Change, Counsel, Encouragement, God's Plan, Guidance, Obedience, Planning, Prayer, Sin

Traveling the Unplanned Path

Are you the kind of person who likes to have every detail of something planned out?  Do you plan every little thing on a trip, or do you throw caution to the wind and just head out and go to whatever sparks your interest?  I must say, mostly I like to have things planned out, but I’m also up for an adventure occasionally and just go wherever and whenever something looks interesting.  Walking the pathway God has planned for us can be like that.  How do we react when things don’t go as we have planned, but God takes us on a detour?  Do we freak out or do we just say, “OK God, whatever, let’s go.”  In our Bible Journaling Scripture today, King David seems not the least bothered by God’s detours.  “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” (Psalm 16:7 ESV)  David knew from where his counsel came.

As I said, I mostly like to have things planned out. However, when God changes my pathway, I must admit, I can be a little shaken, uncertain even.  When I got married the second time, I was a little unsettled because we only got to really know each other for about 6 months, and then we married.  My first husband and I had a year of getting to know each other and a year of preparation for our wedding. The quickness of my second marriage kind of left me feeling like I should have taken a little more time.  But God knew what He was doing, and my husband and I are a team, much as my first husband and I were. In both cases, we were and are a team in ministry together.  God’s counsel was better than anything I could have come up with.  If things had been left up to my own devices, I could possibly still be a widow, but God knew what I needed better than I did.

David could say with certainty that God was His Counselor, even in the dead of night when his mind could be encumbered with worries about what was going on around him, he knew God would give his heart counsel.  When we are faced with unplanned things, we can rest because God is in charge, and He knows better what we need than we do.  “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” (Psalm 33:11 NIV)

Some people are the “plan every single detail down to the minute” type of person.  It seems to me that it could be extremely stressful, especially when things don’t go according to plan.  We must be careful that we do not commit what is called the sin of presumption, where we make plans without first consulting God.  James 4:13-15 talks about this very thing.  Then there is the “fly by the seat of your pants” person.  This can lead to a life of confusion and disorder.  I think a better position would be in the center. Yes, organization is good, but so is spontaneity.  It is good to make plans, but we also need to be ready when life takes us on a left turn, and we should enjoy the journey.  You never know when God will lead us to something bigger and better than anything we could ever plan out.

So, the next time God takes you on a “left turn” in your journey, sit back and realize, like David, that God’s counsel is better.  Bless Him for His counsel and enjoy the ride!  You may just find that God is taking you on an adventure!

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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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