His Plan For You

Psalm 119:61(MSG)
The wicked hemmed me in--there was no way out--but not for a minute did I forget Your plan for me.

Never forget God's plan for your life.  He has promised you a future.  He has assigned you a task, or perhaps many of them, here on earth and then upon completion of those assignments, He has a room waiting just for you!  I sure don't want to miss that! 

This verse sounds rather hopeless in the beginning, but it's ending assures me that I am destined for great things here on earth and in heaven!  As we head into this week leading up to Easter, I can't think of a better time to remember His plan of salvation for you!  Jesus lays it all out for us in the following verses shortly before He departs this world.  In my darkest hours.....when it seems there is no way out....I pray that I will not forget the plan that Jesus has for my life.  If you are reading these words right now, please know that I have prayed the same for you.

John 14:1-6(MSG)
"Don't let this throw you.  You trust God, don't you?  Trust me.  There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home.  If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you?  And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live.  And you already know the road I'm taking."  Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going.  How do You expect us to know the road?"  Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life.  No one gets to the Father apart from me.

Father,
Thank you for the gift of Your son!  Help us to remember that You are always with us...that You will not leave us or forsake us...and that Your plan for our life is perfect.  Empower us with wisdom and strength to walk in Your ways with grace and love.
In Christ's Name,
Amen

Hang On

Psalm 119:49(MSG)
Remember what You said to me, your servant--
I hang on to these words for dear life!

I may have influenced my daughter.  I think she is a
"country girl" like me.  In this pic she is taking a
break from reading her book in one of her
favorite reading spots...the tree.

A funny thing happened on the way to find an Ice Cream place the other day.  First, I should tell you that we are out of our "town" and smack dab in the middle of the "city".  The Wiser dictionary defines "city" as:  An inability to see the sky due to the intrusion of large concrete and brick expanses towering high over our heads.  Did you know that with the crowding together of many buildings, it becomes quite difficult to get a perspective on where you are and where you want to go?  This is especially true when you are unfamiliar with the territory. 

Now, I continue the story of the quest for a flavorful sweet treat after a long day of travel.  Not knowing the neighborhood, I quickly turned to my "smart" phone.  Googling the nearest creamery seemed in order, so I intelligently proceeded with my plan.  Eureka!  I found a quaint little cold treat store only a few blocks from our current location.  I quickly plugged in the address to my handy~dandy little "maps" application.  If you're not familiar with this phone app., you should know that upon command, it succinctly pulls up a map and drops a blue pin where you are currently located, followed by another pin for where you want to go.  Quite literally as you move closer to your target, the dots on the map close in on one another.  It's pretty cool and I have a huge appreciation for this fancy new gadget, because I am from the complicated folding map generation from days gone by. 

So, off we go in the direction of the blue glowing target.  One block, two blocks, three blocks, and finally four blocks.  The pins are very close now.  We begin looking at the signs on the various businesses.  Nothing.  Hmm...but the map is showing that we are there?  What's up with this?  We back up and the dots separate.  We move forward and the dots are on top of each other.  We circle around the block and watch as the dots go apart and then return together at the location we were just at.  There is no ice-cream place.  Did they move?  Was the "smart" phone wrong?  It can't be wrong...right?  After all, it is a "smart" phone.  We continue our little circling for probably another ten minutes before we give up our destination and adjust our target for some fresh fruit at a local market.  (I know...it was the healthier choice anyway.)

The next day, as we continued to explore our surroundings, we were astonished to make an incredible discovery!  Underneath the street lies an entire "Underground World".   In this world there are tunnels and breezeways connecting buildings.  There are also shops and eateries....and yes...even an ice cream store!  Yep, you read that correctly!  The establishment we were searching for was right under our feet the whole time!  We were in the right place and didn't even know it.  It's OK, you can laugh at our perilous journey.  We got a good chuckle out of it too!

Reading today's verse reminded me of this mishap, because I can apply it to my spiritual life.  The entire writings of Psalm 119 focus on the significance of God's Word to His people.  The verses within it are praising God for the "map" that He has gifted them with.  The directions that He generously supplied to them would allow them to navigate the waters of life in a manner fitting to be called a servant of the King. 

God has given me a clear route to take today.  Thankfully, He directs me around walls, over obstacles, and through tunnels, as long as I am hanging onto His words for dear life!

Lord,
I am so grateful to You for the words that You supply me with each day to direct and guide me into a place of love and commitment to You.  Give me the strength to walk in the route that You have set out before me.
In Christ's Name,
Amen