The "Plan"

Is your life a set of random events, an ‘accident’ in time, or is it one of purpose as prepared by the hand of God?  The question is not just one for philosophers.  The way in which we answer it either brings hope or despair, causes us to pursue the best or to resign ourselves to fate. 

Several members of Faith Discovery Church told part of their stories yesterday on the last Sunday of 2014 in a time we called, “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness.”  
(view podcast)   

Steve’s life went off the rails into confusion, drug abuse, and failure. But God (I love that phrase!) found him and today he lives with joy as a child of God. 

Heather and Mike were heartbroken by disappointments, but God gave them a new start and they live with joy in His provision.  

Bev faced an awful diagnosis of advanced cancer but God was there and kept her, restoring her to health.

Each of us makes choices produce results we could not foresee! In addition, we feel the impact of decisions made by others.  We are fools if we fail to understand the law of harvest. "You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." (Galatians 6:7-9, NLT)  

However, we are not slaves of karma!  Our God is able to change the course of our lives and mercifully works to restore us to Himself.  Even when we ignore Him "God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!)"

(Ephesians 2:4-5, NLT)  

He can take the choices that break us, the experiences that frighten us, the disasters that come our way from sources beyond our comprehension - and work to save us. More than just save us, He can lead us on a path of joyful purpose that ends in His eternal home! We must choose.

In the coming year, make this passage a primary source of hope, a reason to seek the PLAN, and your guide for every day. "The moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. 

He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." (Romans 8:26-28, The Message)

Are you living through a terrible time in your life?  

Do you see choices you made in the past that cause regret? 
Trust Him and let Him lead you to wholeness!

Are you experiencing rich blessings and ‘walking on the top of the mountain?’   Trust Him and give thanks, going steady on.

No matter what some may say, no matter how random life appears from our limited perspective, God has a plan and purpose that we can discover through faith. He invites us to participate in the plan, but gives us the freedom to follow our way, even to destruction.  Take the challenge first given by  Moses, the leader of ancient Israel.  Make your aspiration for the coming New Year -
"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-22, NLT)

Jesus provides us with the freedom to make the choice for Life through His death and Resurrection which broke the power of sin and death over us! The Spirit living in us empowers us to please God, to make the ongoing choice of obedience. Will you choose life and God’s plan? 

Here’s a word from the Word. 
Pray to own the promise, so as to live life to the full.
"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of yourcause like the noonday sun."  (Psalm 37:2-6, NIV)