God Is a Planner

 

 

Jessica Teed – Well & Clean Water Coordinator – OB Headquarters, cbn.com

Our plans can change in an instant. If you’re a planner like me, it can be tough when things don’t go the way you expect. You can try to factor everything into your plans, but the truth is it is impossible to plan every single moment of your life. The good news is, you don’t have to. God is a planner, and He is by far the best planner that will ever live.

During seasons of transition in my own life, the uncertainty of not knowing was unbearable at times. It meant I had to trust more in the Lord, than in myself, and I had to choose to follow Him without being able to see exactly where I was going. It meant surrendering my own plans and choosing to accept whatever His may be.

It was during seasons like this that I had to pray daily, “Lord, whatever the next step is, I will choose to trust you and to take that step as you lead.” It was a daily walk of faith, every single day one step at a time. When my future is uncertain, I can be certain that God will come through for me because He is always good, and He is always faithful.

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord…” If you’re anything like me, you know Jeremiah 29:11 by heart. But how about these?

You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail (Proverbs 19:21, NLT).

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way (Proverbs 20:24)?

No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord (Proverbs 21:30, NLT).

While these verses are not saying that planning is a bad thing, they are a reminder that refusing to surrender to the plans God has, is not at all wise. Trying to make things happen in your own life, instead of trusting in the Lord and His good plans is also not wise. We can only see a small fragment of the picture before us, and our plans can change so very quickly. Just think about all the times you’ve planned to do something only to have those plans changed by the weather.

Unlike our plans, God’s aren’t affected by the weather. He is immovable and unshakeable. He is all-knowing and all-powerful. He can see the entire picture, the entire portrait of your life, and He doesn’t overlook a single detail. God’s plans for your life are good because He is good. No matter what comes your way, God knows about it, and He will faithfully walk alongside you, regardless of what you walk through. He works all things out for your good because He loves you.

Father God, I recognize that your plans are far better than anything I could come up with. Lord, I can trust You to come through for me because You can see the full picture. I believe that You love me and will take care of me. Give me the strength to surrender my plans for the good plans You have for me. Lord, You direct my steps, help me to follow Your lead, and to glorify and honor you with every step I take. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.  

I Surrender

 

 

Lorie Hartshorn – Co-Host – The 700 Club Canada, cbn.com

I’ve been thinking a lot about surrender lately. What does it really mean to surrender as a follower of Christ? The word surrender literally means, to stop resisting and submit. Here’s what Jesus said:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25 NIV).

In other words, Jesus is asking for all of each of us. No resistance, but willing submission. Why? He knows that we so desperately want to be in control of our lives and if we are left to ourselves, we will actually ruin it.  When we surrender to God and His will, we will then find the life that God intended for us. Listen to what Jesus says:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

It’s so hard to give up control, isn’t it? Perhaps surrender is not so much something that we do but rather something that happens to us when we welcome the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives? I mean, think about this — I can’t just decide one day I’m going to totally surrender every thought, every word, every action to Christ and voila, it just happens! Surrender only comes through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us, a journey of growing in faith. As we surrender one area of our lives to Christ’s control, then God puts His spotlight on another area where we’re still trying to be the boss.

Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you’ll find it’s grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he’ll answer. Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he’ll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right: “This is the right road. Walk down this road.” You’ll scrap your expensive and fashionable god-images. You’ll throw them in the trash as so much garbage, saying, “Good riddance!” (Isaiah 30:19-22 MSG).

I love this picture described by the prophet Isaiah. Surrender is a result of living out of a loving and trusting relationship with God. We learn one step of trust at a time and one day at a time as we depend on the Spirit. Our confidence grows as we discern His voice and see the way He is guiding us. That’s why we can surrender. The life that results from surrendering to God will far exceed our old idols and dreams. Like Isaiah, we will gladly say, “Be gone! I don’t want you anymore!”  I surrender! And that’s courageous living.

We do not Live on Bread Alone

 

Julia Prins Vanderveen, Today Devotions

 SCRIPTURE READING — DEUTERONOMY 8:1-10

“He humbled you . . . to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

—  Deuteronomy 8:3

During pregnancy, I often experienced quick shifts from feeling indifferent about food to feeling ravenously hungry. The child growing inside me and all of the changes taking place caused me to hunger.

In our Bible reading for today, though, it was God who caused the people to hunger. He brought them into a situation where they didn’t have enough to eat and they needed to depend on him. Only when his people were really hungry could they appreciate that God provided for them.

Sometimes God may allow us to experience a lack of something in order to humble and teach us to grow in faith too. Could it be that when there’s a profound need and a deep hunger, we need to realize that God is not abandoning us but preparing us for something greater, as when a woman is carrying a child?

It’s hard to be in a place of neediness, especially if there’s pain and discomfort involved. And it’s tempting to conclude that whatever isn’t going well should be fixed as soon as possible. But sometimes God leads us into situations to teach us to be utterly dependent on him—to show us that we don’t live on bread alone. God teaches us in order to show us that there’s more to our survival than merely having what we need. We need “every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

God our Father, Help us to hunger for you, and feed us with your holy Word. Amen.

