February 2, 2021
Stepping into God’s Plan for Me
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16, NIV).
Friend to Friend
We all want to be successful in our work. Many people never experience success in their work because they are in the wrong work to begin with. Not me. As a high school student, I knew exactly what I wanted to be – a nurse. My mother was a nurse and I wanted to be just like her, so I signed up to be a student volunteer at the hospital where my mother worked. When I told her the good news, she thought for a moment and then simply said, "That's great, honey. You'll make a wonderful nurse."
On my first day, I eagerly donned the required red and white striped uniform and reported for duty. The head nurse welcomed me and explained that I would be checking each patient to make sure they had water to drink, magazines to read, and a listening ear. That sounded simple enough. "Oh, and one more thing," she continued. "Since we are short-handed, I may ask you to do a few things to help the other nurses on duty." "No problem" I assured her.
At that precise moment, a scream pierced the air! The head nurse calmly looked at me, smiled and said, "Could you check on that, please?" Taking a deep breath, I headed in the direction of the scream, praying that that it was nothing more than the celebratory cry of someone who had just won a million dollars.
As I neared the room in question, a bedpan flew through the doorway in front of me, landing at my feet. I decided right then and there that nursing was not for me. Fortunately, I had a wise and wonderful mother who knew me well and from that day on encouraged me to be the teacher God created me to be.
I truly believe many people are living stress-filled lives because they have never sought and discovered God's plan. They are trapped in jobs that simply do not fit their gift set. Every day, they feel like the proverbial round peg being jammed into a square hole – a painful and frustrating experience.
What does fit is God's plan.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16, NIV).
Every day of our life is written down in God’s book. Think about that for a minute. Just how important and precious are our days that God would be mindful of each one. To “ordain” means “to confer holy orders on.” In other words, God’s plan is His loving process of guiding us in the best direction, conferring His holy orders on our life – not as a harsh master but as a loving Father.
God empowers His plan, but when we step into our own agenda, we are stepping into our frail limited strength. Don't waste another day just doing the "next" thing. Take a long, hard look at your work, your job, and your agenda to make sure you are in the right place - doing what you were created to do in this world.
You have probably heard the statement, "I climbed the ladder of success, and when I reached the top, I realized it was leaning against the wrong wall." Not long ago, I came to a crossroads in my life that made me question the path I was taking in ministry. I asked God to either change me and the way I was doing ministry or change my ministry. He did both! Once again, I realized God wants the highest and best things for my life. That really is His plan. Don't settle for anything less.
Let’s Pray
Father, I want to follow Your plan for my life. Help me to walk in daily obedience so that Your perfect plan for my life will naturally unfold before me.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
God always reveals His plan to an obedient and seeking heart. Are you willing to do whatever God asks you to do?
Read 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" (NIV).
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© 2021 by Mary Southerland. All rights reserved.
Originally published Tuesday, 02 February 2021.
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