Category Archives: God’s Plan

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July 31, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Forgiveness, God's Plan, God's Promises, God's Word: The Bible, Obedience, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

NO AMNESTY

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. [Psalm 51:1-4 (NLT)]

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Tonight, we’ll experience what’s called a “blue moon,” a somewhat rare occurrence of two full moons in the same month. A few years ago the Chicago Public Library had what they called the “Once in a Blue Moon Amnesty” program. For three weeks, any late fees were waived on all overdue material, no matter how late it was. Apparently, many people prefer keeping their books, magazines and DVDs rather than paying steep fines as a consequence for their late return. The amnesty was offered in hope of getting more than two million dollars’ worth of media back on the shelves. It had been twenty years since the city ran a similar program of reprieve. Avoiding the consequences of our actions, like the Chicago Public Library’s amnesty offer, usually only happens “once in a blue moon!”

David was famous: he was a musician and shepherd, a giant killer and celebrated warrior, a great king and the author of most of the psalms. Nevertheless, he was human and David, like the rest of us, fell into sin. Adultery with Bathsheba was just one of them; he also murdered Bathsheba’s husband Uriah by sending him to his certain death. When David finally confessed his transgressions, the prophet Nathan assured him that they were forgiven. Nathan added that God’s forgiveness didn’t mean David wouldn’t suffer the consequences of his sins: his child by Bathsheba, conceived while she was still married to Uriah, would die. David’s confession and apology to God were not enough to eliminate the consequences of his actions; there was no amnesty for him.

Hopefully, when we wrong others, we confess, apologize and try to make amends. Nevertheless, our confession, someone’s forgiveness, and even restitution won’t free us from consequences. We may still lose respect, a job, a friend or even a marriage. Our actions may lead to a punishment as simple as a traffic ticket or as serious as time in prison. A child may be put in “time out,” a teenager might be grounded and a college student could be put on academic probation. We may receive a poor performance review, not be allowed to participate in an activity, be expelled from school or find a relationship irrevocably destroyed. We could lose money, status or even our family. If we choose to sin, we must be prepared for the consequences of that sin. Amnesty is rarely an option.

We ask God to forgive our sins and he does. We must never forget, however, that God’s promise of forgiveness is not like a “Get Out of Jail Free” card in the game of Monopoly. Neither God’s forgiveness nor the forgiveness of those we’ve wronged will exonerate us from the consequences of our actions in this game of life.

The people of Samaria must bear the consequences of their guilt because they rebelled against their God. [Hosea 13:16a (NLT)]

But they encouraged my people to worship idols, causing Israel to fall into deep sin. So I have taken a solemn oath that they must bear the consequences for their sins, says the Sovereign Lord. [Ezekiel 4:12 (NLT)]

And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution. [Ezekiel 23:35 (NLT)]

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July 14, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Grace & Love, God's Plan, Obedience, Prayer, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

LOCKED DOORS – WHEN HE SAYS “NO”

Who shut the doors to keep the sea in when it broke through and was born, when I made the clouds like a coat for the sea and wrapped it in dark clouds, when I put limits on the sea and put its doors and bars in place, when I said to the sea, “You may come this far, but no farther; this is where your proud waves must stop”? [Job 38:8-11 (NCV)]

7-14-15_5330webWhen the youngest grandchildren visited us in Florida, we were putty in their hands. But, being loving grandparents, we wanted to keep them safe and that meant saying “No!” at times. Among our precautions, the doors to the lanai remained shut and locked to keep the tykes from venturing into the pool without an adult. That’s not to say they didn’t try their level best to thwart our deterrents at every opportunity. They pled with us, made promises they couldn’t keep (“We won’t go near the water”) or resorted to tears. When that didn’t work, they tried to open the doors themselves. We love them too much not to keep them safe and know that certain situations (like toddlers and pools without supervision) require locked doors and firm denials. The little guys, however, simply thought we were being mean keeping them from having their way.

