Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
How many times have you made plans that somehow were derailed? Just today, I made plans to clean out some boxes in my garage. I decided that this project was going so well that I would also gather some things from my craft room. After all, I am taking unwanted items to the thrift shop later this week… I just as well take as much as I can! Then my husband called to me to help him clean out some boxes in the attic. I got involved in his project, along with my own, and before I knew it, the day that was going to have room for lots of projects was over!
I can’t complain. We have accomplished a lot today. And I have learned to roll with the punches… very seldom do my days go completely as planned. Everyone has twists and turns in their plans, and I learned a long time ago that getting upset when “life happens” will not be very healthy in the long run! But if I stay on course and sort of “reboot” every now and again, what needs to get done is eventually accomplished.
The beautiful thing is that God has plans for each of us… perfect plans. And we can try all we want to derail them… we can insert our own desires and two-cents-worth into the mix…and we can fall apart when things don’t go as we hoped or anticipated. But at the end of the day, if we will pay close attention, God’s plans will be the ones that get us the farthest down the road.
We need to begin each morning by asking, “LORD, what are YOUR plans for me today? Show me how to accomplish what YOU have in store for me… to listen for Your voice and direction.” We need to stay the course as much as possible. But when bumps in the road occur, we need to ask God to help us handle them and get back on track as quickly as possible. If we try to fix things on our own… or we veer away from the designs that God has for us, we can expect problems, disappointments and heartaches.
I am amazed when I stop and recognize that God created a plan precisely for my life… and yours… and the next guy’s, and the next. I see His hand in so many aspects of my days, and I see Him at work for others, too. I have to laugh at how ridiculous we are to think we could do better… or that He doesn’t care about us. And I am truly, deeply humbled by such a generous gift.
I don’t know the plans God has for you… but I know they are amazing. Have you asked Him lately what He has in store for you… and which direction you should take? Isn’t it about time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label unexpected plans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unexpected plans. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for September 15, 2012
James 4:16-17
Yet you are stupid enough to brag, and it is wrong to be so proud. If you don’t do what you know is right, you have sinned.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One of the things that endeared the late Sam Walton to so many was his ability to be a “regular guy.” He didn’t drive around town in a fancy car or wear expensive suits (although I’m sure he had both). He didn’t “act like a big shot.” And most importantly, he insisted that his customers be treated well. My husband and I once toured Mr. Walton’s museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. On display was this incredibly beaten up, worn-out thermos. A “customer” had returned this thermos to Mr. Walton’s early "five-and-dime" store, claiming that it was defective!
The kicker was that Mr. Sam did not even carry this particular brand of thermos in his store! But he gave the person a refund in exchange for the thermos anyway…because he felt so strongly that “the customer is always right.” And I have to believe that Mr. Sam gained a customer for life, because of his humility. He surely did something right, because we all know how wildly successful Wal-Mart has become over the last half century!
Please hear me… there is a difference between being proud of your accomplishments in life and being arrogant. If you have worked hard and become successful, you have every right to be proud of what you have achieved. But if you make sure that each person you encounter knows every minute detail of your triumphs - or you flaunt your wealth and acquisitions and treat people poorly - you have totally missed the mark. And God will not be pleased.
We Christians are called to accomplish all that God wants for us… to live in His will and excel to the best of the abilities He gives us. But we are also called to be humble… and to do the right thing. This means that we must show up in life whenever we are expected… for family and friends, our church and community - whenever and wherever God sends us! There will be plenty of times when this is neither pleasant or on our agenda. But I think most of us pretty well know when this is the right thing to do, regardless of how we feel or how badly this derails our own plans.
