July 20, 2010
The Perfect Plan
Mary Southerland
Today's Truth
Psalm 139:14-16 (NCV) "I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old."
Friend To Friend
Situational ethics is now being taught in many of our public schools. One teacher, wanting to illustrate that human reasoning is many times wrong, gave the following situation to a class of high school students: "How would you advise a mother who was pregnant with her fifth child based on the following facts. Her husband had syphilis and she had tuberculosis. Their first child was born blind, the second child died. A third child was born deaf while their fourth child had tuberculosis. The mother is considering an abortion. Would you advise her to have one?" In view of these facts, most of the students agreed that the mother should have an abortion. The teacher then announced, "If you said ‘yes', you would have just killed the great composer, Ludwig von Beethoven."
You and I were created as a living, fleshed out depiction of God's love. We can celebrate the precious truth of Psalm 139:14-16 (NCV), "I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old."
Just think of it! God Himself supervised our formation. We were created in love - for love - with a specific and holy purpose in mind. We can rejoice with the Psalmist who wrote, "Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep he tends" (Psalm 100:3 NCV).
Many women buy into the lie that we are little more than puppets in the hands of God; that He created us as tools for His personal use or slaves to do His bidding and carry out His plan. In this verse, "Lord" literally means "Father" or "dearest Daddy" indicating an intimate relationship between a loving Father and His child. God undoubtedly has plans for us, but we misunderstand the character and heart of God when we assume those plans serve as a punishment or penalty for not being good enough. Jeremiah certainly understood the heart of God toward His children when he wrote, "I know what I am planning for you," says the Lord. "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future" (Jeremiah 29:11 NCV). The best plan, the highest plan for our lives rests in the hands of the One who created us.
In the early days of the automobile, a man's Model - T Ford stalled in the middle of the road. No matter what he tried, he couldn't get it started. A chauffeured limousine pulled up behind the stalled car and a wiry, energetic man stepped from the back seat to offer his assistance. After tinkering with the engine for a few moments, the stranger said, "Now try it!" Immediately, the engine leaped to life. The well-dressed man then identified himself as Henry Ford. "I designed and built these cars," he said, "So I know what to do when something goes wrong." When our lives are broken, when the plan falls apart and everything seems to go wrong, we need to wait on God, knowing He created us, knows us best and loves us most.
Let's Pray
Lord, I have to admit that I sometimes doubt Your plan when it comes to my life. Forgive me when I question You, Father. Help my unbelief! Teach me Your ways and empower me to walk in them.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
We all want to experience greatness and live a life driven by God's purpose and plan. The great news is that God wants the same thing! Spiritual greatness begins in a personal relationship with God that is lived out in service to God. What we are is God's gift to us, but how we serve God is our gift to Him.
· Revisit the time when you first realized God's plan for your life. What was your initial reaction and response?
· If you could choose one word to describe your journey - so far - what would it be? Explain.
· Explain the statement that "God is your source." What does that really mean in your life? What other "sources" have you counted on? Did they lead to success or failure?
· What "wants" have been a hindrance in your life? What steps of obedience have you taken to control those "wants?"
· How would you evaluate the impact of your life on those around you?
More From The Girlfriends
God loves you ... and everybody else has a plan for your life. Right? The only plan that matters is God's plan. God loves a seeking heart and wants you to know His plan. Get in the Word. Pray. Have a "yes" in your heart. The right plan will unfold before you.
Need help? Join other women across the world in Mary's Online Bible Study, Light for the Journey. When you enroll, you also have access to all of the 2010 studies we have done so far. Check it out!
Need hope? Get Mary's book, Hope in the Midst of Depression for ways to climb out of that pit you are in and learn how you can help someone you love who is dealing with the darkness.
Need a friend? Connect with Mary on Facebook or through email. She loves hearing what God is doing in your life!
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Originally published Tuesday, 20 July 2010.
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