God Guides Our Life
Have you ever had something unexpected happen? Maybe it was a surprise that brought you joy, or maybe it was a tragedy that affected your life. All of us experience moments in life that we don’t anticipate.
Even though unexpected things will happen, we still plan and dream for how our lives will go. We may have plans for our future education or plans for specific relationships in our lives. But we can never really plan for the unexpected since we do not know the future. We don’t even know what might happen in the next few minutes.
We learn in Scripture that God is all-knowing, which means He knows everything that will happen everywhere in the world. He has complete knowledge of every event and action that happens. More than that, He is also sovereign, which means He has control over everything that happens in the world.
That means that even though we make plans in our own life, God is ultimately the one who directs our steps. He has the power to change the direction of our lives, as well as guide us into what’s best for us.
Take some time to think about the dreams and plans that you have for your life. Have you ever submitted those plans to God in prayer? This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make plans for your life, but rather that your plans result from trusting God and seeking Him in prayer.
Take a moment to ask God to direct your steps. Ask Him to reveal any desires or plans that are not from Him. Submit your plans to God so that you’ll be open to follow Him wherever He leads you. Thank Him for His goodness and grace in guiding you in your life.
Undeserved Mercies
When someone hurts you or, worse, hurts somebody that you love, revenge can seem appealing. After all…
They were mean.
They were selfish.
They talked behind your back.
They broke a vital promise.
They lied about you.
They criticized you.
They ignored you.
They did the unthinkable.
They walked away.
They deserve to be punished, right? To feel some of that same pain? They deserve a consequence that will not only help them learn, but will be just as severe as the inflicted wounds.
And yet—because God sees things differently, both His standards and tactics can be surprising. And that’s why the apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Thessaloniki, said:
“See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.”
1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT
Paul’s words sound a lot like Jesus’ words—to love your neighbor as yourself; to do to others what you’d like them to do to you. (See: Matthew 22:38-40)
God’s ways ...