Encouragement, Forgiveness, God's Glory, God's Plan, God's Promises, Love, Obedience, Patience, Planning, Relationship to Christ, Repentance, Sin, Struggles

God Prepares and Plans Our Lives

How many of us go through life thinking we have control over everything in our lives? I’m sure some plan out every aspect of their lives and expect it all to go according to plan. I’ve never been one of those, “This is my plan for the next five years” kind of person. I learned a long time ago, that no matter what I may think I have planned, God has His plan for my life, and it’s a far better plan than my own. However, I still tend to think I’m in control. This month we are talking about control, mostly allowing God to have control over our lives. The Children of Israel had difficulty surrendering control over to God, yet He promised them that He had a plan, and He prepared the way before them as they were heading toward the Promised Land. “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20 KJV)

God told the Israelites that He was sending an Angel before them. To better understand who this Angel is, we also need to look at verse 21, “Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.” (KJV) I looked at a couple of commentaries and discovered that the Angel spoken of is Jesus. The Enduring Word website says, “This unique angel commanded obedience from Israel and had the right of judgment over the nation. Most of all, the name of God was in this angel (for My name is in Him).” So, Jesus is going before them to prepare the way for them to enter the Promised Land, and they are to obey Him.

The Israelites were a stubborn lot, and when I read about them, I see myself. I have a very stubborn streak, and I have had times when I sounded like the old commercial, “I’d rather do it myself!” Submission to God’s plan and will for my life can be difficult, especially when I become stubborn and refuse to follow where He is leading. I have had times when I had to come back to God and repent for my stubbornness. We are to obey His voice and surrender to His leadership, and when we do this, He will lead us to the place He has prepared. Just as He prepared and had a plan for the Israelites, God has a plan for us, and He is preparing the way for us.  

Often, when I decide that I’m going to do things my way, it fails. It’s when I decide to follow what God has planned out for me that everything falls into place, and situations are much easier to handle. As much as I want to think that I’m in control over every aspect of my life, I end up realizing that I’m not the one in control, God is! “For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 CSB)  

For someone like me, giving up control is hard to do, and I deal with this a lot. My husband is helping me see how much of a control freak I can be. It causes problems when I want my way, and then I end up apologizing for something I should have just let go of. I’m learning this the hard way. As I said before, I see myself in the Israelites, promising to do better, and then, the next thing I know, I’m back to the same old thing. Sometimes, I wonder how God can put up with me. But He is a patient and loving God, and He continues to make plans for me, realizing that, eventually, I’ll get it and follow His leading and guiding in my life.  

How about you?  Have you given God complete control of your life?  You can trust Him and what He does will be for your good and His glory.

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Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

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