We are God’s children and, like my youngest grands, we often don’t have much common sense when it comes to what we desire. We pray and plead, wheedle and whine for something. When God doesn’t grant our prayers, we often console ourselves by saying that He isn’t denying us; He’s only delaying His affirmative answer. We just need to pray more and try harder to make it happen. Sometimes, however, God’s denials are just that—denials. He may even shut and lock doors to keep us from trying to take matters into our own hands. Just like toddlers, there are times we need doors closed and locks secured for our own protection.

When I look back at some of the things for which I’ve prayed, I can only say “Thank you, God, for blocking my way!” It is only in retrospect, however, that I appreciate God’s denials of my prayers and the ways He deterred me. I clearly had no idea what I was asking for in my prayers, but He did and, in His heavenly wisdom, kept me from making some enormous mistakes simply by obstructing my path. Thank you, God, for loving me enough to say “No!”

After we have made our requests known to Him, our language should be, “Thy will be done.” I would a thousand times rather that Gods’ will should be done than my own. [D. L. Moody]

I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. [Jeremiahs 2:11-12 (NCV)]

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June 29, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Plan, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Trusting God

WHY ASK “WHY?”

I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! [Job 1:21 (NLT)]

So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. [Job 23:14 (NLT)]

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Life rapidly went from bad to worse for Job, a prosperous farmer who lost absolutely everything dear to him. In a matter of a few days, Job’s world was turned upside down. His flock of sheep were destroyed, his livestock stolen, his farmhands killed, and his children all died. As if the emotional pain from losing both his family and wealth wasn’t enough, Job became afflicted with boils, causing him terrible physical pain as well.

Job’s greatest torment, however, wasn’t physical or emotional; it was intellectual. He simply couldn’t understand the reason why such horrible events had occurred. In his anguish, he asked why God had turned away from him. Why was he being treated as a God’s enemy? Job, a good man, was positive that he’d done nothing wrong so his suffering couldn’t be punishment for any sins. Why then did he have to endure such woes? Even though he couldn’t understand the why of his misery, however, Job never lost his faith in God. He finally comprehended, as we all must at some point in our lives, that there will never be a satisfactory explanation for suffering and agony; our business is not to ask but to accept. Job finally asked God to forgive him for the questioning of His will. Even without knowing a reason for the tragedies of his life, the faithful Job managed to say, “Praise the name of the Lord!”

Like Job, when tragedy occurs in our lives or even in the lives of others, we feel there needs to be a reason that we can comprehend. Why we keep asking “why?” is beyond me; there is never anything close to an acceptable explanation for the tragedies of this life. We’re simply not ever going to know “why” on this side of eternity. It is a test of our faith to trust in the life a good and loving God has given to us and rather than just to trust in a life that is good. Rather than having faith in God because of what He does for us and the blessings he bestows on us, we need to have faith in God simply because of who He is and what Christ did for us on the cross. God’s plans for us are good ones and that is all we really need to know.

You, child of God, sometimes say, “What can be the design of this cross? What can be meant by that bereavement? Why am I perplexed by this dilemma? Why is this difficulty piled like a barricade across my path?” Well, you know not now, but you shall know hereafter; meanwhile, settle it firmly in your faith that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) [Charles Spurgeon]

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? [Job 2:10 ((NLT)]

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June 4, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Faith & Hope, God's Grace & Love, God's Plan, Nature, Prayer, Thanks & Praise

DIFFERENT ANSWERS

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But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. [Psalm 31:14-15a (NLT)]

We’d gone out to the bird sanctuary expecting to see dozens of beautiful birds enjoying the easy pickings in the remaining lake. The winter was dry and the summer rains have not begun so the last of the swamp’s lakes is disappearing, making it like catching fish in a barrel for the wading birds. Imagine our surprise when, instead of a shallow lake covered with water lettuce, we found only mud and, in place of herons, storks and egrets, we encountered dozens of black vultures enjoying the remains of the stinking fish in the muck. It certainly wasn’t what we expected and not really what we wanted, but it was amazing nonetheless and we were thankful.

