Tag: God’s plans

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Ephesians Devotionals

What God has prepared

Walking with God

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

Yesterday marked my 30th anniversary of coming to Japan. When I first came here in 1995, I had no idea I would be here this long.

But I found out over the years that God had plans for me here that he planned ahead of time for me to do.

It’s amazing for me to think back on.

But it struck me that there are still more things God has prepared for me to do. I don’t know what they are. But I want to keep my eyes open to the things God has prepared for me and to walk in them.

My prayer is that you would do the same.

Because it’s not just me.

We are Christ’s workmanship.

We were created in Christ Jesus for good works.

God has prepared good works for us that we might walk in them.

And to do so…together.

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Genesis Devotions

Whose agenda?

God's agenda

As I read today’s passage, I wondered, “Whose agenda was Isaac following?”

Did he know what God had told Rebekah about Jacob and Esau? (Genesis 25:23)

Surely he knew that Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob.

And yet he seemed determined to bless Esau over Jacob.

Whose agenda was Jacob following?

He might have argued, “Of course, I’m following God’s agenda. He promised that Esau would serve me.”

But I was thinking about King David.

He could have made the same argument. God had promised to make him king. And yet, though David twice had opportunities to kill Saul, he refused to do so.

Instead he waited on God and his timing.

I was praying through Psalm 25 today, and David’s words show his attitude.

Lord, I appeal to you. My God, I trust in you…
No one who waits for you will be disgraced;
those who act treacherously without cause
will be disgraced. (Psalm 25:1, 3)

Because Jacob refused to wait for God and his timing and acted treacherously against his father and Esau, he was disgraced.

He had to run for his life and never saw his mother again. Esau eventually forgave him, but that was after years of heartache and fear.

And yet, there was grace for Jacob. David’s prayer could have been Jacob’s.

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion;
in keeping with your faithful love,
remember me because of your goodness, Lord. (Psalm 25:7)

And that’s exactly what God would do for Jacob.

But all this made me think: Whose agenda am I following? My own? Or God’s?

And so I was praying David’s prayer this morning.

Make your ways known to me, Lord;
teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
I wait for you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

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Matthew Devotionals

Failing to hear

While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!” …

As they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up.”

And they were deeply distressed. (Matthew 17:5, 22-23)

How many times are we like Jesus’ disciples? God has plans. Good plans. But we don’t always see them because we’re not hearing all he’s saying.

All we’re hearing are the destruction of our own hopes, plans, and dreams. And we become deeply distressed.

But we fail to see what will rise from those ashes.

Joy. Peace. Life.

But most importantly, we’ll see Jesus.

So in those times when you’re distressed because God’s plans seem counter to your own, let’s remember the Father’s words.

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!”

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Acts Devotionals

When we don’t understand God’s purposes

Why Question Mark Meaning Not Sure And Explanation

“Why?” is the oft unanswered question for us as Christians.

I’m sure the Christians in Jerusalem were wondering that after Herod Agrippa killed James, who was Jesus’ disciple and the brother of John.

(Quick note: this Herod was the grandson of the Herod who tried to kill Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem. The James mentioned in verse 17 was the brother of Jesus.)

Now, Peter was imprisoned by Herod and was scheduled to be executed in a few days.

But God saved Peter in a miraculous way.

The question is, though, why did God save Peter and not James?

Was it because the Christians had more faith when they were praying for Peter?

Hardly. They thought Rhoda was crazy when she said Peter was at the door. It seems despite their prayers, they had no faith at all that God would say yes.

So why?

We don’t know.

The truth is God’s plans are often not are our own.

So how should we respond?

1. No matter what, keep believing God is good.

We may not understand God’s plans or purposes. But we can trust they are good because he is good.

2. Connected with that, know that God will ultimately bring justice.

God promises to bring it quickly (Luke 18:7-8), but again, his idea of “quickly” is not always our own (Revelation 6:9-11).

But he will bring justice. He certainly did with Herod (Acts 12:20-23)

3. Keep praying, seeking him.

That’s what Jesus commanded us (Luke 18:1).

But remember: we pray and seek him not to align God to our plans. But to align ourselves to his.

I was talking with a friend recently, and he said something interesting: “God always answers my prayers. But he often doesn’t answer it the way I expect.”

But there was no bitterness or sense of resignation in his words. Rather there was a strong belief in God’s goodness.

God is good. His plans are good.

The question is will we his people still have faith when Jesus returns and those plans come to fruition? (Luke 18:8)

Will you?

Categories
Ruth Devotionals

No coincidence

She happened to be in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family. (Ruth 2:3)

I wonder if the author of the book of Ruth wrote those words with a wink of the eye.

“She happened to be…?”

There’s no doubt that was God’s leading, and I’m sure the author knew it.

Naomi had thought that God had abandoned her, but God still had a plan for her. And that coincidence had ramifications not only for her, but for us as well. (If you don’t mind spoilers, take a look at Matthew 1:5-6, 16).

When Naomi realized that, hope revived in her heart.

With God, there are no coincidences. He is deliberately working out his purposes. And those purposes are for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28)

I have encountered many “coincidences” in my life.