This is important stuff! God wants us to be smart… to be unassuming and unpretentious… to do what we know is right, regardless of how we may feel or how it may wreck our personal itinerary. God will undoubtedly bless us well beyond what we deserve… but this is in no way our license to become a “big shot!” If we are truly attuned to His voice – and His will – we will know that arrogance is not considered an attribute! God wants modest, respectful servants who show up when they should and do what He has ordained. Do you fit this description? Shouldn’t you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Yet you are stupid enough to brag, and it is wrong to be so proud. If you don’t do what you know is right, you have sinned.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One of the things that endeared the late Sam Walton to so many was his ability to be a “regular guy.” He didn’t drive around town in a fancy car or wear expensive suits (although I’m sure he had both). He didn’t “act like a big shot.” And most importantly, he insisted that his customers be treated well. My husband and I once toured Mr. Walton’s museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. On display was this incredibly beaten up, worn-out thermos. A “customer” had returned this thermos to Mr. Walton’s early "five-and-dime" store, claiming that it was defective!
The kicker was that Mr. Sam did not even carry this particular brand of thermos in his store! But he gave the person a refund in exchange for the thermos anyway…because he felt so strongly that “the customer is always right.” And I have to believe that Mr. Sam gained a customer for life, because of his humility. He surely did something right, because we all know how wildly successful Wal-Mart has become over the last half century!
Please hear me… there is a difference between being proud of your accomplishments in life and being arrogant. If you have worked hard and become successful, you have every right to be proud of what you have achieved. But if you make sure that each person you encounter knows every minute detail of your triumphs - or you flaunt your wealth and acquisitions and treat people poorly - you have totally missed the mark. And God will not be pleased.
We Christians are called to accomplish all that God wants for us… to live in His will and excel to the best of the abilities He gives us. But we are also called to be humble… and to do the right thing. This means that we must show up in life whenever we are expected… for family and friends, our church and community - whenever and wherever God sends us! There will be plenty of times when this is neither pleasant or on our agenda. But I think most of us pretty well know when this is the right thing to do, regardless of how we feel or how badly this derails our own plans.
This is important stuff! God wants us to be smart… to be unassuming and unpretentious… to do what we know is right, regardless of how we may feel or how it may wreck our personal itinerary. God will undoubtedly bless us well beyond what we deserve… but this is in no way our license to become a “big shot!” If we are truly attuned to His voice – and His will – we will know that arrogance is not considered an attribute! God wants modest, respectful servants who show up when they should and do what He has ordained. Do you fit this description? Shouldn’t you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 14, 2012
James 4:13-15
And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
If my grandmother lives to November 5th, we will celebrate her 100th birthday. I’ve begun to make plans… reserved the parlor at her assisted living facility, sent in the forms to Willard Scott for recognition on the TODAY show, and started thinking about refreshments and who to invite. At the same time, I am well aware that a LOT can happen in fifty-two days – especially when you are 99 and in declining health. So I preface all statements about future events with regard to my Mam-ma Polly with the word “if.”
I’ve also learned that any and all plans are subject to change. People get sick, accidents happen, events beyond our control occur… and our course is revised. Sometimes these are momentary setbacks… sometimes the result of the alteration is permanent. Many probably thought Hurricane Katrina would blow through and change things for a few days – or possibly weeks. No one knew that, in some ways, all of our lives would be forever altered by this natural disaster. We could not predict that terrorists would fly planes into the Twin Towers on a beautiful September morning eleven years ago and alter life for millions of people worldwide.
My friend had no clue that a visit to the doctor to investigate her husband’s headaches would result in a diagnosis of a cancerous – and virtually incurable – brain tumor. A young man who got caught in a 40+-car pileup on his way to work one icy, foggy morning last fall in Tennessee did not know that his life was over… his one-month marriage finished…that his destiny was heaven instead of his place of work.
Please understand that this is not meant to be a “bad news” message. More importantly, do not for one minute think that I am saying that God caused any of these events. But I know that He used them, because God never wastes an opportunity to work in and through His people. I am not telling you to stop making plans… to forget goals and aspirations. I am just reminding you that we are not in charge… and every plan we make is subject to change. We must learn to plan with God in mind. We must focus on expecting God to chart our course… and to guide us as we make our plans.