We don’t always get what we expect, as a story making the rounds of the Internet aptly illustrates. A distraught mother, anxious to get back to her sick child with medicine just purchased at the pharmacy, discovered she’d locked her keys in the car. Seeing a coat hanger on the ground, she picked it up, straightened it and struggled to figure out how to jimmy the door. “Please God,” she prayed, “Send a policeman to help.” A rough looking man strolled by and asked if he could assist. Within moments of her explanation, he’d deftly unlocked the car. She hugged the man, thanked him for being so good to her, and told him he was God’s answer to her prayers. “I’m not good; I just got out of prison for car theft,” the ashamed man replied. “Praise God,” the woman responded, “He even sent me a professional!” God answers prayers, just not always in the way we expect Him to. Sometimes, however, His answer is even better than we imagined!

While writing this devotion, I thought of Emily Perl Kingsley’s essay “Welcome to Holland” which beautifully describes the experience of raising a child with a disability. I remembered a woman from our church who, like Kingsley, had planned on Italy and ended up in Holland; her son is mentally challenged. At an age when most young men are going to college or getting jobs, he still believes in Santa and Mickey Mouse. At a time when his parents expected to have an empty nest, he is incapable of flying away on his own. Does his mother complain? Not at all; she speaks of how blessed she is to have such a beautiful son so full of love and wonder—a son who has brought her great joy. God answered her prayers for a child but in an unexpected and different way. Her journey, while unlike than that of her friends, has still been a good one.

I’ve never arrived in Holland after purchasing a ticket for Italy; nevertheless, like everyone else, I’ve had prayers that were answered in unlooked-for ways. Occasionally, we get vultures instead of egrets, car thieves instead of cops, or a disabled child instead of an honor student. Sometimes we get what we’ve asked for and sometimes we are given something entirely different. It’s not necessarily bad; it’s just totally unexpected. We just need to accept God’s provision, trust in His love and wisdom, and thank Him for our many blessings.

Sometimes God doesn’t give you what you want not because you don’t deserve it but because you deserve better [Anonymous Internet wisdom]

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:13 (NLT)]

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May 30, 2015

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God's Plan, Knowing Him, Nature, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God

WHO AM I TO ARGUE WITH HIM?

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Will you play with [the crocodile] as with a bird? Or will you put him on a leash for your maidens? … Lay your hand upon him! Remember your battle with him; you will not do [such an ill-advised thing] again! … No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up [the crocodile]; who then is he who can stand before Me [the beast’s Creator, or dares to contend with Me]? [Job 41:5,8,10 (AMP)]

Monday was not a good day for two animals in the swamp. A fledgling owlet became dinner for an alligator as did a large turtle. I thought mention of their fate would be a perfect illustration of what happens when one ventures too close to temptation and Satan sneaks up when we’re not looking. Out of curiosity, I searched for the words “crocodile” and “alligator” in various Bible translations. While pharaoh and Egypt were likened to crocodiles and all lizards, including crocodiles, were considered unclean food, I found no comparison to Satan. Imagine my surprise, however, when I found a comparison to God himself!

In Job 41, God points out that it is foolish for people to think they can stand up against God when they are afraid to confront even a crocodile. Indeed, God is much more powerful than a crocodile or alligator. We’ve probably all used the phrase, “Well, you can’t fight City Hall!” when battling bureaucracy. God is pointing out that red tape in City Hall and crocodiles (“Leviathan” in many translations) are nothing when compared to fighting Him. We are guaranteed a loss before even starting! “If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows. You won’t try that again!” [Job 41:8 (NLT)] Moreover, you probably won’t have a hand with which to try!

