July 20, 2009 "His Plans"

TRIUMPHANT VICTORIOUS REMINDERS
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
Written by: Teresa Criswell

"You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail."
~ Proverbs 19:21 ~

I remember when I was in my twenties I had all these plans; unknowingly these were plans to destroy my life. However, I truly thought those plans were cool and I knew that I had experienced life to its fullest. It only revealed true ignorance.

Looking back it also amazes me that I felt I only needed God when I was in trouble. My dad said to me many times when I would talk to him on the phone, "Teresa, please don't place God on the 'shelf of your life'." When I was in the midst of that lifestyle what my dad said didn't register nor did I feel like I was doing such a thing. I was going to church on most Sunday's and hey it was like I was saying, "You saw that God, I went to church today. Another 'tally mark' for me."

I shake my head in disbelief only because I wasn't living a life where I truly knew a glimpse of the God I said I served when I went to church. This kind of living is blatantly a religious act and that is all it was...an act. My attitude was, "Hey, I showed up, what else does He want from me?" I laugh because when I look back at myself, it is as though I am looking at another young woman's life and I want to shake her and say, "There is so much more. There is a relationship to be saturated in. There is something about being immersed in His love, not just a splash of the toe in the water to say, 'I got 'wet'."

I have no idea why I was brought to this memory today, but what I do know is that I am truly grateful that my so-called great plans were overrode by God's prevailing purpose. His plan is so beyond my greatest, wildest imaginations of living for the world.

The adventures in Him have been like nothing I could dream up. Truly the adventures of life; both disappointing and great have been truly triumphant because of looking to the One who is my Refuge, my Strong Tower, my Redeemer. He has taken me above the storms of life. It doesn't mean the storm goes away, but when I choose to abide in Him and cling to His massive neck the flying adventures have been amazing.

Reminiscing of His marvellous provisions are truly astounding. Many times they seemed like the eleventh hour moments, yet it was His timing. Many times we have lost those material things yet looking back that thing that was lost was not abundance, it was a weight holding us down. The abundance and freedom of God we have experienced is in Him only because of Him. However, it is a two way street. He is willing and able, are we willing to trust Him?

To peel back another layer of the eternal layers of Almighty God's love is truly mind blowing and full of treasures.

I am so grateful that my dad planted those seeds of not putting God on a shelf. Why? Because I may have never experienced the journey that I am on right now. Everyday is a reminder that God is not a supplement to life; He is LIFE. WE are the one's who get to experience Him if we choose to say, "yes."

I heard Joyce Meyer say this hilarious yet true statement, "You can sit in a garage for days but that still won't make you a car." "You can go to church everyday of your life but that still won't make you a 'Christ follower'."

Are we going to try unsuccessfully to place God on the shelf of our lives? He won't be there on the shelf. He's not a shelf serving God. He is the God who is served and He reigns all the time. Or are we going to allow Him all of our lives?

I cannot imagine the wealth of His majesty that He wants to shed abroad on every part of our lives. He sees great potential because He placed that potential within each of us. Will we allow Him to pull it out of us. Let's not dam up the potential with fear and unbelief. Let him tear down the levies and let the rushing waters of Himself pour out that it may be a refreshment to others around us.

Let us choose to worship Him today for Who He is. That is reason enough to worship Him, because He is God.

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