Category: Truth

God’s Plans vs. My Plans

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“Many are the plans in a persons heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail.” Proverbs 19:21

How do we know if our plans are for us or for God? Ask for God’s wisdom in the matter. God can search your heart and tell you. We are human and we are imperfect. We almost always have a motive. That is human nature. We may say it’s for God but is there a benefit for us? Maybe it’s just to look good to others or ourselves. That’s a nice thing for me to do. Maybe you are trying to decide if you should give money to somebody. They will think I’m so special if I give it. I was taught that the right hand shouldn’t know what the left hand was doing. Or give anonymously then you know nobody will know.Then they can’t thank you so God can be the one to reward you. Maybe you decide to loose weight. Am I trying to impress someone or do I want Gods temple in good condition. I know I felt led to go on a diet because I saw people around me whose eating habits were putting their health at risk and I thought I should change my diet to become healthier. I even felt led to read a book about a certain way of eating and I did loose weight and felt so much stronger and better because of it. Sometimes we just want our ways and they aren’t always good for us. Or we really want to do something whether God wants me to or not. Like I want to go skydiving so I will. The end. I want to go to Germany so I just buy a ticket and don’t ask God. At one time in my life I didn’t think to ask for his advice. But do you know that he really does have the final say because he knows what is best for me and he has plans he is trying to fulfill in my life and I don’t want to get in his way anymore. I know his plans are good and I trust him. If he asked me to go to England or give money to church I would do it without questions because it’s possible or he wouldn’t prompt me. And I want what he wants in my life now. Now me going to England would take a miracle because I live in a nursing home and need 24 hour care. But he can make a way where there is no way. When it’s going to take God’s help I know it’s his plan. If it’s totally me I would question it.

My Rock

Annette Coffey1 Comment

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself is the rock eternal.“. Isaiah 26:4

God is so amazing, there will never be anyone more faithful. God knows the beginning from the end and everything in between because he wrote the book before we were ever born. He knows the plans he has for our lives, every billion of the lives he has ever created. They aren’t just his plans because he is working with us, we may not always stick to these plans but they can still happen with his help. We can actually get way off track at times with our own agendas and sometimes they aren’t even good for us. I love the song out right now that says, ‘I took the long way home.’ Oh how we wander! But that doesn’t make him mad or worried because he can get us back on the right path. Because he is in control not us. I think back over my life and I took some long vacations from his plans trying to do what I wanted not what he had planned. It actually caused me a lot of grief trying to do it my way. And he let me even though I had to learn some lessons the hard way.. He never gave up on me though. That is a good description of a rock (unmoving, unchanging, strong). He is so amazing because he knows everything ahead of us and still keeps us moving in the plan when we aren’t even trying to follow the plan. Some of his kids are trouble and he has tons of kids But he keeps them all in line. It takes some pretty amazing love to put up with all those kids. But to him it’s nothing.

Imagine

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“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever, Amen!” Ephesians 3:20-21

Do you know how much God can and will do in your life? Of course we don’t because God’s ways are not our ways. Nothing is impossible for God and nothing is out of the realm of possibilities. We can’t limit God nor should we want to. I heard a story this morning that was so cute but so true. A little girl was talking to her daddy and asked if she could have a shiny nickel and her dad checked his pockets but he had no change so he thought well I can give her a dollar but when he opened his wallet all he had was 2 $20 bills so he offered her one but the girl got upset and told the father he must not love her if he couldn’t give her a shiny nickel. She of course didn’t understood that $20 was like hundreds of nickels but to her a shiny nickel was special and she thought she deserved it. She knew what she wanted but wouldn’t consider that her dad maybe had something better. We are so much like that little girl, when we pray telling God what we need we get upset when he gives us something different when all along he knows what is best for us (and he is a very extravagant God). We don’t know what we might be missing out on.Just like what heaven is like, can you guess? I know I can’t. But I can guarantee that it surpasses my wildest imagination. I have heard a few stories about heaven but I’m sure they couldn’t describe all that they saw for those who had near death experiences.As Gods children we should desire all that he wants to give us. We can have heaven here on earth if we truly trust God. Because his plans for us are good and for our best but do we really believe that. I think sometimes we worry about the worst happening and maybe we don’t think we deserve better or we just don’t want to get our hopes up. Sometimes when someone gets sick or has cancer we assume the worst because the doctors tell us the worst but I know my God has always done miracles.if you have read the whole story.