Bringing People to Jesus

 

 

John D Howe – Program Manager, Life-Changing Surgeries, cbn.com

One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus (John 1:40-42a KJV).

Most Christians know who Simon Peter is. Even people who don’t claim to be Christians are often familiar enough with the Bible to know that Peter was a prominent apostle out of the twelve (after all, isn’t it Peter who is thought to greet people at the pearly gates?). However, a far smaller number would probably know who Andrew was. While Peter may get most of the attention, what if Andrew had failed to bring his brother to the Lord?  How different history might have been!

Down through the annals of church history, there are many prominent believers who we still remember to this day. Famous men like George Whitfield, John Wesley, Charles Hadden Spurgeon, Dwight L. Moody, and Billy Graham are just a few examples of people with easily recognizable names. What is less likely known are the individuals who were responsible for these men coming to Christ!

To have a Spurgeon, you must first have a Robert Eaglen to bring him to Jesus. To have a Moody, you must have an Edward Kimball. To have a Billy Graham, you must have a Mordecai Ham (a prominent evangelist in his own right during the Depression Era). It is rare for anyone to come to Christ on their own. God uses men and women to reach other men and women!

Who was it that was instrumental in bringing you to Christ? Who told you that they had found “the Messias” or “the Christ” and brought you to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and the salvation of your eternal soul? Whoever that person was, they were taking heed to Proverbs 11:30,

“… he that winneth souls is wise.”

Every time we share our Christian faith with another person, we have the opportunity to bring them to Jesus. We have the privilege of being an instrument of God to potentially deliver someone out of darkness and into His glorious light, if they believe our testimony.

It’s been said that “the only thing you can take out of this life are the souls that you bring to Jesus.”  The Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote,

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).

You and I may never be a Peter. There just aren’t that many Peters. But we can be an Andrew. And only the judgment seat of Christ itself will reveal the scores of unknown Andrews, to whom the Lord will say, “well done, thou good and faithful servant!”

Good Angel, Bad Angel?

 

 

Jennifer Scribner – Partner Development Specialist, cbn.com

Life is full of choices; everyone is familiar with the expression “angel on one shoulder, devil on the other.” The devil represents temptation, while the angel represents conscience. We can all  choose between doing what is right and doing what is wrong. Do we take the easier, more tempting and exciting path and accept the consequences, or do we choose the more difficult, less traveled path and avoid the consequences?  It can be difficult to tell the difference at times, but if you read God’s Word the answers will become clear.

Solomon, son of David, King of Israel, animates right and wrong as two different women in Proverbs 8 and 9: Wisdom and Folly.

Wisdom says, “Listen to my instructions and be wise, don’t ignore it. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:33, 35 NLT).

Folly “calls out to men passing by who are minding their own business. ‘Come in with me,’ she urges… ‘Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret, tastes the best!” (Proverbs 8:15-17)

Verse 18 even boasts that those who listen to Folly are as good as dead.

According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary, folly is thoughtless action resulting in tragic consequences and wisdom is the soundness of an action or decision regarding the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

When I was a teenager, I listened to Folly far too often. Wisdom was shouting at me, pleading with me to listen. However, I didn’t care about the consequences at the time, I just wanted to have a good time! My friends stole things from almost every store we entered. They seemed to enjoy stealing and got some great things. I knew it was wrong to steal, so I resisted the urge. However, when my friends pressured me, I started stealing right along with them.

One day, I made a bad decision that nearly landed me and my little sister in serious trouble! I attempted to steal some snacks from a small convenience store. When we tried to leave, the cashier stopped me and said she had been watching me and knew I had things in my pockets. She threatened to call the police unless I emptied my pockets. I was terrified and didn’t want to get in any trouble, and I especially didn’t want my younger sister to get in trouble because of my poor decision, so I did as she asked. Fortunately, the cashier let us leave without repercussions. That day I learned a life lesson I will never forget!

As Solomon described in his parables from the book of Proverbs, we must pay attention and listen to Wisdom and do what we know is right. And we must steer clear of Folly’s schemes and avoid being tricked by her deception.

I encourage you to read through the book of Proverbs. It is rich in wisdom and instruction and helps you recognize and discern folly more clearly.

Father, please help us to take the time and listen to the truth of Your wisdom and say no to folly, no matter how strong the temptation.  We want to do right by You and inherit Your love and favor.

We Get the Win

 

 

Janice Moore – Partner Development Specialist, cbn.com

As they say in the sports world, “We got the ‘W’!” The enemy thought that he got the “W” (the win), when he manipulated Adam and Eve into sin, causing the downfall of mankind. But God’s sharp, unmatched omnipotence blew that plan away with the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, who always causes us to triumph.

When my mother fell ill with cancer, it greatly jolted my entire family. I felt guilty because I lived thousands of miles away. When I heard that she was hospitalized, on a ventilator, and in a drug in-dosed coma, I immediately packed my bag and took off. Growing up, seeing her kneeling to pray every night, modeled for us how to humble ourselves in prayer. She was the life blood of the family. And she loved us so deeply.

