Published Work Archives - Page 11 of 28

Monday

27

April 2020

Rahab: Obedience from an unlikely source

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

Thankfully, God has a history of using unlikely people for His glory

We all have the opportunity to come to God, and He will never overlook a genuine heart.

Rahab is one such example. A prostitute by profession, Rahab seemed an unlikely person to help the Israelites; after all, she was a Canaanite, one of their mortal enemies. And yet, we read in the first chapter of Matthew that Rahab is part of our Lord’s genealogy! No matter who we are, or where we are at, God can use us.

“for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”
Joshua 2:11

By being obedient to the Lord, Rahab took a great risk. In Joshua 2, when Joshua sent messengers into Jericho to spy, they lodged at Rahab’s house (2:1). The king of Jericho heard about this, and questioned Rahab, who in turn lied to protect the spies. Rahab took a great risk in harbouring the spies and protecting them. Why take the risk? We find out later in the chapter that Rahab, even though she was a Canaanite, believed in God. “for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” (v.11) Because she believed in God, Rahab wanted to be obedient, even though it meant taking a great risk. Oswald Chambers once said that “you should let the consequences of your obedience be left up to God.” Obedience to God often requires great risk.

The rewards of obedience must be waited for

Rahab was willing to risk everything by her obedience to God, and because of it, she received a great reward. Rahab asked the spies to show her and her family kindness by saving them before the Israelites took the city of Jericho. She wasn’t afraid to take a risk for obedience, and she wasn’t afraid to ask for what she believed was right. The result? Rahab and her family were saved during the destruction of Jericho. “And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.” (6:25) After being rescued out of Jericho, Rahab and her family went to live with the Israelites, and as a result, Rahab can be found in Christ’s family tree.

The rewards of obedience must be waited for, but there is great reward when we are obedient to the Lord. We also learn from Rahab’s example of obedience that she did the right thing. Especially when the world around us seems to going the opposite direction, it can make us question whether what we’re doing or how we’re living is truly right. Rahab, despite the influences around her, knew of the Lord’s faithfulness to the Israelites, and she believed in Him. Her faith was so great that Rahab is included in the “Faith Hall of Fame”, Hebrews 13. Rahab demonstrated obedience by not allowing the people around her to influence her beliefs. Obedience to God may mean persecution from people, but ultimately, there is blessing in obedience. “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” (Luke 11:28)

Originally published as “Rahab: Obedience from an unlikely source.” Independent Plus. February 21, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

Friday

24

April 2020

Noah: An Example in Obedience

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

One cannot walk with God unless they are walking in obedience

Noah. Abraham. Rahab. Moses. Joshua. David. What is one thing that all of these people have in common? While their lives were all incredibly different, the commonality between them was obedience: They were each obedient to the call of the Lord.

Look at Noah, for example. When Noah lived, “the wickedness of man was great in the earth,” we read in Genesis 6:5, “and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” We think we’ve got it bad today! The Bible tells us that during Noah’s time, the earth was so filled with evil that the Lord felt bad that he had made man on the earth, and His heart was grieved. The Lord was so grieved that He decided to destroy man from the planet, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen. 6:8)

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
Genesis 6:8

Why did Noah find grace in the eyes of the Lord? Well, we read in the next verse that Noah was a just man, blameless, and that He walked with God. One cannot walk with God unless they are walking in obedience, there’s just no other path. We can learn so much from Noah and his walk.

Noah didn’t hesitate

Consider this: Noah’s obedience to the Lord was immediate. When God said to Noah, “Make thee an ark,” (Gen. 6:14), Noah didn’t hesitate and say, “Lord, why do you want me to do that?” or “Are you sure you want me to do that? It’s not even raining.” No, Noah, didn’t hesitate. “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” (6:22) Noah didn’t question God’s instruction, he didn’t question God’s timing, and he didn’t question his ability to complete the task. American Pastor Steven Furtick says that, “great moves of God are usually preceded by simple acts of obedience.” While the task at hand for Noah certainly wasn’t simple, it was a step that preceded a great move of God.

