June 22, 2018
Where My Feet Land
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. (Psalm 20:4, NIV).
Friend to Friend
Did you know that the African impala is able to jump over ten feet high and cover a distance of greater than thirty feet? Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in any zoo by a three-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will land.
I can really relate.
I like to consider myself a woman of great faith, but if I am brutally honest, I tend to be more like an impala. I want to understand every step of God’s plan, and I want to know exactly where the finish line is for that plan.
I have come to the conclusion that many of our problems stem from the fact that we are not prepared to run the race of life. Some people are not even sure what kind of race they are running and wonder where the finish line is - or if there really is a finish line. It seems that we are busier than we have ever been but accomplishing less and experiencing fewer successes than ever before.
Stephen Wright says, "I think God is going to come down and pull civilization over for speeding." Can you relate?
I believe Christians should be goal-oriented and focused people. Setting goals is not about what I want to do with my life. It is about what God wants to do in and through my life. Someone once said that goals are the "rudder of our lives, and God's wisdom is the wind filling the sails."
Should Christians make plans and set goals in life? Absolutely! Is goal planning Biblical? Yes! In fact, we were created in response to God's plan. Psalm 139:13 says God created our "inmost being" and "knit" us together in our mother's womb. We were created for a reason, and God has a specific plan for each one of us.
God has always had plans and has set goals according to those plans. God created the world with a plan in mind. Can you imagine the bedlam creation would have caused if God had not had a set plan and goal?
Part of God's plan is for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him. The forgiveness of our sin is part of God's plan. God does not ordain chaos and is a God of order and peace - not confusion and turmoil. He wants us to live with purpose and joy and that means we must learn how to plan and set goals that please Him and line up with His Word.
Fitzhugh Dodson said, "Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination."
Setting goals and making plans is serious business. We should not be so anxious about life that we make rigid plans which are beyond our capacity to keep, nor should we be so lazy that we make no plans at all. The balance is found when we truly and humbly seek God and His plan and then step out in obedience to make our life goals a reality.
Let’s Pray
Father, I need Your direction and guidance in my life. I really want to do what You created me to do. Show me the steps I need to take in order to walk in obedience and faith, and then give me the strength to take those steps.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Take the time this week to review and evaluate what you have accomplished since January. Are you where you thought you would be? What goals did you achieve? Record your answer in your journal.
Read Psalm 20:4: "May He (God) give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed." According to this verse, what is the relationship between the desires of your heart and successful plans?
More from the Girlfriends
What did God create you to do? Are you doing it? Mary’s CD, Divine Surprises: 7 Habits of a Successful Woman offers seven practical steps that will help you discover your true purpose in life. We were created to love and serve God with passion and with joy. Just imagine your life if you could:
· Understand how valuable you are to God
· Experience the power that comes from rest and solitude
· Practice gratitude and learn how to be content
· Eliminate destructive habits that keep you from being who God created you to be
· Cultivate powerful habits that will help you find and do God's will
Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.
Seeking God?
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Click here to learn more about hosting a Girlfriends in God conference in your area or having one of the GiGs speak at your next women's event.
Originally published Friday, 22 June 2018.
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