"The Plan And Trust"

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end".  Jeremiah 29:11

 

This verse is the favorite of thousands of people.  Some versions say that the Lord knows the plans He has for us.  So that makes this a verse of hope and encouragement.  It is encouraging to know that the Lord has plans for us.  It is encouraging to know that our lives have meaning and purpose.  It is encouraging to know that something good can come out of our lives.  Therefore, we have hope that our lives will not be wasted and we can accomplish something-- the plan of God.  

 

But this verse is two-fold in its encouragement.  It is a verse of hope, as we have already stated, and it is a verse of trust.  "For I know the thoughts (plans) I have for you, says the Lord".  It says the Lord knows the plans He has for us.  It doesn't say that we know them.  We only know them as He chooses to reveal them to us.  They are hid from us until He makes us aware of what they are.  Moses had no idea that God's plan was for him to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage until He revealed it from the burning bush.  Joseph didn't know that the Lord had a plan to use him as a great ruler in order to preserve the nation of Israel until he was placed on the throne.  Mary didn't know that the Lord had planned for her to give birth to the Messiah until the angel appeared to her with the announcement.

 

We don't know what His plan is for us either until He reveals it to us.  But again, He knows what it is.  This is where we have to learn to trust Him.  We have to trust that He has a plan for us and will bring that plan into manifestation at the appointed time.   We may be in the prison, in the palace, on the back side of the desert, in a wilderness, in a storm, in a life-shaking problem, etc. but if we believe He has a plan for us we have to trust that whatever we are going through He will work it together for our good in order to bring about the plan that He knows He has for us. 

 

Have a great day.  I don't always know God's plan for my life, but I have to trust that He does and He is working to bring it about in my life.

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from 
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to call (601) 833-5278 or
Email : mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org  

"Before And Behind"

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace".  Exodus 14:13,14

 

The children of Israel were hemmed in between Pharaoh's army and the Red Sea.  There was no place for them to go.  The army was behind them and the sea was before them.  Have you ever felt "hemmed in"?  Sickness is behind you and there is nothing the doctors can do before you. The loss of your job is behind you and bills are mounting up before you.  A broken relationship behind you and uncertainty before you.  The loss of a loved one behind you and pain and heartache before you.

 

We have all found ourselves "hemmed in" at times.  In those times we don't know what to do.  We can't go forward and we can't go backwards.  We are at a complete stand still with no means of escape, provision or help in sight.  When you find yourself in that place, what is your normal course of action?  Is it like the Israelites who murmured, complained and got angry?  Or is it like Moses who believed to see the salvation of the Lord?

 

Are you "hemmed in" in a situation today?  Stop whining.  Stop complaining.  Stop murmuring.  Stop getting angry.  Stop bemoaning it.  Stop grumbling.  Look to the Lord.  Fall on your face before Him.  Acknowledge His power and ability to make a way for you.  Look to Him instead of at your circumstances.  Repent for your lack of trust and faith.  Rest assured that He is going to take care of you and whatever lies before and behind you.  He did for Israel.  He took care of both Pharaoh behind and the sea before.

 

Have a great day.  Look to the Lord to take care of what is hemming you in before and behind.

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from 
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to call (601) 833-5278 or
Email : mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org  

"Position Perspective"

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you... " James 4:8a

 

Several years ago we had the privilege of going to the Grand Canyon.  I remember at one spot on the rim reading about a certain rock that was down in the canyon.  When Coronado saw the rock, he thought it was a person standing down there.  He sent a scouting party to investigate.  After traveling for three days they finally reached the destination.  They discovered that it was not a person but an enormous rock.  It just looked like a person at a distance but up close it dwarfed those who were standing beside it.  This brings me to my point-- the further away from you an object is the smaller it looks.  

 

This is true of the Lord as well.  The further away we are from Him the smaller He looks.  If we are standing at a distance from Him, He looks too small to meet our needs, to solve our problems, to make a way, to take care of our situations.  From a far away distance He looks small but the closer He is to you, the more realistic your view of Him-- He is a Great, Big God.  Once the men got close to the rock they discovered that it was much, much bigger than it was from a distance.  It was brought into clear perspective.  

