For His Eyes Only
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have access to the blueprint for our lives? The ability to see all the intricate little details laid out before us! How divine, right? Plans to build the life God intended…without all the workmanship errors!
Without our individual blueprints, we tend to scurry around making our own less-than-divine plans.
And we all know our best made plans don’t often go as we so thoughtfully (or carelessly) plotted. For we are not the master architect…we are called to fulfill the duties as laborers.
Stepping back and looking at the workmanship of our lives, do you sometimes feel you are not equipped for the job? You do not have the correct tools? You do not have the qualifications? You are not experienced enough to handle the current build?
All. The. Time.
Rather than fall into old patterns of negative, self-limiting talk or even a dark emotional abyss, it becomes our opportunity to grow.
Spiritual endurance is our ability to withstand hardship or stress without wavering our faith in God to provide and pull us through. Spiritual endurance is a gift…of course, not wrapped up in pretty paper and topped with flowing ribbon tied into a delicate bow. No, spiritual endurance often looks ugly and feels harsh. It may look like digging ditches despite a three year drought and praying for the rain to come. It may look like 40 years of wandering through desolate lands and praying for the next meal. It may look like 3 days in the belly of a smelly fish and praying to be saved. For us, it can look like a hospital room while praying for a miracle…a prison cell and praying for reformation…an empty house and praying for a community…an empty bank account and praying for a job…or an empty womb and praying for a family.
No matter who you are or where you are in life, at one point, you had a plan. And you may be asking yourself, how did I end up here? And why?
Without the blueprint, we don’t often know the why. We don’t know the easy way out. We don’t know whether to begin a new plan or if we should continue working our old plan. We are left wondering…what’s the next step? This is exactly where we build endurance!
Do you believe God will provide? Do you believe He will answer your prayers?
You say “yes”, but do you? Are you living like you have already received it? If not, why not?
My last blog focused on the power of words and, specifically, the power of the Word of God.
When our plans go awry, and we find ourselves in a season of uncomfortable spiritual endurance, we have His word to help pull us through…
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs. 16:3
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9
“Anything is possible with God.” Mark 10:27
“You can pray for anything, and if you truly believe you’ve received it, it will be yours.” Mark 11:24
Do you truly believe? BELIEVE. Feel it. See it. Smell it. Taste it. Know it. Trust God in all things, in all of your plans…even when they go awry. He will direct your next steps…if you just believe.
We are told to ask because we shall receive. To seek because we shall find. To knock, and keep knocking, for He will answer.
But here’s the deal. God won’t give us the blueprint…we are merely tasked with working the plan before us. God will equip us. He will provide. We are meant to be in that room at that moment with those tools in our hands…we must trust Him to hand a new tool when we need it or to move us when it’s time for redirection.
When we turn to God in faith, and trust Him with all we do, He plants a vision and directs our steps. There will be workmanship errors as we work the plan…but with our eyes on the Lord and His eyes on us, He will build our spiritual endurance and provide as He has always done.
Just remember…we don’t need a new individual blueprint for all the little details…He already gave us the Master Plan…and all those little details worked themselves out on the cross.