It’s also important to recognize that Noah’s obedience was not influenced by others. While it is important that we are prayerful in our decision-making, and that we heed wise counsel, when we are walking with God as Noah did, our obedience won’t be influenced by anyone who doesn’t have our best interest at heart. D.L. Moody once said that, “There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to obey the voice of God.” It may seem difficult, especially when others question us, however when we are walking in obedience to God, He grants us peace.

Noah’s obedience saved his life and the life of his family. They entered the ark before the flood started. We read in Genesis 7:10 that it was seven days after they entered the ark that the flood actually started. Sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t make sense. We may not understand the timing, we may not see any realistic reason in the moment, but that’s the beauty of obeying God. We don’t have to have all the answers, because He always does what is best for us.

Originally published as “Noah: An Example in Obedience.” Independent Plus. February 13, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

Monday

20

April 2020

Obedience to God

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

Do we have what it takes to live in obedience to God?

Reading through the book of second Kings in the Old Testament, which accounts for the history of the Northern and Southern kingdoms in Biblical times, it doesn’t go unnoticed how each account begins with either “…and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD,” or “…and he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD.” How sobering to consider that the lives of so many men – kings, leaders of nations, who led exciting lives and experienced thrilling adventures – can be summed up with so few words.

Are we doing that which is right in the sight of the Lord? Each of us will someday have to give an account, and our obedience to God – or our blatant disobedience – will determine the outcome.

Obedience is not always easy

By nature, – our sin nature, – none of us are obedient. Obedience to God is not something that comes naturally to us. Obedience is certainly not always easy, and quite frankly it’s not always something that we want to do, is it? When distractions are abounding and we’re feeling pulled in different directions, sometimes it seems like the easiest thing to do is to give up, rather than to press on in obedience to Him. That’s our sin nature coming out.

“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
Romans 6:17

Obedience must come from the heart, and as a result, obedience frees us from the bondage of sin. “Ye were the servants of sin,” wrote Paul. That’s past tense. When we make the decision to obey God and to follow after Him and His Word, we are freed from being servants of sin.

“Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it,” Jesus told us in Luke 11:28. In our “modern” and “progressive” society, obedience to God and His Word is not easy, and it’s definitely not popular. If we are to truly let our light shine and do Kingdom work however, obedience to God must be the foundation. Sure, those chapters of second Kings may be a little dry and sometimes difficult to understand, but we cannot keep God’s Word if we aren’t reading it, and reading all of it. Part of our problem today is that we pick and choose the “pieces” of the Bible that work well for us or that are convenient, rather than taking it all in, even the hard parts.

Obedience takes courage

Charles Stanley once said it takes courage to be obedient. Do we have what it takes? Are we brave enough to follow in obedience to Christ, even when it means walking the path alone? American preacher Jonathan Edwards wrote that two of his resolutions were to “live for God”, and “If no one else does, I still will.” It was also Edwards who wrote that our love for God is demonstrated by our obedience to God.

“And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”
2 John 6

Originally published as “Obedience to God.” Independent Plus. February 6, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

Friday

17

April 2020

Acquainted with grief

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

Even in grief, God is still good

There is nothing quite like grief. Grief is a lot like love, and we feel grief because we love; it’s not until we experience grief that we start seeing it everywhere. Grief, that homesick longing that will never be fulfilled on this side of heaven; grief, that feeling that we all have in common in some way or another, but that each of us experiences so differently.

“Feelings, feelings, feelings.” C.S. Lewis said in A Grief Observed. “Let me try thinking instead.” That’s just it, as Lewis said, “our feelings come and go, but God’s love for us does not.” Even in our grief, God is still good. When we are in the middle of suffering, when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, and when we are caught in the furnace of affliction, God is still good. He is still with us. Though we may not feel it – though we may feel everything but – God is still with us, even in our grief, as we see in Scripture.

