BBD 04.11.08 God's Plan
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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04.11.08
God's Plan
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a
city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do
not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a
vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you
ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." But
now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. - James 4:13-16.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of
peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; your mercy, O Lord, endures
forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands. - 138:8. (The New Living
Translations renders the verse in this way: "The Lord will work out his
plans for my life - for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't
abandon me, for you made me.")
Jake Merfeld had a plan to burglarize Derdre Rodriguez's home in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. Jake thought he was doing well as he had gathered up a video
game, cell phones, and some jewelry and was making his getaway running
across the yard. What Jake had not planned on was Derdre coming home and
hearing him jump out the back window. She chased him down and used an ice
scraper to work him over until he gave up.
Amber and Brandon Herbert had a plan to cover up their burglary of horse
saddles and other items from the rural Oregon home of Robert Salisbury. They
had posted a bogus notice on Craigslist that Salisbury was moving, and that
he was giving away everything instead of moving it. However, law enforcement
was able to trace the posting on Craigslist back to the Herbert's and they
have been arrested.
In Waterloo, Iowa, Cash Burch had a plan to steal a Ford Explorer. He was
able to break into the vehicle but while trying to start it the battery ran
down and an anti-theft system locked the doors trapping Cash inside. The
owner finding the man still inside of the vehicle called police who arrested
Cash.
In Detroit, Michigan a robber had a plan to rob a bank but left behind an
address and a photo ID, and she was soon arrested.
We have our plans and if they were not so sad and pitiful I'm sure God would
be laughing continuously. Instead, I think that the Lord may often grieve as
He did over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37), "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who
kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted
to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, but you were not willing!" If we were wise we would cry out as did
the Psalmist, "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul
trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge (Psalm
57:1)."
The problem with our human plans is a lack of information, and wisdom. As
James points out we do not even know what will happen tomorrow much less
next week or next year. Our lives are very fragile things like a "a vapor
that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." There are so many
variables involved with a plan. A farmer makes his plan for a good crop
preparing the ground with fertilizer and planting the seed. However, the
farmer cannot control the weather and even though forecasting has improved,
long range weather forecasting still has limits. A businessman makes his
plans for a new business arranging for a line of credit for the necessary
supplies. However, someone else may be planning the same type of business
and open a larger, better supplied store a few blocks away. There are so
many variables; so many things that can or may not happen when those things
are needed to happen that can make our plans fail.
The good news for you is that God has a plan for your life and His plan is
to "give you a future and a hope." God does have all the information and all
of the wisdom necessary to bring success to His plan for your life. Will you
let Him?
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