We must develop such a close relationship with God that we know for certain when HE is the one trying to alter our course… and when we are listening to the devil. And we must be very careful not to blame Satan when God says, “You’re on the wrong path.” “The devil did this,” is not a good excuse – or an “out” when things don’t go our way! We must trust that any alterations God allows in our plans are for our benefit…and we must be ready and willing to say, “Okay, LORD… which way do I go now?”
Will the devil try to trip you up? Absolutely – and often! Will you know the difference between his interference and a change in course designed or allowed by God? I surely hope so! Are you prepared to let God to chart your path… to guide your plans according to His perfect will? More importantly, will you accept God’s modifications with a glad heart and complete faith that plans are perfect? Do you get it that every minute of our life is like a wispy fog… here one minute and gone the next… but that God’s love and care – and His plans for us – endure forever?
Prayerfully – and carefully – plot a course for your life. Make every effort to stay attuned to God’s will and His design for each step you take. Live deliberately... don't put off telling others you love them, "mending fences," or fulfilling obligations. If you feel that God has told you something is important enough to incorporate into your plans, the phrase "I'll do it later" should not be uttered. Learn to tell the difference between the devil’s efforts to trip you up and a bona fide change in course delivered by God.
Live in the faith and confidence of knowing that you are obediently operating in God’s will for your life, and that He will never desert you… never allow more than you can handle with His help. When changes in your plans happen, stop and ask Him, “Which way now, LORD?” – and mean it!
©2012 Debbie Robus
And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
If my grandmother lives to November 5th, we will celebrate her 100th birthday. I’ve begun to make plans… reserved the parlor at her assisted living facility, sent in the forms to Willard Scott for recognition on the TODAY show, and started thinking about refreshments and who to invite. At the same time, I am well aware that a LOT can happen in fifty-two days – especially when you are 99 and in declining health. So I preface all statements about future events with regard to my Mam-ma Polly with the word “if.”
I’ve also learned that any and all plans are subject to change. People get sick, accidents happen, events beyond our control occur… and our course is revised. Sometimes these are momentary setbacks… sometimes the result of the alteration is permanent. Many probably thought Hurricane Katrina would blow through and change things for a few days – or possibly weeks. No one knew that, in some ways, all of our lives would be forever altered by this natural disaster. We could not predict that terrorists would fly planes into the Twin Towers on a beautiful September morning eleven years ago and alter life for millions of people worldwide.
My friend had no clue that a visit to the doctor to investigate her husband’s headaches would result in a diagnosis of a cancerous – and virtually incurable – brain tumor. A young man who got caught in a 40+-car pileup on his way to work one icy, foggy morning last fall in Tennessee did not know that his life was over… his one-month marriage finished…that his destiny was heaven instead of his place of work.
Please understand that this is not meant to be a “bad news” message. More importantly, do not for one minute think that I am saying that God caused any of these events. But I know that He used them, because God never wastes an opportunity to work in and through His people. I am not telling you to stop making plans… to forget goals and aspirations. I am just reminding you that we are not in charge… and every plan we make is subject to change. We must learn to plan with God in mind. We must focus on expecting God to chart our course… and to guide us as we make our plans.
We must develop such a close relationship with God that we know for certain when HE is the one trying to alter our course… and when we are listening to the devil. And we must be very careful not to blame Satan when God says, “You’re on the wrong path.” “The devil did this,” is not a good excuse – or an “out” when things don’t go our way! We must trust that any alterations God allows in our plans are for our benefit…and we must be ready and willing to say, “Okay, LORD… which way do I go now?”
Will the devil try to trip you up? Absolutely – and often! Will you know the difference between his interference and a change in course designed or allowed by God? I surely hope so! Are you prepared to let God to chart your path… to guide your plans according to His perfect will? More importantly, will you accept God’s modifications with a glad heart and complete faith that plans are perfect? Do you get it that every minute of our life is like a wispy fog… here one minute and gone the next… but that God’s love and care – and His plans for us – endure forever?
Prayerfully – and carefully – plot a course for your life. Make every effort to stay attuned to God’s will and His design for each step you take. Live deliberately... don't put off telling others you love them, "mending fences," or fulfilling obligations. If you feel that God has told you something is important enough to incorporate into your plans, the phrase "I'll do it later" should not be uttered. Learn to tell the difference between the devil’s efforts to trip you up and a bona fide change in course delivered by God.