In Isaiah 53, which is widely read at Easter, we are reminded of this truth.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Isaiah 53:3

He hath borne our griefs

Man of sorrows! What a name! Christ, our Lord, is acquainted with grief! We are not alone! When we feel that God is hiding His face from us, when we feel that He doesn’t esteem us, let us remember the truth: That is precisely what we did to Him, and it is precisely what He will never do to us. On the contrary, God loves us so much, that He let His only son endure deeper grief that we could ever imagine, because He loves us so much.

Even in grief, God is still good. Even when we feel the weight of the world, He still cares, and He still carries us.

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
Isaiah 53:4

“And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
Isaiah 46:4

Though grief lingers and leaves us under a cloud of gloom, He will carry us and He will deliver us.

We must have faith

“Blessed are those who mourn,” Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, “for they shall be comforted.” That is a promise! When our hope is in God, He will help us. Though weeping may endure for a night – or a week, or months, or even years, – joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Our grief is not forever. Though our grief may at times feel greater than we can bear, we must remember that even when we are wearied in the greatness of our way, He will deliver us.

Originally published as “Acquainted with grief.” Independent Plus. January 23, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

Sunday

12

April 2020

Easter Encouragement

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:25-26) | Easter encouragement from hopereflected.com

From darkness to light

At Easter, may we remember that from darkness and death, God can bring light and life; from sorrow He can bring love, and from thorns He can make a crown. Easter is as much about new life and resurrection as it is about Christ’s death on the cross.

We have so much to rejoice in this Resurrection Sunday. Christ’s resurrection means freedom from Satan’s power. It was meant to open our eyes, to turn us from darkness to His glorious light, “and from the power of Satan unto God,” (Acts 26:18) that we may receive forgiveness from our sins, freedom from bondage, and sanctification by faith. We have no reason to be doom and gloom and down and out, because we can claim the Power of God in us.

Easter: Christ’s resurrection is the catalyst for changed lives

Christ’s resurrection provides the catalyst for changed lives. Because of Him, we are no longer coloured by our past sins and transgressions. When we are crucified with Christ, we die to our past and ourselves, because Christ now lives in us (Galatians 2:20). What a gift! This life we live here on earth, we can live by faith in Him, because He loves us, and because He went to the cross for us. What a praise!

Although hard to fathom, Christ’s resurrection gives us eternal life. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24) How wonderful that we can rest in this promise.

The real meaning of Easter

Christ’s resurrection is for us now. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” (John 5:25) Christ’s death and resurrection is open to all who believe, it is not just reserved for those who witnessed it or lived two thousand years ago. No, the Gospel, God’s gift of eternal life, is just as relevant – if not more so – to us today than it was those years ago.

“May the Lord have mercy on us so that we can live a life of being conformed to the death of Christ through the cross,” Witness Lee wrote in his book God’s Economy, “Only those who have passed through death and resurrection can have their eyes opened; they live and walk by the revelation that they have seen.” Without Christ’s resurrection, we would not have the privilege of living the crucified life.

Of all that is and was against us – every sin, every fear, every sorrow, every grief, every earthly affliction, every thing that “was contrary to us” – Christ took it out of the way and nailed it to His cross! This – all His suffering, all His anguish, all His pain, all His torture, all His humiliation, – this was Christ’s triumph (Col. 2:15) and His victory through resurrection!

Praise the Lord, He is the resurrection and the life, and when we believe in Him, though we may die, yet we shall live; “whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26)

Originally published as “Easter Encouragement.” Independent Plus. April 9, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

Friday

10

April 2020

Good Friday

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

It is only when we understand Good Friday that we can truly celebrate Easter Sunday

What’s so good about Good Friday? It’s a fair question, especially given that Christians the world over commemorate the crucifixion of Christ each year on Good Friday. It’s an occasion that makes many wonder how Christ’s death can be something that we call good. Whether you believe Good Friday is just the bastardization of God’s Friday or not, I’d argue that Good Friday could even be called Great Friday.

