“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are, and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” Ephesians 1:11 (msg)
There is one thing we can be absolutely sure of, and that is, God has a wonderful plan and design for our lives. That plan was put into effect long before we had ever heard of Jesus Christ. This plan is packed with love and peace, jammed packed with adventure, joy and total fulfillment. This plan is glorious in its design and everything in our lives must work to accomplish God’s fixed intent.
Many will seek out God’s will, while others through their own desire will go another direction. God will allow us to seek our own will. God will even allow us to make harmful decisions that will put us on a fast track going in the wrong direction. The consequences of wrong choices can be painful and even permanent. No matter how far you run or how hard you try to have it “your way,” God is a patient God. You will never go so far that his love will not reach you.
I recall as a teenager packing my car and announcing to my parents, “I want to go live my life.” My mother said to me: “You can run as fast as you want and as far as you please, but you will never go so far that my love and prayers will not find you.” Thank God for my praying, loving mother and father… or I would not be here today.
God will not withhold any resource to fulfill his destiny for your life, but he will not violate your right to choose. “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.” Psalms 138:8 (NIV)
When I was a teenager, I had an opportunity to work for a missionary group in Mexico. This was a group of pilots who had small planes. They would fly into remote areas of Mexico and drop Christian literature over these small villages. Many of these villages were in mountainous areas and places where no automobiles would go. They were called “Air Mail From God.”
A wonderful man that attended my father’s church actually rebuilt a small two-seated plane. This plane as I recall, was a Stinson L5. It was a plane that was used during WWII as a reconnaissance over enemy territory. My job was to sit in the back seat and throw out the literature over the villages. It really was a sight to see. It would remind you of those big ticker tape parades you see in New York. The people in the village would run out into the streets and wave at us. They were always so excited to see us.
We would then land the plane in a field or any place where the ground looked flat. After landing, we would stay in the village for a few days and have a soul-winning crusade. Other pilots would follow and the people were wonderful and so grateful for us spending some time with them. I would sing the song: “How Great Thou Art.” Even though I could not speak Spanish, that song caught on very quickly. Just to re-live it now is so inspiring. The people would raise their hands and soon were singing along with me in their own beautiful Spanish language.
God will not withhold any resource to fulfill his destiny for your life, but he will not violate your right to choose. “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.” Psalms 138:8 (NIV)
