to Christ. Your faith shines bright and draws other to God.

Shine Your Light!

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

Matthew 5:14-16 – ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

SONGS

This Little Light of Mine – Addison Road