How We War

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“We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

We are not breezing through this life without trouble. But we have help. We aren’t doing it on our own strength. But the enemy is trying to feed us lies and we can also feed ourselves lies. We need to be constantly flooding our lives with the truth of God so we are prepared when lies come into our heads we will know in our hearts about what God says and recognize the lies for what they are. God always says good things to us about who we are in him. We also need the weapons we have been given at the ready. So we can be strong and ready to stand strong against these lies. Every thought needs to be processed. Is it something God has said and lines up with his truths or should we take it captive as the lie it is. Don’t let business or not feeling well keep you from being prepared and alert. Satan loves to distract us getting our minds on so many other things. I’m sure you’re just like me and when you try to pray your mind keeps wandering to other people or problems. It is not just us but something is trying to distract you. Red Flag! Fight with authority because you don’t just need to put up with it. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘Not today Satan.’ Well you can command him to stop in Jesus name. Because when you’re prepared you can stop him in his tracks. Then focus on how much good God has for you and move on. So don’t let the tools God has given you sit on the shelf collecting dust, use them.

Faithful God

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“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9

God is definitely very faithful and loving. He also never says anything he doesn’t mean. He takes promises and covenants very seriously and it doesn’t matter how long it takes to fulfill them but he always comes through. He made promises to Abraham and Sarah, to their children. To Joseph and Daniel. To Mary and Joseph. The list goes on and on. It may have seemed impossible at times but nothing is impossible for God. He is all powerful and he knows the beginning from the end and his will, will be done. He foretold the birth of his beloved son Jesus and it came about just as he said. And many other prophecies and even Jesus told of his death and resurrection . If he was raised from the dead then we can be certain that one day we will also be raised to live with him forever in eternity. So many promises that make this life very exciting. The Israelites even grumbled and complained basically telling God that he wasn’t able to come through for them so God promised them that they wouldn’t see the promised land and they didn’t. He warned the Israelites about going into exile and they did. He is always speaking truth and truth will prevail. The greatest truth was that he would send deliverance for to sin that Adam and Eve committed by eating the forbidden fruit and he did and that shows how much he loves us.

Fruit

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“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:2

We are meant to bear fruit as Christian’s and we need that fruit to help us grow and to impact the lives that are around us. Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness… We are God’s kids and people around us should know that and we should be more like him. So the first thing we need to do is stay in God and God in us. He will give us the wisdom and strength we need to do what we need to do, He is continuing to perfect us and doesn’t want to see us stay the same. So he will prune us and yes we may not like it but it is making us better. And our fruit will be lusher and juicier. The people around you need to see us growing and our behaviors improving. It’s that little thing we call our light shining brighter and brighter. We are changing from glory to glory. When I was younger I didn’t see the need for fruit but I am so different now, night and day different. I can see that the pruning is working in my life.,

Fruits in Your Life

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

God loves us so much but he also wants to see us grow. He wants to see us more like himself. Seeing fruit in our lives. What are the fruits we should grow in? Love, joy, peace, forbearance, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Do we have love for others, even those that may not be easy to love. Do we put others before ourselves? Do we try to help those in need. Do we share Jesus with others so they can get to know him also. Do we have joy, because why would someone want Jesus if he doesn’t make us a better person. The kind of joy that helps us stand strong even when we may be going through hardships. Peace is a calm that helps you when others may not be treating you fairly or kindly. When someone yells at you, you don’t yell back but show compassion. Do you have patience when someone is trying to explain their problems and take those problems personally thinking with compassion and not impatience. A hard one is when someone is mentally challenged and can’t help themselves do you still respect them and treat them kindly. Not saying things about their difficulties. Being good to them when they do things that might irritate you, Helping them do things. Kindness is showing great affection for others or favor. Making someone feel special and dearly loved. We are all dearly loved by the Father and everyone deserves to be loved. Do we go out of our way to make their day better. Do we put others above ourselves making them feel important. Do you do what you say you will do. Do you have integrity. If you promise to be there are you there. Or do you make lots of excuses to get out of things. Do you take others feelings into consideration before you speak. Even when they may not care what you feel, Be nice anyway. Self control is such a big one. Nowadays people don’t see a need to have self control but they say and do whatever they want. Even if it’s not good for them or those around them. Are Jesus ways becoming our ways?

