Sunday, May 31, 2015

God's Plans in the Midst of Our Dreams

Jeremiah 1:5 - Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Proverbs 19:21 - [There are] many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

Romans 8:28. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

I have been around this world for over half a century now.  I have been in the ministry for over thirty years of that time. During these many years,  I have dreamed many big dreams and pursued most, yet most never came to fruition.  Something I have learned in that time though is sometimes God uses our big dreams to accomplish  His perceptively small plans for our lives.  

When I first received the call into the ministry I planned to be a chaplain in the army.  I aimed that way with my life.  I followed that dream with great ferver. I ended up pastoring a small church though, then several others until God called me out of pastoring to directing a Compassion ministry, then of course counseling.  I have been much more effective in the Kingdom in this capacity then I ever was as a pastor.  In the midst of my big plans was a perceptively smaller plan of God that was much more productive than my plans.  Sometimes we just need to step back and ask ourselves and God what all our effort, planning, and maneuvering has prepared us to do as part of His plan.  

A sermon my childhood pastor, Larry Cook, preached that has stayed in my memory was one concerning the difference between being good and being great.  You can be great but not good and good but not great.  Many that have been great have been bad, but all have been good have been good.  Many of us want to be both, but in the end being good is probably good enough. 

In the middle of all of your big plans to change the world is there some way maybe God is directing you to simply touch the world around you?  Are you willing to lay aside your dreams of accomplishing the great in order to 

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