You’ve probably been in situations, or heard others say when something isn’t going as planned, “Okay, time for Plan B.” There are circumstances in life when having a Plan B is a good idea. However, when it comes to our spiritual journey God does not accept Himself as being a back-up plan.
It’s too easy in our lives to go happily along our way, and run into a difficulty with our first thought being, “what can I do?” When what we attempt to do doesn’t work, we may then tell ourselves that we better ask God about it. A lot of wasted time would be spared if we didn’t treat God as Plan B. When Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you (NIV), He did not mean that to be an action when all else fails.
When Jesus saved us from eternal damnation with the shedding of His own blood, He purchased us. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this is Galatians 3:13, Christ bought us with His blood…being punished instead of us (NIV). When you and I purchase something, it belongs to us. No one else has any right over it above our own decisions about it. It is the same with every child of God. When we receive Jesus’s gift of salvation, asking that He forgive us of all our sin, He does so with the greatest of love for us. He then declares that we are His.
Being a part of God’s family gives us direct access to the throne room of God where we may pour out the troubles of our hearts, then wait in the realm of His love as He soothes our worries, instilling peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7) within us. Because we belong to our Heavenly Father, we may seek His perfect direction for our lives. He will reveal His unique plans for each of us and lead us along the right paths. His plans are designed in love and with the greatest of care as we are reminded in Jeremiah 29:11, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (NLT).
Since God’s plans for us are made in perfect love, why in the world would we consider a plan B? It’s ludicrous, but it’s human frailty at work in our lives. We are constantly fighting between holiness and carnality. We cannot win this battle on our own. How wonderful, therefore, that we have the Holy Spirit of God living within us. He will teach us and guide us and remind us of the beauty of walking in all the ways of God. Thankfully, He also forgives when we stray or when we forget that His ways are the best ways; not some of the time, but all of the time.
Let us take care with the help of the Holy Spirit to never place God on the Plan B list of our lives. He is never a back-up plan. He is the plan for all our days to ensure peace and joy no matter the trials life brings.
I admire a beautiful garden where luscious green plants stand vibrant and flowers of both gentle and bold colors spring forth. However, I am not a gardener. I forget to weed and to water. The absence of those two elements does not result in a beautiful garden. It is the same in the garden of one’s heart.
There are two voices that speak to us with gardening advice. One voice is demonic telling us that sin in the garden doesn’t matter. Another voice is the Holy Spirit telling us that sin is ugly and does us no good. In fact, if neglected by the life-giving water of the Word of God, and true repentance, then weeds of discontent, self-loathing, guilt, and anger will take deep root. The beauty of joy will be choked away.
Demonic voices seek to destroy our peace. The Holy Spirit seeks to restore the beauty of Godly calm in the midst of any storm. Demonic voices seek to lead us astray, thereby turning us from the heights of joy found in Christ alone. The Holy Spirit seeks to grow godly courage that stands strong and beautiful even in the winds of life’s most troubled and grievous moments.
I am told that a good gardener will peruse his or her garden daily, seeking out every weed that destroys the beauty surrounding it. Let us all choose to be good gardeners, daily watering our hearts with the sweet and life-giving truths found in God’s Word, which is His love letter to us. Let us fertilize the soil of our hearts with much prayer, for it is that which links our hearts with the very heart of God. Let us cry out daily, as David did, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10 KJV). It is this sincere attitude that keeps our garden free of weeds, growing instead the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7 KJV), and maintains an inexpressible and glorious joy (I Peter 1:8 NIV).
Let us be daily gardeners in all the seasons of life, seeking, with the guidance of the sweet Holy Spirit, to grow crops that bring glory to God, strength to ourselves, and joy to those around us. May the fruits of the Spirit grow strong and beautiful in the gardens of our hearts.
When I was much younger I would make a New Year’s resolution. However, not only did I not keep the resolution, but within two weeks I completely forgot what the resolution was that I had made in the first place. I have a feeling I’m not alone in this past venture. Resolutions are made because we genuinely want to be better at something, It may be to exercise more, be nicer to irritating colleagues at work or school, review the budget in order to save more money, resist junk food, etc. Resolutions are made as a result of looking at the past year, taking note of where we need to be stronger, then setting forth to do it. Is it the same in our spiritual worlds?
