TODAY’S DEVOTION (Monday 31st January 2022)
“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 31st DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE
Today will mark the end of January 2022; the arm and mercy of the LORD Just enabled us to see the entire 1st month of the year. This should give us confidence about the rest of the year.
Whatever the LORD did on the first month is a sign of what is coming in other months. So, this morning I want to share some insights from a devotional I published in January 2018 on following the plans of the LORD.
Obviously, the safest place to live on earth is not in the White-house of America, the presidential palace of Russia or the military bases of the greatest military force on earth. The safest place to live is within the plans of GOD for your life.
As we bid this month farewell, and match into the new month, the second month of the year, it’s important that we refresh our hearts on the necessity of limiting our lives within the plans of God for us. Yes, that remains the safest and wisest thing to do these end times.
Sometimes, it is difficult to follow GOD’s plans. It is even painful at times. But the pains you will go through not following GOD’s plan are worse and could be eternal also.
The ones we go through following God’s plans are actually a blessing in disguise because the Bible says they work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. I better suffer within God’s will than to suffer outside God’s will.
Suffering within God’s will or plans has a great reward and compensation. Suffering outside His plans or will is just a labor in vain that brings forth trouble.
I have seen people who are in marriages that are not GOD’s plans for their lives going through great sufferings and hoping things will be fine. Some end up dying because its foolish to go through pain in things that are not part of GOD’s plans for your life.
Concerning suffering within God’s will or plans, the Bible says;
“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NKJV
IF OUR OUTWARD MAN MUST PERISH, LET IT PERISH WITHIN THINGS THAT ARE GOD’S WILL FOR US NOT ANY OTHER!
Yes, if we must go through afflictions in life, let that be within God’s plans for our lives. If our marriages must have trouble let it be within God’s will and plans. That is the only time the troubles will receive divine intervention and become a catalyst of great glory for us.
Sadly, so many people go through sorrows, pay a great price, and suffer so much to establish marriages, business, churches, ministries, projects and so many other things that are not GOD’s plans for their lives. That is why the peace they look for either do not come, or fizzles away as soon as what seems to be it comes.
Everyone must understand that there are three basic plans that are influencing humanity on our planet earth today; the plans of God, the plans of man, and the plans of the evil one (the devil). The plans you follow are what will determine if you will have a glorious life in time and eternity or not.
The Bible sometimes calls plans “counsels.” And it says “the counsel of God shall stand.” Meaning any other plan may manifest but will never stand the test of time. Only that of God will both manifest and stand the test of time.
That is why Only the plans of the LORD are worth following, no matter the cost. The plans of God are the only ideal plans for us. They are the only plans on planet earth that has a glorious future for any man.
Sadly, many are living according to the plans of men and the evil one for their lives. That is why they are in misery. That is why their successes are temporary! That is why their lives are full of battles.
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.
Christianity has nothing to do with receiving power from God to go succeed in your own plans. That is Christianity controlled by the spirit of Babylon – the spirit of this world.
TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS SUBMITTING YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST AND HARMONIZING IT WITH HIS PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE.
Your life will produce so much grace and glory if you limit it within God’s plans for your life. Yes, because we live in an imperfect world there could be challenges, but the peace and the prosperity of God will always be available in your life to deal with the challenges.
Your security, prosperity, protection, or significance in life is buried in the plan of God for your life. Stepping into it is the only key to turning them on. Meaning, you cannot become anything significant in this life as a Child of God until you step into God’s plan for your life.
What God has designed to be turned on in your life by stepping into His plan, cannot be turned on by praying, fasting, or sowing seeds, (as we call it today). When the bad and ugly are always happening to you, it is a sign that you are either outside God’s plan for your life or you are not following them accurately.
Stepping into God’s plan for your life remains the only solution to your entire problems. Life outside God’s plans can be very horrible. You will lack divine interventions when you need them most.
Many do not know that God do not just intervene in things. He will first look into the situation to see if the people involved are in His plans for their lives. If they are not, it will be difficult to secure lasting interventions. Hence, in His love and mercy, He will send a prophet to them to bring them into His plans for their lives before intervening in their situations.
Divine manifestations are a constant blessing of people who are rooted in divine plans. The Israelites were in Egypt for 400 years.
They were in slavery. Many people were also in slavery like them under other kings. But God could not bring these other slaves out of their task masters except the Israelites. He was able to bring Israel out because they were in His divine plan.
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. Step into a Church that is God’s plan for your life. Submit to a minister of the gospel that is God’s plan for your life. Get involved in any ministry that is God’s plans for your life. Get married to a man of woman that is God’s plan for your life.
PURSUE A CAREER THAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE. BUY A CAR OR LIVE IN A HOUSE THAT IS GOD’S PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE.
People who limit their lives just to things that are God’s plans for them will end up living the most peaceful lives on earth. When you step into God’s plan for your life, the enemy will step out of your life. God’s divine plans and demonic oppression cannot co-exist!
Even in the school of receiving blessing from God, what will come to you by stepping into God’s plans for your life will never come to you through any other means! Our devotional text quoted God saying;
“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.”
God‘s plans are the only plans with a future – a glorious future. When you step into them – they could look bleak and unpromising – you have stepped into a glorious future in the making.
Now, having known all that, how do we step into god’s plan for our lives?
It begins with a word from the LORD – in the place of revelation. God will have to speak or reveal them to you. Anything about God is not discovered on the surface of life but revealed to the Heart in the deeper places of the Spirit.
Begin a deeper walk with God today. You have been shallow for too long. You must go deep to discover God’s true plans for your life. When you walk with God and allow Him to take you to the deeper places of His Spirit, you will wake up one day to see yourself fulfilling His plans for your life.
God is sharing with us some wisdom to apply our hearts onto. It is part of divine wisdom to limit our life to places, people, purposes, Ministers of the gospel and every other thing that is God’s plans for your life. It is foolishness not to do so.
We must walk out if places, relationships, purposes, plan and etc. that does not fall into God’s plans for our lives. If we do not, we will have ourselves to blame. That is the message of today!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE 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 33:10-11 AMP