Live in the faith and confidence of knowing that you are obediently operating in God’s will for your life, and that He will never desert you… never allow more than you can handle with His help. When changes in your plans happen, stop and ask Him, “Which way now, LORD?” – and mean it!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 9, 2012
Psalm 90:10, 12
We can expect seventy years, or maybe eighty, if we are healthy, but even our best years bring trouble and sorrow. Suddenly our time is up, and we disappear.
Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
For the first twenty-five-plus years of my adult life, I lived and breathed by a schedule and calendar. In my years as a teacher, I planned everything around the school year and scheduled holidays. When I was not in summer school, I mapped out my summer days – to some degree - trying to get everything I felt I had to get done finished within the first week or two so I could “relax” and enjoy the rest of the break. I would frantically spend the first week or two of June doing all of my heavy house cleaning, any “summer sewing” and getting other “obligations” out of the way.
At the end of the summer break, I would allow a couple of weeks or more to get ready to go back to school… cleaning again, making meals to put in the freezer, and then actually working at school to get my room ready for the new class. I used to plan weekly menus – and stick to them! I have “to-do” lists from those years that would probably stack inches high on my desk. And yes, if you saw my laundry room filled with fabrics and crafts items waiting to become my latest project, you would say I still have “to-do” lists of sorts!
Now that I have the luxury of retirement and don’t have to plan my life around a work schedule, I can enjoy “going with the flow” more. There are many days when I say to myself – or anyone within earshot, “I got so much more done when I was working!” But at the same time, I have to ask myself if I really made every day count in the bargain.
In my notes, I have written that “the value of dying is that it makes us aware of how limited time is. Our days are numbered! Make every day count for God!” I have learned the hard way that a lot of what we think is important – or makes us happy – is more about appearances and pleasing others than satisfying ourselves… much less God.
So here are a few things I have learned along the way...
I suggest that we start each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of a new day. Ask God to show you what He has planned for your day… and work your own “to-do” list around His! Our days are numbered, but God can show us how to make every single one count. Are you wisely using all the time that you have?
©2012 Debbie Robus
We can expect seventy years, or maybe eighty, if we are healthy, but even our best years bring trouble and sorrow. Suddenly our time is up, and we disappear.
Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
For the first twenty-five-plus years of my adult life, I lived and breathed by a schedule and calendar. In my years as a teacher, I planned everything around the school year and scheduled holidays. When I was not in summer school, I mapped out my summer days – to some degree - trying to get everything I felt I had to get done finished within the first week or two so I could “relax” and enjoy the rest of the break. I would frantically spend the first week or two of June doing all of my heavy house cleaning, any “summer sewing” and getting other “obligations” out of the way.
At the end of the summer break, I would allow a couple of weeks or more to get ready to go back to school… cleaning again, making meals to put in the freezer, and then actually working at school to get my room ready for the new class. I used to plan weekly menus – and stick to them! I have “to-do” lists from those years that would probably stack inches high on my desk. And yes, if you saw my laundry room filled with fabrics and crafts items waiting to become my latest project, you would say I still have “to-do” lists of sorts!
Now that I have the luxury of retirement and don’t have to plan my life around a work schedule, I can enjoy “going with the flow” more. There are many days when I say to myself – or anyone within earshot, “I got so much more done when I was working!” But at the same time, I have to ask myself if I really made every day count in the bargain.
In my notes, I have written that “the value of dying is that it makes us aware of how limited time is. Our days are numbered! Make every day count for God!” I have learned the hard way that a lot of what we think is important – or makes us happy – is more about appearances and pleasing others than satisfying ourselves… much less God.
So here are a few things I have learned along the way...
- It is okay to pick and choose. I have opted to spend time with my grandmother instead of attending the funeral of one of her friends. I have learned to say “No!” rather than stretch myself too thinly. A dear “other-mother” friend of mine told a mutual friend once, “’No!’ can be a holy answer!” My former pastor told me that “’No!” is a complete sentence!”
