Happy Monday morning! I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to start a new week full of God's surprises. I, Michele, am focusing of James 4:13-17 today. This is a short section but there is lots of good insight to gain from it. The verses that speak most to my heart are:
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog- it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that". (v. 14-15)
If only I could plan my future the way I want it to go! I would choose everything perfectly and know exactly how things that I am hoping for today will work out. As human beings, we all fall into this deceptive trap. We think our lives are our own and we have as long as we want to do whatever it is that we choose to do. What if our plans/dreams for our family don't work out the way they are "supposed to"? What if the people we plan to have in our lives aren't always there? What if the perfect plan I have for my life ends up not being so perfect at all? What if I put all my eggs in one basket and that basket falls apart? Then what? Does this all sound familiar?
The second part of verse 14 reminds us that our life here on earth is not guaranteed to be for any certain length of time. We can make all the plans we want and then our life may end before any of them come to pass. What if we miss out on some amazing blessings because we forget to include our Lord in our plans? What if everything I've dreamed of and more is right around the corner but I choose to take another path without consulting God? I don't want to be so focused on what I want that I spend my life chasing something that may not be in God's plan for me after all. I want to use everyday that I have on this earth to follow God's lead and do whatever it is that he would have for me to do. I'm not in control of my future. God is. And God is also the only one who knows how much time I have here on earth.
If we are following Christ and his reign in our lives, we will seek his guidance and our best made plans won't compare with what he has in store for us. Even when times look bleak, when things are happening that seem to be devastating, our Lord has a plan. It may seem that God is letting us down or taking away something that we would think he would want for us. God's plan does not always make sense but I would rather be under his control than my own. Sometimes.....I would even go as far as to say most times....amazing blessings come after times of despair. With our eyes focused on the one who saves us, we can come out victorious!
Lord, help me to only make plans after knowing what direction you have for my life, where you are leading me. Remind me daily that within your will is where I truly want to be. Don't let my feet slip from your path because I desperately want to go this way or that. Only if your will is my goal will I live the victorious life. Help me to do whatever it is you are calling me to do, even if it seems too painful. I love you, Lord. Amen
The lesson is understood but often not so easy to put into practice! That is where our faith comes into play....without faith it is impossible to please God. I think that He puts us into positions that test our faith on a regular basis, if we are precious in His sight. Bible heroes bear this idea out as credible -- Abraham, David, Noah, even Jesus our Lord. Thanks, Michele for your faithful heart and inspiring words! Blessings on all who read this blog.
ReplyDeleteNicely done Michele!
ReplyDeleteI agree with KB (my grandma, and I'm proud of it!) It is easier said than done. alot of things in life are. We want so badly to live our own lives, we don't even think about how disasterous it will be if/when that plan we so brilliantly put together fails. We're humans, we make mistakes. God doesn't, and therefore his plans are what he is... perfect. Thanks for sharing, Michele! You did great (as usual)!
ReplyDeleteGreat points, Michele! Of course it's easier said than done. Everything about the way of Christ is easier said than done. That doesn't mean it can't be done. It means that it requires focus and a yielded heart to God. We have to yield our hearts and wills to God again and again.
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