Greater

Psalm 147:5 - “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.” 

One thing that I am in the process of learning, is that my understanding is small. It is little, tiny, and almost none in comparison to God and his knowledge. I like to think that I have my life planned out. After I get out of college, I will go here and I will do this. One thing I have come to realize is that my plan is not God’s. He sees and understands more than I ever will. Whenever I take the time to plan my whole life out, it probably makes the Lord laugh, because when have I ever known more than God? I have learned to live life very fluidly, very flexibly, and very dependent on the Lord. My plan might be one thing but God’s will might be another; in the end, His plans are always greater than mine.

Proverbs 19:21 - “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” 

It can be really difficult to surrender our plans and our lives to the Lord, especially when we have a whole list of things that we want to do and we have specific timelines for when we want to do them. Surrendering our lives to Him doesn’t mean we won’t get to do the things we want to do, it just may mean that we don’t push our agendas more than His plans. There have been things that I have wanted so badly in life, I would have done anything for them. There were certain times in particular that I thought I knew better than God. I knew what would make me happy or so I thought. I later found out that God calling me to wait or change direction was the best result possible. In the moment, I wanted to kick and scream and take what I wanted; however, I had to trust that God knew better than I did. His plan is always greater than mine.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
I want to encourage you today to really rely on the Lord. He may call us to do things that feel different, or out of our comfort zones. In the end, His understanding is always greater than ours, and His knowledge is beyond what we could ever imagine.

Best Friends

What if you had a friend you could call at any hour that would show up in any mess you found yourself in? Even if you were the cause of your troubles?  What if that friend would never judge you or make you feel shame? 

Psalm 103:12 “..as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Hebrews 8:12 “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

What if they knew you so well that they could anticipate your needs before you even recognized you had them? 

Matthew 6:8 “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

What if they never asked for the favor to be returned?

Hosea 6:6 “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”

What if when you went through a phase of silence, they just waited for you to call? 

Luke 15:13-24 13“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living…. “17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

What if this friend was the type of person that even in the moments that you were most resistant to guidance, you trusted their instinct so profoundly, you knew you could count on the words they poured into you? 

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.”

I’m excited to remind you that we all have a friend like this. His name is Jesus. There are times when we struggle to attend church, read our bibles, or thank God for all He’s given us. When I think of how God loves us, I am amazed at how patient, forgiving, and merciful He is. I would jump at the opportunity to have an earthly friend as I described above, yet sometimes I fail to be thankful for my Heavenly Father, who is all of these things and then some. 

Psalm 40 1-3 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.”

Thank you, Jesus, for always showing me grace and being the friend that only You could be.