Praise day 9

Praise Him, for He has a plan for us!

One of the things that kept coming back to me as I was writing these posts is the picture that we see of God being our true heavenly Father. There are so many verses in our Bible that paint a beautiful picture of God loving us so much that He will provide for us in all areas of life. He will take care of us just like He takes care of those sparrows in flight, or like He cares for the lilies of the field.

We can depend on the fact that He is the best Father ever! He knows what our needs and our wants are. Sometimes we get those mixed up, ay?
As a parent, we can recall the times that our children have pleaded, begged, wheedled and connived to get something they thought they "had to have." They WANTED it, right? But did they NEED it? That is what we were required, as parents, to decide.

We can trust God to know what we need, and what we want. And we can rest in the knowledge that He has a plan for us. In fact, He knew us and planned for us before we were even born, just like He did for the prophet Jeremiah:

                “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,  before you were born
                 I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

And He didn't just wind us up like a toy and let us go on our own; He is still watching over us and has His plan in mind:

                 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.
                 (Jeremiah 29:11)

Look at that! It's all in present tense; He knows, He has, He plans. That's not just in the past. That is happening today, even as you read this study blog. Pause for a moment and let that sink in. That is how much He cares.

                 The Lord will guide you always;
                 he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
                 and will strengthen your frame.
                You will be like a well-watered garden,
                like a spring whose waters never fail.  (Isaiah 58:11)

Maybe today we are in a bad situation in life, and don't know where to turn. Perhaps we are in "over our heads" either financially, emotionally, or spiritually. We are not in it all alone. I hope these verses will encourage all of us that God knows what is going on in our lives, and has a plan for us.

We don't always know why something is happening. We may beg and plead and wheedle (and maybe even connive a little) asking God to change things. Instead of that, we should trust Him to have a plan that is far better for us than we can know -- He is the greatest Father ever! He is still in the business of making beautiful things out of our messes.
Talk to God today and praise Him for the plan He has for you!