TODAY’S DEVOTION (FRIDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2024)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 TLB
WELCOME TO THE 264TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
Today we will be refreshing our minds on the potency of God’s plans. This is one Bible truth that should be coming to us, if possible, on daily, because there is a lot contending for our lives. I hope you are ready!!!
To start with, we have taught repeatedly that there are three basic plans that are influencing humanity on our planet earth today. There are the plans of God, the plans of man, and the plans of the evil one (that is the devil).
God is the custodian of His plans, Satan is the custodian of his, and men are the custodians of theirs. The custodian of each set of plans is busy influencing us to follow their plans using their spirits. Men use the spirit of this world, Satan uses the spirit of the anti-Christ, and God uses the Holy Spirit.
Each of these spirits has a blueprint and a destination for those who follow the plans they promote. It is advisable that we all follow the plans of God because He is our creator.
The Bible sometimes His plans, “counsels.” It says, “the counsel of God shall stand.” In other words, the plans of God shall stand. Meaning, any other plan may manifest but will never stand; yes, it will never stand the test of time.
Only the plan of God will both manifest and stand the test of time; only His plans can bless and give one a happy eternal ending. His plans might unlock great persecution upon someone, but will definitely result in a happy eternal ending.
Our Bible fathers so valued God’s plans for their lives that they were willing to sacrifice their time, treasures, talents and entire lives for it. The Bible says;
…Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11:35-38 NKJV
As we can see in this scripture, our fathers valued the plans of God so much that they were willing to give up everything for it.
THEY WERE WILLING TO DIE FOR THEM.
They were not willing to accept deliverance just to stay in God’s plans for their lives. They endured trials of mockings and scourging, chains and imprisonment and etc. just to stay in God’s plans for their lives.
That shows us that the plans of God are the only ideal plans for us, we the offspring of their faith.
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword, just to stay in God’s plans for their lives. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented, just to stay in God’s plans for their lives.
They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth, just to stay in God’s plans for their lives.
At a time, even the world was not worthy of them. God had to take them away. They showed us what price to pay if the challenges of being in God’s plans hit our lives. They showed us how to be resilient, resolute, uncompromising and tough in the face of the challenges.
Today, people will step into God’s plans for their lives, and when the persecutions or cost of doing so begins to rain upon them, they will begin to doubt what they know is God’s will for them, and cave in. You will find them walking away and going back to either the plan of man, or even that of the devil.
THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE WITH CAPACITY TO STAND THE PROBLEMS THAT EMERGES WHEN ONE SAYS, “YES” TO GOD’S PLANS.
Yes, all will not always be rosy if you are in God’s plans. That is why many do not care about God’s true plans for their lives. They just follow counterfeits that are either the plans of the devil or things their religious minds just tell them.
Sadly, many are living according to the plans of men and the evil one for their lives. They pay so much price for them because of the blindfold of the enemy. They sacrifice their time, talents, treasure and their all for them. That is why there is misery on earth.
It is important to note that we were not originally designed to succeed in our own plans for our lives, or the plans of the devil – irrespective of how lofty they may look.
We were designed to succeed in God’s plans. Even when they look problematic, that is the best path to live our lives from.
I have shared this before and will share again that, Christianity is not receiving power from God to succeed in your own plans. That will be Christianity controlled by the spirit of Babylon – the spirit of this world – the very spirit that make people succeed in the plans of men, to resist those who are following the plans of God.
Christianity is submitting your entire life to Jesus Christ and harmonizing it with His plans for it.
If you have not heard it before, I want to announce to you through this devotional that, God has a plan for you. You must discover and harmonize your life with it, no matter the problems that might emerge after that.
The rhythm that your life will produce, if you harmonize it with God’s plans, will be supernaturally pleasant. Two words we can use to describe it are “peace” and “Prosperity.” Maybe we add a third, as the scriptures teaches, “Problems.”
Yes, the beautiful cost of saying yes. The rhythm therefore will be “Peace”, “Prosperity”, and “Problems”. The problems will result in eternal rewards and prosperity of the righteous just like that of Joseph. Stepping into God’s plan for your life, remains the only solution to whatever you might be going through, or looking for on this side of eternity.
LIFE OUTSIDE GOD’S PLANS CAN BE VERY HORRIBLE. YOU WILL LACK DIVINE INTERVENTIONS WHEN YOU NEED THEM MOST.
The easiest way to terminate the works of the devil in your life is to step into a divine plan of God for your life, even if there is the cost, you will never find successful satanic oppression like curses, grinding poverty, incurable disease, and etc. in your life.
For instance, you might step into a Church that is God’s plan for your life, and begin to see all hell in people breaking loose upon you, but curses, demonic habitation, and etc. will never be found in your life. You will never find yourself in the situation of visiting one mountain or the other for deliverance. God will give you rest from all that.
Making Heaven will be sure, which is the ultimate. In fact, even in the midst of whatever you might be going through, you will find God granting you a peace that does not even make sense.
I have always said, the best of world history is not behind us, but ahead of us. The Bible teaches that a life within the plans of God, is the only insurance we have against the perils that lies ahead of the living and the dead. It is not even a life of prayer, because prayer outside God’s plans is a waste of time.
I reiterate that having a prayer life is one of the best ways to live your life in a trouble world, but the prayer life of a life that is not within God’s plans for it, is a labor in vain. People who limit their lives just to things that are God’s plans for them, might be misunderstood, tormented and tortured emotionally, but will end up living the most peaceful lives on earth, and total comfort in eternity.
It is better to suffer for stepping into God’s plans for your life, than to suffer for any other thing. So, no matter what you might be going through for stepping into God’s plans, remain resilient and strong, because God’s word says the plans you are following will give you a future and a hope.
Those who think you are being fooled will be the ones to regret whatever they might be doing or saying to you. The text says,
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
You may be experiencing nothing beautiful now for following God’s plans for your life, hang on there. Your resilience and obedience are creating for you a beautiful future. It is my prayer that you fix your spiritual gaze on these truths, by making them a seasonal reflection for your life. Amen!!!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR TODAY;
“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nought; He makes the thoughts and plans of the peoples of no effect.”
“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart through all generations.”
“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His heritage.” Psalms 33:10-12 AMPC