In continuing our thoughts from yesterday, when we wake up in the morning and find ourselves there with God, we are not only in His hand, we are also in the stream of events that He is orchestrating around and in us. Each one is designed to carry us forward in the task and purpose He has for us. We are moved on whether we know it or not: “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Pro. 16:9).
We are given opportunities every day to do our own selfish thing or to join God in His great plan; we can complain and gripe, or cooperate through praise and thanksgiving; we can do our own petty things, or, standing in awe of Him, in obedience and self-denial, surrender to His higher and greater purposes.
To live in these truths allows us to see more of the wonders God has poured into our lives: meaning, purpose, protection, challenge, adventure, security, significance, honor, goodness and guidance, to name a few.
Each day is an opportunity to join our Heavenly Shepherd as He leads us forth into the pasture of the day, to know that we are moving forward in the perfect plan that He has prepared, filled with purpose and potential for providing Him glory, for defeating the enemy with praise, for seeing others swept into the Kingdom, for moving ahead with Him.
The negative feelings which will arise from our flesh–feelings of uselessness and purposelessness, of alienation and fear–are an affront to this reality. In Him, in the proven Truth of His Word, we can turn from these feelings and live in the light of His presence, His purpose, His plan that is for our good and His glory.
Praise be to you, Lord God, for your mighty, unswerving, unstoppable, wise and good plans, into which you have brought us. Praise you that we are in the great stream of your history, where you are moving things to a conclusion and carrying us with you.
Praise you that our trust can be in you, rather than our own feeble wisdom and inadequate strength, rather than in government or the weather or money or power. In faith we praise you now for what you are going to do today, this week, in the elections next week and in the rest of our lives.