The day Christ was crucified was the day that He went, willingly no less, to His death, for you. “But how can that be, when I wasn’t even born yet?” you may ask. He knew you before you were born. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee,” (Jeremiah 1:5). God knew you before you were even created. And since sin has been a part of mankind since Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden, we all have a need for a Saviour.

Easter, Redemption through His blood

Christ died so that you could be redeemed. Think about that for a second. Consider even your actions and thoughts just this past week. God knows all of your motives, and while you’re thankful that no one else can hear your thoughts, God knows them too. He knows each one of us right down to our rotten cores, and He loves us anyway. Where we can never measure up, His grace overflows. Where we can never be good enough, His blood is more than enough. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7).

Good Friday is a great day not because Lent is over or you get a day off work, no, Good Friday is a great day because it is the reminder to each one of us that Jesus’s blood is God’s love. His suffering was for our salvation. Yes, there is someone who loves you that much! It is only when we understand Good Friday that we can truly celebrate Easter Sunday.

The Resurrection of our Lord

Easter Sunday is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. The day that we rejoice in the greatest friend we could ever know. Jesus, the One who while hanging on the tree in complete agony asked God to forgive the very people who had put Him there – you and I. In Christ’s resurrection, we are reclaimed, redeemed, and restored. It is in His resurrection that we can recover, regroup, and find revitalization. It doesn’t matter what your past is, God already knows. He also knows your future and He longs for you to let Him love you. God isn’t forceful, but when you let Him, He’ll help you move forward. Jesus lives so that you can have life. How?

Recognize that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23) and that you are in need of forgiveness (Romans 6:23), accept Christ’s gift of salvation which He provided through His death on the cross (Romans 5:8), claim Christ as Lord of your life (Romans 10:9).

Originally published as “Easter.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. April 18, 2019: 6. Print. Web.

Thursday

9

April 2020

His hands

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

We are always in God’s hands

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;” (Isaiah 49:16) Our hands are amazing instruments. Consider them for a moment. We use them for almost everything. Our hands are always before us, and we know them. We use our hands to create, to give, to receive, to help, to shield, and to care. How many times have we heard the saying, “I know that like the back of my hand.” Just like we see our hands before us, we are always in God’s sight. We are always before Him, and He can use each one of us. Even in those times when we feel like our prayers are reverberating off the ceiling, we can be sure that He does hear. He has not forgotten us. John Gill compares Isaiah 49:16 with Song of Solomon 8:6, “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm:” – we are always with God. Even in our brokenness – especially in our brokenness – He can use us for His glory.

Remember His promise: “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” (Isaiah 41:13) The right hand is referenced many times throughout Scripture, and it is a symbol of strength. David wrote in Psalm 17:7 that God “savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.” Then, while in the wilderness, he wrote in Psalm 63:8 about God, “thy right hand upholdeth me.” In Psalm 73:23 he wrote that God “has holden me by my right hand.” Not only are we graven upon the palms of His hands, but God also promises to hold our right hand, wherever we are.

God holds us with His right hand

Where are you? When you have a personal relationship with the Lord, He is with you. In the second half of Isaiah 49:16, Isaiah wrote, “thy walls are continually before me”. Wherever we are, God is there. He is the architect of our lives, and as we are familiar with the walls inside our homes, so He knows all His plans for us. Remember David’s words in Psalm 139: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” (v.7). No matter where we are – even in the depths of the sea, He is there. “Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (v.10). God is with us and He holds us with His right hand.

Just as we are always before God, graven upon the palms of His hands, so should we always set the Lord before us. “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16:8) What a great difference it makes when we let His hand steady us, and when we allow His hand to lead us! “Though I walk in the midst of trouble,” David wrote in Psalm 138:7, “thou wilt revive me; thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of my enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.”

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:16) This is God’s response to our fears that He would forget us! He will not! We are in His hands.