Our Own Way

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“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 1::17

Think of Jesus hanging on the cross willingly in pain and suffering emotionally and physically. Look into his eyes full of compassion. And consider that he was doing it for you.Think of all your mistakes and failures that he is carrying. They are all gone, totally wiped away with his selfless act. We need to think about everything we do because he is paying for them. Or better yet consider the day we stand at the judgment seat of Christ and explain our actions as we stare into his eyes. That careless word spoken, the anger and unforgiving attitude we carried, thinking about ourselves first. They may not be big mistakes but we will feel shame and remorse. We’ll wish we acted differently and could change things. Times we’ve hurt those we loved as well as those who did worse to us. But all our poor choices will hurt while we look on his face. Yes he has forgiven us and yes we still get to heaven but I don’t want regrets. I still can’t thank him near enough for all he has done. Every time I say thank you I feel like it will never be enough. But I just want to say thank you more often. It is never wasted time.

Responding to Life

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“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” James 5:13

There is a response for everything that God is looking for. If you have problems do you dwell on them and complain? Well they won’t get better if you complain, actually that’s telling God you aren’t talking care of me and you could do better. They don’t get better till you ask the one who knows how to change things and enjoys to. There are so many answers to prayer in the Bible, I always complained about things I had no control over. Saying things like, it’s not you God it’s them. Because I didn’t like the food that was prepared for me I would complain to anyone but God because how could he do anything about their menus. Well someone preached on complaining once and I felt convicted so my New Year’s resolution was to bite my tongue if I started to complain. Either pray or just don’t eat it and eat food I bought for backup. But I also thanked God for anything good I did have to eat. God gave mana and quail to the Israelites now I have restaurant quality food and plenty of it, I learned to dwell on the Lord and his goodness. Thankful, grateful people are happy people so I stop and say thank you for everything I can think of. Especially people in my life because people are what makes life worth living. I always wake to a praise song stuck in my head but that’s good because I can never say thank you enough for all God has done. I love to listen to praise music it lifts me up. Miriam sang praise when God parted the Red Sea, We are to rejoice always. God didn’t say that just once but many times because the joy of the Lord gives me strength and boy do I need it. The stories in the Bible aren’t just to fill a book they teach us Gods ways, Many miracles come from saying not today Satan, We don’t have to take it as Gods children, Just ask.because God can!

Yes Or No

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“do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No”. Otherwise you will be condemned.” James 5:13

Have you ever known someone who just says whatever comes out of their mouths without thinking first. Sometimes in a nursing home people just say things and they are angry, hurting and disrespectful. They may not realize that words are very damaging and can bring death. They can be upset because they think someone isn’t being fair but many times there are laws or rules that have to be followed for the safety and wellbeing of them and of others. There are over 100 people living in this home and some have mental deficits to consider but have you ever really thought that you would be condemned for what you say? I know I don’t want to hurt someone else and especially have God condemn me for something I say. I can realize that foul language and cussing are wrong and offensive to others and to God and yes we should watch what we say. God is my boss and I am his servant and I want to make him proud and pleased with me. Have you ever started to say something and just felt that you shouldn’t say anything. Or maybe you think something is funny and it might offend the other person or maybe they say something that hurts you and they don’t realize it. Because they were raised differently. Tell the truth yes or no sometimes it’s as simple as that. A person who uses few words can be thought of as wise but someone who uses many words can look like a fool. Taming the tongue is not easy and for non Christian’s it isn’t normal. Or even considered necessary but it is God’s way. He loves everyone and does know that your words do affect what they think. Someone may say or do something that you don’t agree with but don’t judge them because we don’t agree with everything everyone does. Nobody is perfect even me and I try to be. By using God’s wisdom we can be better. So think before you speak.