When we take time to review our spiritual walk over the past year, what we see above our own shortcomings is something that soars above every human expectation. We see the awesomeness of our Almighty God! We see that where we failed, He has never known such a thing. We see that when we called out in fear, He drew near to us, soothing our worries. We see that when we didn’t know which direction to take in some matter, that He whispered into our hearts saying, this is the way, walk in it (Isaiah 30:21). When our consciences were troubled because of known sin in our lives, the sweet Holy Spirit led us to repentance, then filled us with the peace of forgiveness.
In short: we will fail in many aspects of our lives, but our Heavenly Father, Who knows our weaknesses, offers unlimited forgiveness, restoration, strength, joy, peace, and courage. He designs each new day for us to enjoy. He blesses us with food to eat. Like a shepherd tends lovingly to His sheep, so our Great Shepherd cradles us in His arms of love, being our everything to get us through anything.
Throughout this new year, remember the Lord’s faithfulness to you in all your yesterdays, then proceed forward with songs of praise on your lips and thankfulness in your hearts. A joy will stay with you in good times, difficulties, and in grievous times for His love endures forever as we are reminded in Psalm 136. I encourage each of us to read this Psalm again…and again…..and again. How beautiful indeed is the unbreakable truth — His love endures forever.
As we have just celebrated Christmas, let us look again at the prophecy of Jesus’ birth. In Isaiah 7:14 we read that a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel (NIV). Mary is the teenager who was given this message by the angel Gabriel as recorded in both Matthew and Luke. She was engaged to be married. She had not yet had sexual relations with Joseph. Therefore, to be pregnant was impossible. It just couldn’t happen, but God does not lie.
Do you ever feel like you are in an impossible situation? Do you feel there is no way out, that nothing good will come from what you are dealing with in your life? Do you begin to doubt God’s promises? God said He will never leave us, but do you feel alone? God said to call and He will answer, but do you feel abandoned? God said He would bear our burdens, but do you feel overloaded with your troubles? Let’s remind ourselves of the name Mary’s child would be given — Immanuel, meaning, God with us. God does not lie.
When He tells us that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28) that is exactly what He means. He is with us in the midst of every trial. He is with us in the waiting period. Remember, He waits that He may be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18). Remember, too, as Mary knew that, with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).
When you don’t understand, choose as Mary chose, to believe in the impossible. She knew God doesn’t lie. She knew He can do anything. She knew He would make the crooked paths straight (Isaiah 45:2). What did Mary do when told something impossible? She chose to believe. As you and I choose to stand firmly on all God promises, our faith will also grow, and we will be strong with God’s own strength. We will know He will lift us up when we are weak.
What a wonderful Christmas gift that lasts the whole year long — the birth of the Son of God, Immanuel, God with us who makes the impossible true in our lives. It is truth because God does not lie.
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year when we recall the story of Christmas when God sent His Son to be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. This was the beginning of Jesus’ journey to pay the penalty for the world’s sins, offering the gift of salvation to anyone who wanted it. What a story of love and redemption.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is prominent in this story.Try to imagine how she felt when the angel told her she was blessed among women and was chosen of God to be the mother of the Savior of the world. Try also to imagine how she felt when her finance’ believed she was pregnant due to unfaithfulness. Her family must have also felt the shame of what they considered her immorality. From ecstasy to sorrow; blessings of joy one moment; agony of loss the next. Have you ever experienced such? The joy of things going right one day, and the next day everything had turned to grief? It happens to us all. That’s when I like to think of something Jesus said in John 10:9, I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Our lives are made up of going in and out of doors. A closed door doesn’t reveal what’s on the other side. We must open the door and go in to discover what is there. It’s the same in our spiritual worlds. Jesus is the door. When we are sad, we may open His door and find comfort. When we feel lost, we may open the door and find direction. When we feel lonely, we may enter the door and find Jesus there waiting to enjoy sharing of hearts together. When we feel rejected, going through the door at Jesus’ invitation, we find acceptance. He takes us just as we are, but never forget, He loves us so much He will not let us remain the same. In Him we are invited to rise to heights of joy and hope and peace everyday.