- Spending time on my own health and fitness benefits everyone… not just me. If I don’t take care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually, I cannot help those who need me… not to mention that God wants me to be the best “me” possible. (see point #1)
- If I get to the end of a busy, productive day and didn’t plan a meal for dinner, there is always peanut butter – or carry-out!
- “To-do” lists are great things… we should have goals. But just because something is on “the list” doesn’t mean the world will crash down around you if it doesn’t get done!
- Relationships are more important than crossing something off the list. A walk in the park with my husband trumps a clean floor any day. Ditto for time spent with our little ones, a phone conversation with a friend or family member, and dropping everything to comfort someone who is in need.
I suggest that we start each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of a new day. Ask God to show you what He has planned for your day… and work your own “to-do” list around His! Our days are numbered, but God can show us how to make every single one count. Are you wisely using all the time that you have?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 1, 2012
Philippians 4:6-7
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
The saying goes… “If you want to make God laugh… tell Him your plans!” At least once a day, my husband and I ask each other, “What’s your plan for today/tomorrow?” Most often, the answer is, “I really don’t have one.” We’ve learned to plan for the unexpected… that each day is different… and most plans need to be fairly “loose!” So when something arises to change our plans, we try very hard to “go with the flow”… to let God guide our days and nights and free us of worries and concerns when things take a left turn!
Life is about the journey, and the most important part of living in Spiritual maturity lies in how we make the journey. If we act like someone who is not a Christian when things go wrong or we don’t get “our way”… when our plans are interrupted… what is the point of trusting God? Who would believe us anyway?
I will be the first to admit that there are times when I panic… or when I get disgruntled and disappointed because I had something planned and it didn’t happen as I had hoped. But I’m also learning that life is what happens when we show up. If we will stay close to God in prayer and ask Him, “What are YOUR plans for me today/tomorrow?”… He will show us amazing things. And when we hit a bump in the road, we should learn to say, “Okay, LORD… this was not what I expected. I’m asking You to handle this, because I cannot.”
Let’s learn to live in the sense of God’s wholeness… to settle down and replace worry with a focus on Jesus. Let’s show others that the life of a mature, Spirit-filled Christian has no room for panic and frustration over plans that changed directions or didn’t materialize. Let’s show the devil that he doesn’t matter… that GOD is bigger than anything he throws at us. Life is a journey… and with God alongside, the trip can be something quite amazing!
©2012 Debbie Robus
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
The saying goes… “If you want to make God laugh… tell Him your plans!” At least once a day, my husband and I ask each other, “What’s your plan for today/tomorrow?” Most often, the answer is, “I really don’t have one.” We’ve learned to plan for the unexpected… that each day is different… and most plans need to be fairly “loose!” So when something arises to change our plans, we try very hard to “go with the flow”… to let God guide our days and nights and free us of worries and concerns when things take a left turn!
Life is about the journey, and the most important part of living in Spiritual maturity lies in how we make the journey. If we act like someone who is not a Christian when things go wrong or we don’t get “our way”… when our plans are interrupted… what is the point of trusting God? Who would believe us anyway?
I will be the first to admit that there are times when I panic… or when I get disgruntled and disappointed because I had something planned and it didn’t happen as I had hoped. But I’m also learning that life is what happens when we show up. If we will stay close to God in prayer and ask Him, “What are YOUR plans for me today/tomorrow?”… He will show us amazing things. And when we hit a bump in the road, we should learn to say, “Okay, LORD… this was not what I expected. I’m asking You to handle this, because I cannot.”
Let’s learn to live in the sense of God’s wholeness… to settle down and replace worry with a focus on Jesus. Let’s show others that the life of a mature, Spirit-filled Christian has no room for panic and frustration over plans that changed directions or didn’t materialize. Let’s show the devil that he doesn’t matter… that GOD is bigger than anything he throws at us. Life is a journey… and with God alongside, the trip can be something quite amazing!
©2012 Debbie Robus
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