"From Challenge to Change to Courage ... God's Master Plan" for your Life!
Lesson 1
by Sharon Leaf
One nation, under God!
Part 1 ~ Patience, you ask?
I admit that sometimes I get impatient for God's perfect timing. I grab a cup of coffee, then off I go. Before long, I'm throwing up my hands and running back to square one, which for me is, "Okay, it's me ... I'm back. I messed up and I'm really sorry. I'm going to do it your way this time, so Jesus, take the wheel." My Heavenly Father smiles, and before long, we're off, this time walking hand-in-hand.
Timing is everything. Knowing when to act or when to wait is the toughest part for those who are seeking to abide in God's perfect plan. Our desire is to know God's will, and then obey, and if you're like me, I'm not satisfied until a project is finished. But our heart's cry should be, "Oh Lord, to hear your voice and know what you would have me do." God has already told us in Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. How wonderful is that?
God's plans for you are according to your personality and the giftings He has given you. I love to write. I love to encourage people. It's that simple. What are some of your personality traits and giftings? Hey, no negative here--just positive. Surely you can find several positive personality traits. Okay, one? (lol--laughing-out-loud, a phrase I learned on FaceBook). God has a divine plan for each of us. Psalm 139:13 says, For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. As we travel on life's journey we discover God's plan for us. So what are we waiting for?
The Bible is full of scriptures that tell us to wait upon the Lord. Sometimes that's a challenge when the world around us is telling us to be productive, be fruitful, and take action! Our family, our staff, our friends can't seem to understand the waiting concept and might see us as lazy or irresponsible--God forbid that we would appear lazy!
But we learn to wait. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Then when our success comes, the amazing results will speak for itself.
Part 2 ~ Stop -- Go -- Hurry -- Wait.
That has been my life. There are times when I've gone ahead of God's timing, and the results have been acceptable, but I wonder what the results would have been if I had waited a bit longer But at my age--I'm 74 and proud of it--I don't sit and ponder much. Life is too short. We can learn--even benefit--from our mistakes. Have you jumped ahead of God lately? What were your results? What did you learn from the experience?
There have been times in my life when I have taken matters into my own hands and made a royal disaster by not seeking God's plan. Are you having any flashbacks? My first disaster occurred when I was nineteen. Raised in a Christian home I prayed for God's direction, especially for meeting Mr. Right. But one 4th of July I fell head over heels for Mr. Hot--at Disneyland! There was one too many sparks between us and four months later we were married, five months later I had a baby, and a year later Mr. Hot was gone ... left the building. I call that a disaster. But God turned my self-made mistake/disaster into a miracle. He gave me my most precious daughter, Jacqueline. I asked Him to help me regroup, and before long I was on the right path again. God is so faithful, even when we're not (footnote: Jacquie's father later became a Christian). So, have you had any disasters in your life? How can you avoid another one?
I'm an average planner. I'm organized and I can multi-task ... well, sorta. Give me a cup of java and I'll get the job done. But as the years go by I realize more and more what an amazing planner God is. As I wait and listen to Him, wonderful plans begin to break forth ... international trips to Israel, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Siberia, Turkey, Greece, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain (I'm sure I'm leaving a few out) ... living in Sweden ... living on a WWII ship for 14 month to transport Russian Jews from Sochi, Russia to Israel. Let me tell you, I could not have planned such an exciting life but God had these plans for me in His perfect timing. As I wait and listen to Him, wonderful plans are still breaking forth ... like publishing my first novel Lady and the Sea at 65... then my second novel Lady on the Run at 74.
Sunset from our veranda on Lake Murray. My quiet place.
Part 3 ~ A Quiet Place
Find your quiet place, then create and honor that sacred place of prayer, meditation, and rest. Take time to listen. Focus. Process. Reclaim your time. Shed distractions. Be still in your calling, your purpose. Choose rest. What is God telling you? What is He getting ready to do in your life?
In order for us to participate and support a plan, whether at work or within our family, we must understand the mission. God was clear on His mission. He intended to bring man to eternal life and communion with Him while we are here on earth, and when we get to heaven one day soon. But God's plan for communion with us is challenged by the spiritual forces at work. You can feel it more than ever. Right now in our country, there are people in office that are attempting to close the churches down! The spirit world baffles us so we find it easier to ignore than to comprehend. But listen: Working with the opposition of Satan makes it much harder for God's plan to work, but we know that God will overcome! We are on the winning team. God gave us important tools to help us fight the battle against Satan.
As we look at Jesus' walk on earth we can see the power of God working in His life. We have this same power through the Holy Spirit operating in us. The Holy Spirit gives us continual resources to support God's Master Plan. Everything we are asked to do from our Master relates to His mission. But it's the communication that seems to baffle us. I've often said, I'll do whatever You tell me if I just know what it is. God wants to reveal Himself to us more than we can imagine but there are several reasons why we find it hard. I've experienced them, haven't you?
The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
Psalm 19:7 NLT
We'll talk about those negative influences in my next blog Bible study.
In the meantime ... Whether near or far ... keep reading, and keep that body movin'!
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