 

The Bible says to "draw near to God and He will draw near to you".  Sadly, so many want to keep Him at a distance, or at least at an "arm's length" away.  Perhaps it is because of unconfessed sin in their lives, pride, stubbornness or even rebellion.  Whatever the reason He will always be too small in your sight if you keep Him at a distance because that will be exactly how you see Him-- small.  Had the men at the Grand Canyon not "drawn near" to the rock they would have always thought it was a person-- something that it was not.  They would have always seen a false picture of what it really was.  Keeping God at a distance gives a false impression of who He is as well and it makes Him something that He is not.  He is not small, He is big, mighty and awesome.

 

Have a great day.  Seeing God as either a great big God who is able to meet your need, or seeing Him as small and unable to do so has to do with position-- whether He is near or far from you.

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from 
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to call (601) 833-5278 or
Email : mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 

"The Still Waters"

"....he leadeth me beside the still waters".  Psalm 23:2b

There are times in our lives when the Spirit will lead us into stormy places.  Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat and cross over to the other side.  He knew that they would encounter a storm before reaching the other shore.  But it is in the times when He leads us into a "storm" that He is desiring to reveal Himself to us in a way that we either haven't seen or need to be reminded of.  In the storms are where Who He is and His mighty power is manifested.  It is in the storms where we say, "What manner of man is this, even the storms obey Him", and we gain a greater knowledge of Who this awesome Lord that we love and serve is. (Mark 4)

 

But for the most part He leads us "beside the still waters".  He leads us into places of rest, comfort, refreshing and peace.  More times than not, when we are in places of confusion and turmoil, it is because we are doing the "leading".  We have plotted our own course, we have mapped out our own direction, we have put our own plan into practice and we are leading the way ourselves. 

 

The Lord desires for you to follow Him-- His plan, His direction, His leading in your life.  It is His desire to give you rest, peace, comfort, strength, encouragement and take the struggle out of your daily walk on the shores of this life.  When He leads you beside the still waters, He is also revealing something else about Himself.  You will see Him as the Good Shepherd who cares for you and knows exactly how to take care of you-- not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  Still waters calm, sooth and refresh our weary souls and teach us how to trust Him in greater ways.

Have a great day.  He desires to lead you beside still waters-- a place of calm and rest.   

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from 
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to call (601) 833-5278 or
Email : mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org  

"My Lack Of Faith"

"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief".  Mark 9:24

Do you ever feel like this man?  You believe the Lord can do something but aren't sure if He will.  You believe He is able but what if He doesn't? 

I know in my own life there are some areas that I have no problem believing Him in.  There are some things that I fully trust the Lord with-- in those areas my faith in Him and His ability is strong.  But then there are other areas that my faith is weak in and I find myself doubting Him and running to some physical, fleshly source to fulfill the need.  Maybe you aren't like that.  Maybe you have no areas of faith that you struggle with.  Maybe this doesn't describe you.     

I don't have all the answers about why we have strong faith in some areas and weak, to no, faith in others.  What I do know is that when we recognize an area of faith that we struggle in, we shouldn't act like it doesn't exist.  We shouldn't ignore it.  We shouldn't try to put on some sort of façade with the Lord and try to make Him think we believe when what we only have is hope and assumption, not real faith. 

It is not wrong, or a sin, or a lack of spirituality, to admit to the Lord that we are having trouble believing in a certain area.  The father in our verse above admitted his weakness to Jesus.  Did Jesus scold him?  Did He chastise him?  Did He rebuke him?  No, He answered his prayer.  He showed him the power and goodness of the Lord.  The Lord remembers that we are made from dust and have a weak human frame. (Psalm 103:14)  The best thing we can do when we recognize that our faith is weak, is not run from the Lord, not try to pretend it is what it isn't, but go to Him with an honest heart confessing our need for Him to "help our unbelief" and strengthen our faith. 

Have a great day.  There are areas where our faith is strong, and others where it is not.   

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from 
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to call (601) 833-5278 or
Email : mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org