Originally published as “His hands.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. January 30, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

Friday

3

April 2020

Hope for hard times

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13) | Read more about Hope for hard times at hopereflected.com

Hope for hard times is not far away

We find ourselves in uncertain times; we cannot turn on the TV without seeing something about COVID-19; we cannot listen to the radio without hearing the same. Many of us – if only all of us – have been staying home, physically isolating ourselves from others. We are unable to gather together – at least physically – as a body of believers to worship the Lord.

We need to remind ourselves that we are not without hope. We believe in the Sovereignty of God, and this is the very time we need to let Christ’s light shine! Matthew Henry once said that God “will never suffer the righteous to be moved; to be so shaken by any troubles, as to quit their duty to God, or their comfort in him… Why do not we trust Christ to govern the world which he redeemed?”

Hosanna! Our Greatest Hope

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the day we rejoice in the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem. A great multitude gathered before and behind, and they rejoiced! “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” Hosanna! The Hebrew word, “hoshi’a na,” is translated “hosanna”. Throughout Scripture this word is used in several ways: “Please, save us!” a plea for help to our Lord. “Salvation, thank you!” a declaration of salvation and thanks to our Lord. Whether or not we are able to meet together physically on Palm Sunday is beside the point; this period in time, though scary, should not overshadow the actual reason for time.

We have the greatest Hope within us. The God of hope is on our side, and He not only longs to give us all joy and peace, He also wants us to abound in hope through His power (Romans 15:13). Let us not lose heart, rather let us shift our gaze up from the troubles in front of us to look “for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” (Titus 2:13).

Our Blessed Hope for Hard Times

We not only have a blessed hope, we have a living hope! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3). This is not a time for us to be wearied by world events; this is a time for us to let the light that is in us shine! In both calm and stormy seas, our hope in Christ is the “anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast,” (Hebrews 6:19). Is that what others see when they see us?

“Don’t let your happiness depend on something you may lose,” C.S. Lewis wrote. Seasons may change our circumstances, but we will do well to remember that, “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) In Him we have peace, because He lives in us. “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Originally published as “Hope for hard times.” Independent Plus. April 2, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

Wednesday

1

April 2020

The Furnace of Affliction

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

In the furnace of affliction, God still has His hand on us

In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar threw three Hebrew believers – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, – into a fiery furnace. Remember their words in response? “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of thine hand.” (Dan. 3:18) Even when they faced the fiery furnace, they stood firm in their faith. The result was that God was with them – literally! Three men were thrown into the furnace, and king Nebuchadnezzar and his counselors saw four: “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Dan. 3:25)

A furnace of a different kind

It’s not the first time we read about a furnace in Scripture. Earlier in Isaiah, we’re introduced to a furnace of a different kind: “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”(Isaiah 48:10) In this passage about God redeeming the Israelites from the Babylonian captivity, we come to understand that even in His refining of us – which more often than not brings us through trials and trying times – God does not deal so rigorously with us that He neglects to show us His mercy. For even in the furnace of affliction, God still has His hand on us. It can be hard to believe when you’re thrown off your feet, but when we cling to our faith, when He is all that we have, we will find that God is with us. In C.S. Lewis’s The Problem of Pain he writes: “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our consciences, but shouts to us in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

The furnace of affliction has this way of forcing us to look up

The furnace of affliction has this way of forcing us to look up, searching for comfort and seeking relief. Grief, sorrow, sadness, pain – when we are down and out, the best option is to use these times as opportunities to grow. It sounds trite, and when someone says that to you when you’re down, when someone promises that “it will get better,” or “it will get easier,” your first thought may be to say, “You have no idea what I’m going through!” (even when they do). But it does get better, when you go to God’s Word. “For the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.” (Isaiah 49:13) There is a bittersweet embrace in reading these words and experiencing their truth.

Matthew Henry wrote of this passage in Isaiah that God’s “bringing men into trouble was to do them good,” and as troubling as we may find this, he is right. Even in the furnace of affliction, when we choose to listen to God and obey His commandments, He gives us peace like a river, and He makes our righteousness as waves of the sea – “Come ye near unto me,” God invites us in Isaiah 48:6. In the furnace of affliction, He is with us, and His Word is the place we find Him.