Many of Monday’s tourists were visibly upset by seeing the alligators’ successful hunts. What they observed, however, was simply nature taking its course. The alligators were only doing what alligators do: eat. The fact that owlets and turtles are far cuter has nothing to do with it! I’ve seen frogs, fish and snakes eaten by the wading birds and, while less endearing than baby birds and turtles, their fate was no less tragic for them. Who are we to argue with Mother Nature? God’s point exactly! Only His is: “Who are we to argue with or question God?” Calamity, suffering and even death come to us all, cute and not so cute, good and bad alike. A panther, python, person or loss of habitat may be the end of the alligators; the herons, owls and turtles have already taken a few gator babies for dinner themselves. As ugly as it is sometimes, that’s life.

What did I learn from Monday’s episode? Well, obviously we should be on the lookout for danger. More important, I was reminded that sometimes life seems terribly bewildering, unfair, unpleasant, undeserved, unreasonable, messy, accidental, calamitous, or catastrophic. But, who am I to argue with God?

Upon earth there is not [the crocodile’s] equal, a creature made without fear and he behaves fearlessly. He looks all mighty [beasts of prey] in the face [without terror]; he is monarch over all the sons of pride. [And now, Job, who are you who dares not arouse the unmastered crocodile, yet who dares resist Me, the beast’s Creator, to My face? Everything under the heavens is Mine; therefore, who can have a claim against God?] [Job 41:33-34 (AMP)]

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May 20, 2015

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Faith & Hope, God's Grace & Love, God's Plan, Knowing Him, Miracles

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

I am the Lord who heals you. [Exodus 15:26b (NLT)]

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. [Psalm 139:14 (NLT)]

5-20-15jasmine (star)- naples442-1webShort of seeing his incision, steri-strips and a small bandage on his back, one would be hard put to know that my husband had surgery less than a week ago! When commenting on his quick recovery, a neighbor said, “You must have had a good doctor!” Of course he did; we wouldn’t have deliberately chosen a bad one. Better yet, my husband has a Great Physician! God made our bodies wonderfully complex and, in the process, gave them the ability to heal! Wounds can close, broken bones can mend, and weak hearts can get stronger. We have an immune system to fight infection and platelets and plasma to help blood clot. Cancer cells can be defeated and, in my husband’s case, peripheral nerves can regenerate and repair themselves.

From a quick Internet search, it seems that we humans have anywhere from 15 to 70 trillion cells in our bodies. Like all living things, however, those cells don’t last forever. Muscle cells may function as long as 25 years, liver cells might last 18 months, and red blood cells can live up to four months; the cells in our gut, however, survive only four or five days! I read that an adult male loses roughly 96 million cells per minute (and not just from his rapidly balding head). Yet God, in his infinite wisdom created a body that can replace those same cells in that very same minute! Literally, out with the old and in with the new.

God did an outstanding job when he put us together. Granted, He allowed parts to break, wear out, deteriorate and fail, but he also gave our bodies the amazing ability to heal! Moreover, he gave us the art of medicine along with healers and researchers who are constantly finding ways to keep these bodies of ours working a bit better and longer.

Even though our bodies have an incredible ability to heal, not everything that goes wrong with them can be fixed. Not all pain can be alleviated, not every poison has an antidote, not every disease can be cured, and not every medical condition has a remedy. Our bodies will eventually be broken beyond repair and God will take us home.

Jesus was a healer and, while He healed the physical ailments of many, He wasn’t in the medical business. His business was that of the soul and, no matter what happens to our mortal bodies, His presence in our lives keeps our spirits healed and whole. While we may not be restored to physical health, he renews our spirit, eases our fears, turns our weakness into strength, our sorrow into joy, and our pain into peace. Thank you, Father, for the gift of healing, both of body and soul.

Prayer for Health of Body and Soul: May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength. May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your body, save your soul, and bring you safely to his heavenly country; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. [Book of Common Prayer]

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. [Psalm 73:26 (NLT)]