Jesus really is the reason for the Christmas season. He is the world’s best gift to all who reach out to receive Him into their lives. His invitation is for everyone. No one is too awful that Jesus will not accept. He will receive you in love, and in love He will wash you and make you brand new because anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun (I Corinthians 5:17 NLT).
If you don’t know Jesus personally, why not give yourself the best Christmas gift ever! Receive His gift of salvation and eternal joy. He is only a prayer away, and then He never leaves you nor forsakes you (Hebrews 13:5).
Merry Christmas and every blessing in the New Year!
Never forget — Jesus is your everything to get you through anything.
I was recently reminded of the story of Lydia. Many of you will remember that she was a business woman who sold purple fabrics. She was also a Jewess. While visiting Philippi, where there was no synagogue, on the Sabbath she joined a group of other Jews who gathered for worship along the riverbank just outside the city. The Apostle Paul was also visiting that city. He knew of the Jews who met at the river so he went to seize the opportunity to share the Good News. Now we come to the really the interesting part. We read of Lydia in Acts 16:14, As she listened, the Lord opened her heart and she accepted what Paul was saying (NLT). It was this verse that grabbed my attention concerning our partnership with God.
Prayer is an amazing tool available to us. We use this to call for help when we need it. We use it to ask direction for our lives, to receive comfort when we hurt. Prayer is the link that brings our concerns to the throne room of God. We are to pray for our own needs, but we have the joy and privilege of praying for the needs of others, too. Our prayers are especially important in regard to those we know and love who do not yet know Jesus personally. They haven’t received His free gift of salvation that will guarantee a place in the splendor of Heaven for eternity.
I will share something that I experienced when I was a new Christian, just fifteen years old. I was sitting in church with my parents and sister. The sermon had ended. The pastor stood at the front issuing an invitation for anyone who didn’t know Jesus to come forward and he would happily explain and pray with them to receive Jesus’ gift of salvation. A hymn was being sung as the pastor stood waiting. Suddenly my eyes fell on the back of a woman several pews in front of me. She was a visitor. My heart began to pound hard as I felt the strong urge to pray for this woman to come to know Jesus. Having never met her, and knowing she was a first-time visitor, I could not know if she was a Christian or not, but I felt this strong prompting to pray. I couldn’t have explained it at the time, but we know this was the Holy Spirit urging me to be a partner in this woman’s salvation. So I began to pray.
I clearly remember the words I prayed, “Holy Spirit, please sweep over this woman and help her to not be afraid. Let her not think about others watching her. Help her to see her need for Jesus.” I prayed these words fervently over and over. Then, to my astonishment and great joy, she stepped out into the aisle and made her way to the pastor. When the song was finished, the pastor asked we all sit. He then introduced the woman as one who had just received Jesus as her Savior. Everyone was filled with joy. I was nearly stupefied, no words to describe what I felt at that moment.
When I had prayed, “Holy Spirit, please sweep over this woman,” it was the same as Acts 16:14. I was actually asking that the Lord open her heart. There must be people in your lives that you know have not yet received the free gift of salvation through Jesus. You are concerned for them. You have spoken to them about Jesus but they have not made that decision to receive Him. You feel helpless. You so want this person or persons to come to know Jesus. As days pass you almost feel desperate.. Let me remind us all — we are partners with God. When we have done all, continue in much prayer. Pray everyday into the person’s life, situations, and meeting of others, that something or someone would be used of God to open that person’s heart.
Pray daily and pray fervently. Prayers are powerful tools; our most powerful tool, to usher our concerns to the throne room, where our Father listens in love. This Christmas season, as the story of Jesus’ birth is told over and again — use your tool. Pray and do so fervently.
Blessings of great joy be with you all.
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