But looking back, those weren’t coincidences at all. And as God’s plans for me have become clearer to me, I’ve come to realize more and more just how good he really is. That’s why I have hope.

Truly, God is one who never abandons his kindness towards us.

Categories
Romans Devotionals

A reason to rejoice

Romans

I think for almost all Americans, their eyes are on this presidential election. I have to admit, it’s been hard for me not to keep an eye on what’s been going on.

And honestly, I worry about the direction of our country. Though I have been telling myself, “God is in control,” my anxieties tell me that my heart still struggles with that reality.

But as I read Romans this morning, Paul’s words were a real encouragement to me.

Oh, the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?

And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid?

For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

I remember wondering four years ago why God would allow Trump to win the presidency. I’m sure there are many Christians that still wonder that. 

But here’s the thing: I may not be able to understand God’s judgments. I may not be able to trace out the way he thinks. 

But the truth is, I don’t have to. God has been running this world for thousands of years. And he knows what he’s doing. 

In his day, Habakkuk couldn’t figure out why in the world God would let the Babylonians conquer Israel even though Babylon was more godless than Israel. (Habakkuk 1:13)

But Habakkuk learned that God’s ways, although inscrutable at times, are ultimately good, right, and just.

God didn’t need Habakkuk’s advice on how to do things. And he certainly doesn’t need mine. 

And so I choose to trust him. Whether Biden wins or Trump wins, whether the Republicans keep the Senate or lose it, God’s plans will not be frustrated. 

And that’s good enough for me. 

In many ways, Daniel’s words reflect Paul’s.

May the name of God
be praised forever and ever,
for wisdom and power belong to him.

He changes the times and seasons;
he removes kings and establishes kings.

He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those
who have understanding.

He reveals the deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and light dwells with him. (Daniel 2:20-22)

And even Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged,

For his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom is from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing,
and he does what he wants with the army of heaven
and the inhabitants of the earth.

There is no one who can block his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:34-35)

So let us turn our eyes to God, worshiping him as he alone deserves. 

To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

Categories
Acts Devotionals

God’s irony

Acts

When I read this passage today, something struck me.

The whole reason why there was a Gentile church in Antioch and other places outside of Israel was that Saul had persecuted the church, causing the Christians to scatter from Jerusalem.

Saul had indirectly caused the birth of these churches.

And now in the great irony of God, this same Saul went to the very churches he had indirectly started in order to strengthen them.

Sometimes as Christians we can’t see God’s plans. Bad things happen to us and we can’t understand why.

But let us take comfort in the fact that whatever happens to us, God hasn’t lost control. He still has a plan, and he can turn the worst situations into something beautiful that brings glory to him.

And if we will trust him, we too may see the great irony of God…and rejoice.

Categories
Joshua Devotionals

Who is in charge?

Joshua

This is always a striking passage when I read it. And it always makes me think  about my relationship with God.

So many times, people ask, “God, are you really for me?”, as if we were the center of the universe. As if we were the ones calling the shots and God has to fall in line with us.

But God answers us as he did Joshua in this passage. “No. I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.” (Joshua 5:14)

In short, “Wrong question. I’m the one in charge. I’m the one calling the shots. So the question is not whether I am for you and will support you in your plans. The question is whether you will fall in line with me and my plans.”

Joshua’s response?

What does my lord want to say to his servant? (14)

And he worshiped.

Lord, you are worthy of my worship. You are worthy of my obedience. So like Joshua, I ask, “What do you want to say to your servant?”

Help me to hear your voice clearly. To not just charge ahead with my own plans. But to submit myself to yours. Let my whole life to you be praise. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Psalms

Pouring out our hearts before God

Psalms

I’ve already written one post concerning Psalm 142, but it was in combination with another psalm, so I decided to give it its own post.

Here we see David in one the caves he spent his time hiding in during his flights from Saul and perhaps from Absalom.

And one can imagine the feeling of being closed in that David had.  He refers to it in this psalm as like being in a prison  (Psalm 142:7).

So from this cave, he cries out to God.  He says in verse 2,

I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.

As I look at this psalm, one thing I notice is that in his anguish, he did exaggerate his problems at times.  He said,

Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.  (Psalm 142:4)

When you look at his true situation, however, that wasn’t strictly true.  He had other soldiers with him, who definitely did care whether he lived or died, and were quite loyal to him.

During his flight from Saul, David’s best friend (and Saul’s son) Jonathan came out to visit him, and to encourage him.

During his flight from Absalom, another of his friends acted as a spy for him, helping lead to Absalom’s demise.

But sometimes, when we’re going through trials, things seem worse than they really are, so we tend to exaggerate our complaints before God.

The nice thing about God, however, is that he understands us.  He doesn’t rebuke us when we pour out our hearts to him.  Instead, he shows us mercy and compassion.

That’s why David could be so open and honest with God.  He knew that God would still accept him.

More than that, he knew that God was still with him, and still had great plans for him.  So he sang,

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way. (3)

And again,

You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.  (5)

So when we too are struggling as David did, let us not hesitate to pour our hearts before him, knowing that he won’t condemn us for it.

And let us never lose our confidence in his plans for us, remembering that if we have him, we have all we truly need.