“I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord,” our kids
shout! This was one of our family Bible
verses for 2013. Sometimes a Bible verse
can become so familiar that you start to forget it actually has great meaning
for everyday life. This past week I have
been reminded of that simple phrase from the Bible in both a personal and
humbling way.
We had it all planned out.
We would close on our new home last Thursday, make some improvements, work
would begin last weekend and be completed this week just in time for the new
carpet to be installed on Monday and then I would hop in the car to be home to
close on our house in Dayton the following day.
O, yes, we had it all planned out.
It was the perfect plan. There
was only one thing we did not plan on…what if our plans were interrupted?
Our plans were interrupted…actually…they were pretty much
obliterated...ha! Yes, the closing that
was planned for last Thursday was postponed until today (we hope). The work that was planned for last weekend
never happened. And last night as I
spending some time in conversation with the Father, I could hear our kids
voices in my mind echoing, “I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord.” I smiled at the thought… “Yes, Father, I get
it…” God says HE knows the plans HE has
for us. I was pretending I knew the
plans…I was acting like the plans I had were God’s.
Can I be honest? This
is not the first time I have had to relearn this lesson. I have this tendency to forget that God, not
me, is in control. I mean, I know that…deep
down, I really do know that…but sometimes, I forget to live like that. Sometimes I am tempted to act like the plans
I have are the best…how could God possibly have a better plan that I have come
up with? It is laughable when I say it
out loud like that, but in my daily living it is not funny.
Can you relate? You
have your day planned out…you get in the car and it won’t start or you stop by
McDonald’s for a coffee on the way to your early morning appointment and you
dump the coffee all over your pants or you plan to pay off some debt and your
roof starts to leak or you are on getting ready to go to a basketball game when
you get the call that your loved one has just been diagnosed with cancer or you
make an offer on a house just before your boss says they have to let you go...
need any more examples? No, I doubt you
do…life has a way of interrupting our best laid plans.
In response we can stomp and snort in frustration, break
down and have a good cry, blame ourselves, others or God or pretend nothing is
wrong, when it is really driving us nuts.
OR…or…or…we can sit up and hear the innocent trust of children as they
recite, “I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord.” Did you hear that? Did I really hear that? God knows…praise the Lord…whether it is something
as small as a delayed closing or as big as a dying loved one…OUR GOD KNOWS…sometimes
the most meaningful prayer we can pray is simply, “Father, you know.” Take a moment to breathe that prayer just
now, “Father, you know.” Slow down and
try it again…”Father, you know.” How
about one more time? “Father, you know.”
The Father knows the right plans. He knows how to take what life and Satan use
to interrupt the best plans and turn them around for his glory and our
good. He knows what we don’t. He knows the plans he has for you. Get that! God has plans for you! He has the whole universe to sustain, but he
cares intimately and in detail for your every step. Wow!
Praise God!
So, will we close on our house today? Will the work get done when we wanted? Maybe or maybe not…but here is what I DO know…HE
KNOWS!
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