Originally published as “The furnace of affliction.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. January 16, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

Monday

30

March 2020

When things don’t turn out as we planned

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

"Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:25) | Read more at hopereflected.com

Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote in 1765 about the best laid schemes of mice and men in his poem, “To a Mouse”. In the poem, written after Burns accidentally turned up a mouse’s nest with his plough, Burns considers the mouse more fortunate than he, because “The present only toucheth thee,”. Being human, Burns could not only see his present, he could look back and see his past, and though he couldn’t see the future, he could fret and worry about it.

God has a plan

It seems that not much has changed in the last two hundred and fifty-five years. So often, we spend our time fretting and worrying about the future that we miss out on what God has for us in the present. That’s not to say that planning ahead is a bad thing; on the contrary, the Bible tells us that planning for the future is wise (Proverbs 21:5). The key is, that rather than spend our time worrying, or getting discouraged when things don’t turn out as we planned, we should make a determined effort to direct our focus to God.

David wrote in Psalm 16:8, “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Regardless of his circumstances or the events happening around him, David purposed to set the Lord always before him. Before we make decisions, we should pray; as Anne Graham Lotz puts it, it is always to our benefit to be “pre-prayered” for whatever we face in life.

His plan is bigger than ours

We should also remember that even though we may plan things down to the tiniest detail, sometimes God has a different plan, and His plans are always the best for us. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) We may not understand why He allows heartache and woes; but when we trust Him, we can understand that God always has a plan, and He always has His best for us in mind. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Where is your faith?” Jesus asked the disciples this in Luke 8:25 after He saved them from a storm on the water. When the wind and waters rage, who do we trust, and where do we turn? We should trust God, and turn our eyes to Him. When things don’t turn out as we planned, we can still rest in Him. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

He is the first and the last, He knows our past, present, and He holds the future. He is the author and finisher of our faith.

Originally published as “When things don’t turn out how we plan.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. January 9, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

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Published Work Archive

27

Thankfully, God has a history of using unlikely people for His glory

The rewards of obedience must be waited for

Originally published as “Rahab: Obedience from an unlikely source.” Independent Plus. February 21, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

24

One cannot walk with God unless they are walking in obedience

Noah didn’t hesitate

Originally published as “Noah: An Example in Obedience.” Independent Plus. February 13, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

20

Do we have what it takes to live in obedience to God?

Obedience is not always easy

Obedience takes courage

Originally published as “Obedience to God.” Independent Plus. February 6, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

17

Even in grief, God is still good

He hath borne our griefs

We must have faith

Originally published as “Acquainted with grief.” Independent Plus. January 23, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

12

From darkness to light

Easter: Christ’s resurrection is the catalyst for changed lives

The real meaning of Easter

Originally published as “Easter Encouragement.” Independent Plus. April 9, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

10

It is only when we understand Good Friday that we can truly celebrate Easter Sunday

Easter, Redemption through His blood

The Resurrection of our Lord

Originally published as “Easter.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. April 18, 2019: 6. Print. Web.

9

We are always in God’s hands

God holds us with His right hand

Originally published as “His hands.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. January 30, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

3

Hope for hard times is not far away

Hosanna! Our Greatest Hope

Our Blessed Hope for Hard Times

Originally published as “Hope for hard times.” Independent Plus. April 2, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

1

In the furnace of affliction, God still has His hand on us

A furnace of a different kind

The furnace of affliction has this way of forcing us to look up

Originally published as “The furnace of affliction.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. January 16, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

30

God has a plan

His plan is bigger than ours

Originally published as “When things don’t turn out how we plan.” Minto Express, Independent Plus, Arthur Enterprise-News, Mount Forest Confederate, Walkerton Herald-Times. January 9, 2020: 6. Print. Web.

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