In the hospital, she was wrought with pain and the tube up her nose distorted her face and made her appear so frighteningly weak and weary. It was heart-wrenching seeing her either struggle to communicate or lifeless from being in a drug-induced comatose state.

Opportunistically, the enemy infiltrated our relationships. We were constantly snapping at each other, pointing fingers about who should have done what.

Weeks later, the hospital staff told us we needed to decide if we were going to keep her on the ventilator or remove her from it to see if she could breathe on her own. They made it clear that the likelihood of her breathing on her own was slim. Oh boy, talk about throwing gasoline on the fire, strife and turmoil became intense between family members. Some wanted to take her off and others did not. My Dad even said he wouldn’t be responsible for letting her die by taking her off.

Then an amazing thing happened. The day we agreed to take her off the ventilator, we got an early morning call from the hospital. They said my mother was passing and for us to come to the hospital immediately. We nervously got up and jetted to the hospital. We didn’t make it in time to say goodbye and I just dreaded seeing her. Heavy steps entered that hospital room. I looked over at the bed where my mother lay and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My mother looked so incredibly beautiful. I’d never seen my mother look so stunning. She was radiant. She had the look of perfect peace and tranquility, the look of an angel, and it gave us comfort. Her body reflected the transition from suffering to being sweetly coddled by dear Jesus. What a victorious victory. We won.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him (2 Corinthians 2:14 AMP).

I believe my mother was aware of the insane dichotomy dividing the family over taking her off the ventilator and she solved the problem for us. God used her to show us His love and to bring us back together in unity.

God always causes us to triumph. When a loved one goes on to be with the Lord, it’s their gain. There’s no more pain, suffering, tears, or fears. They are triumphing with the King of kings.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

We win. We get the “W.”

For reflection: What event(s) in your life has caused you to doubt that you got the win? Will you reframe that in your heart through your faith in the goodness of God?

Playing Off-Fence While Guarding Your Heart

 

 

Aaron M Little – Sr. Manager, 700 Club Digital Media, cbn.com

My father was neither a farmer, nor a rancher, but that did not stop my parents from moving out to the country when I was 16. Within a year we had a small-scale cattle operation underway regardless of the fact we knew very little about raising cows. Evidently, there is more to it than just having them delivered to a field where we expected they would graze happily ever after.

The learning curve was harsh. I have many entertaining stories about escapes, chases, and amateur herding, but the point I am trying to make is that we learned very quickly the importance of reinforced fences, electricity, and knowing how to spot vulnerabilities on the perimeter. And most important, we learned this was not a one-time chore, but an ongoing process of regular maintenance.

The split-rail fence makes for a scenic pastoral experience, but those rails regularly find their way out of the post holes after a storm or just by natural decay. Sometimes the cows even have enough brains to maneuver their heads between the rails and knock them loose. (This is when we learned the value of electrifying the fence!) And the posts are not immune to any of these threats either. When a post gets weak, it’s only a matter of time before an entire section of fence is going to come down. That is not a pleasant situation to wake up to after a thunderstorm rolled through the night before and now the cows are missing!

As I’ve told these stories over the decades, it recently occurred to me that my father’s small-time cattle operation serves as a good model for how Christians need to maintain their spiritual investment in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 CSB)

With the same intensity and purpose that my parents put into walking the fence line looking for weaknesses and potential hazards, as believers, we should be examining our hearts regularly for the same.

Any time we allow a root of bitterness because of offense, a couple of our rails have fallen out. When we react poorly to that relationship that triggers our frustrations, our fence posts are starting to weaken. Any ‘secret sins’ we allow to linger are rotting the wood of both rail and post. And then when that storm of life rushes in out of nowhere, our weakened fence is no match for the forces of this world and our enclosure is breached. Our love, joy, peace, and patience has escaped from our heart because we did not maintain (guard) it properly.

The vigilance and intentionality that my folks use in monitoring their cattle fences is a beautiful model for how Christians should go about maintaining the condition of our hearts. When we feel that sting of offense, we need to recognize it and bend down and put those rails back in the post holes (forgive). When we react in sinful ways to relationship triggers, we need to own it and replace that weakened post with a new one (humility). When our struggles with the flesh are overwhelming, we must seek accountability and repentance and root out the rotten areas of our lives just like replacing decaying pieces of a wooded fence. And now when the storms of life come, we can withstand them because we have been maintaining our fence (hearts) along the way. Now in the face of life’s great trials, we will experience what it is to have supernatural love, joy, peace, patience, and all the divine spiritual fruits found in Galatians chapter 5.

Take that walk around the perimeter of your heart today. Look for the fallen rails. Identify the vulnerable posts. Do some maintenance. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you the strength to make the necessary repairs. Even if you are in the midst of a storm, the miraculous power of God is not limited from entering into your situation. Guard your heart with intentionality and on a regular basis. Just like I learned as a teenager out on the ranch, do the work. You’ll be glad you did…and bonus, so will the Father