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Listen while you read: "Jesus Stand Among Us"1
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Isaiah 53:7 – He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. (NLT)
Accepting reality is not always easy.
My maternal grandfather raised hogs. The old farmhouse seemed to be surrounded by hog pens. Since hogs are notorious for rooting under fences, I suppose that it made sense to keep them within sight.
A small shed was nestled in one of the hog pens, and it was here that my grandfather herded the hogs that he planned to butcher or take to market. One such sow was large and had just weaned a litter of piglets. Now it was time to sell her. Getting her into the shed wasn't a problem; persuading her to walk the ramp into the back of my grandfather's pickup was. By the time that she was finally convinced, she had almost destroyed the shed. Of course, she didn't know what was about to happen; she merely didn't want to go where someone else wanted her to go. She was comfortable in her environment.
Hundreds of years before the Messiah's birth, the prophet Isaiah told how the Messiah would die and how He would accept His destiny. Without saying a word or bucking reality, He would allow His enemies to accomplish the dastardly deed of crucifying Him.
I myself have periodically struggled with accepting God's plan, and I've known many others who have as well. When God's plan makes us uncomfortable, we must remember that God's plan is always better than ours. For one thing, He can see into the future — and our entire lives. We can see only the present and envision the future. We don't possess the wisdom or fortitude to concoct a plan as God can.
Accepting God's plan requires complete trust. Knowing that He loves us unconditionally and is out for our good helps us to accept His plan. Following His plan will propel us into a brighter future.
Usually, accepting God's plan entails change. Rarely, if ever, will following God's plan keep us in the same place. While no one enjoys change, change with a higher purpose in mind is always beneficial.
Jesus says that abundant living should be the norm for His children. When we accept His plan, we'll experience that. Have you accepted God's plan for your life?
Prayer: Father, give us the faith to accept Your plan for our lives and to follow it obediently and consistently. Amen.
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About the author:
Martin Wiles <mandmwiles@gmail.com>
Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
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Amen Martin.
Amen to your prayer.
Excellent Martin! Blessings.
You sure spoke to me today! Thank you.
Thank you, Martin, may you have a restful day. Blessings.
Thanks Martin lots of wisdom here! Thanks,
(BC)
Thank you, Martin, for sharing this timely devotional with us. Blessings.
Thanks, Martin, for your uplifting and thought-provoking devotional today. Keep writing.
Hello Martin,
Your message today was very meaningful for me, and I just wanted you to know that. Thank you.
(ON)
Thank you, Martin. This paragraph spoke to me:
When God’s plan makes us uncomfortable, we must remember that God’s plan is always better than ours. For one thing, He can see into the future – and our entire lives. We can see only the present and envision the future. We don’t possess the wisdom or fortitude to concoct a plan as God can.
Thank you, Martin, for another of your special devotionals. Yes, it is always interesting and sometimes very surprising what God’s plan is for our daily lives. He created each of us very individually with a specific plan for each and although sometimes we struggle with what He has laid out, in the end it is for the right purpose. Blessings for the varieties of topics you bring forward for us to think about thru your writings.
Good morning, Martin,
You are good at relating experiences in your life to your faith. It definitely helps others as we try to work through our own faith journey. It is so true we definitely sometimes don’t want to do what others want us to do and we try to get our own way. Change is not always easy and so we resist. We need reminders that God can see the bigger picture and does want what is best for us. It is funny for me to think of my attitudes like a “hog”. It is probably true but paints a funny picture for me. Blessings.
Good morning, Mr. Wiles,
I would like to say Thank you for this devotional today.
I have been grieving the loss of my sister-in-law unexpectedly at the young age of 38 years.
When she was in the hospital dying, I turned to my very good friend who gifted me daily devotion when my Grandmother died years ago.
I asked her what to do, how do I pray with someone who didn’t believe. She said just pray with her The Lord’s Prayer, she can hear you.
I did just that and I believe 100% in God’s Plan always, even if I don’t understand it. My Faith in him is Glorious.
So thank you for the reminder today, Accepting God’s Plan came just at the right time!
Enjoy your day!
Stay safe and be well!
Thank you for this message, Martin.
Jeremiah 29:11 is posted on the wall of my office. I thought I truly believed this, but when misfortune fell upon us at different times, my faith would weaken. Over the years my faith has grown, but in all the challenges my wife and I have faced over the years, I could still figure a way out, not depending on God’s plan.
Well, we have just hit a wall. My wife is in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. That was still ok because I could take care of her. Recently I found out that my transplant is in the early stages of rejection. That’s the end of the road for MY plans. We have reached an impasse as I cannot fix this nor do I have a plan. Now my back is to the wall. I have to trust in God’s plans for my/our lives. The Lord and my wife saved me years ago, so I prayed to God that I would be able to help her. Nothing definitively says I won’t be able to, but certain changes can change your reality. Often it is all you can do to get through your day, let alone be the primary caregiver for a person living with Alzheimer’s.
I finally threw my arms up. Lord, I submit my life to you. I trust that you do have a plan for my wife and I, not to harm us but to give us hope and a future.
THE WORD OF THE LORD!
Thank you, Martin, your devotional this morning hit home.
Blessings,
(QC, CANADA)
How do we know what is God’s plan?