God Always Has A Plan!
Why does it seem that we never understand God's plan before he does a thing, but afterwards we can see his finger prints all over a situation. Take this blog for instance. It almost is turning into a kind of daily devotional lesson, and with that being said let me dive right in.
For over about two years now I have been in a lot of pain in my left foot. When I would wake in the morning I would hardly be able to walk because the pain was so bad, but after I tender footed around for awhile the pain would seem to go away. However, if I sat down and rested when I got back up to walk again the pain was back. I can tell you a lot of times I went before the Lord seeking healing for my foot. And for a reason I did not understand at the time he withheld that healing from me.
We know that the Lord is a healer still today as the Bible is full of admonitions to seek the Lord in prayer for healing. Probably the most famous and widely used New Testament reference to healing is found in James 5 when the apostle tells us, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:13-16)
It is so odd to look and try to understand with this admonition to seek the elders for healing, that God would sometimes withhold his healing touch from our lives because it better suits his plan for us to have us sick or hurting. Some people may say, "Now wait a minute brother, God surely doesn't want us sick or hurt!" To that response I give this reply:
Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:6-10
So each time I sought the Lord for healing, I tried to rest in the comfort of knowing that he was working all of this out ultimately for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Ultimately it was for my good, and for the good of others.
Now I will admit it is so hard to rest in that, but I struggled along to be content with what God was doing, all the while my foot getting worse and worse. Finally I sought the aid of a Doctor, and my family practice could not help me. So they referred me to Dr. Edmunds, the podiatrist in Hopkinsville KY. I put off going but this week the pain got so bad I couldn't take it anymore so I called and set up an appointment. The next morning I awoke and the pain was gone. I remember talking with a good friend and counselor, Frank Smith, and telling him doesn't it just beat all that now that I make the appointment God would heal me. Frank advised me to really seek the Lord and to make sure that he had healed me before canceling the appointment. The next day the pain, which was Wednesday October 4th, the pain came back a little and so I kept the appointment.
So as I am seated on the table talking with the nurse and Dr. Edmunds it comes up that I am a Pastor and the talk turns to the things of God. (That seems to happen a lot with me.) I find out that the nurse is a Christian and goes to a Missionary Baptist church. Dr. Edmunds seems to have some sort of Christian background or something like it, but won't say what. So after he leaves the nurse and I talk for quite a while and I shared with her how she could share her faith. Then she tells me how Dr. Edmunds is a Mormon, though not the strictest one you will ever meet. At that point we began to talk specifically how she could share with him in a way that would gently expose the lies of Mormonism, and ultimately give him a fighting chance at heaven. The conversation went on so long that Dr. Edmunds actually came back in and asked if everything was ok, and at that point we went our separate ways. Sometimes when we have a "thorn in the flesh" as Paul did, it is not a matter of faith that keeps us from being healed, but a matter of God's divine plan. I really believe that God wanted me in that office to share with that nurse so that she could share with Dr. Edmunds. They have a good relationship and he allows her to speak into his life about spiritual things.
Pray for Dr. Edmunds right now, and for his nurse. (I am embarrassed to say I can not remember her name.) Pray that ultimately Dr. Edmunds might repent of his sins and put his trust in the Real Jesus Christ, and not the fictitious one the Mormons present. I have another appointment on October 11th. Hopefully we will get to hear some promising news from it.
Why does it seem that we never understand God's plan before he does a thing, but afterwards we can see his finger prints all over a situation. Take this blog for instance. It almost is turning into a kind of daily devotional lesson, and with that being said let me dive right in.
For over about two years now I have been in a lot of pain in my left foot. When I would wake in the morning I would hardly be able to walk because the pain was so bad, but after I tender footed around for awhile the pain would seem to go away. However, if I sat down and rested when I got back up to walk again the pain was back. I can tell you a lot of times I went before the Lord seeking healing for my foot. And for a reason I did not understand at the time he withheld that healing from me.
We know that the Lord is a healer still today as the Bible is full of admonitions to seek the Lord in prayer for healing. Probably the most famous and widely used New Testament reference to healing is found in James 5 when the apostle tells us, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:13-16)
It is so odd to look and try to understand with this admonition to seek the elders for healing, that God would sometimes withhold his healing touch from our lives because it better suits his plan for us to have us sick or hurting. Some people may say, "Now wait a minute brother, God surely doesn't want us sick or hurt!" To that response I give this reply:
Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:6-10
So each time I sought the Lord for healing, I tried to rest in the comfort of knowing that he was working all of this out ultimately for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Ultimately it was for my good, and for the good of others.
Now I will admit it is so hard to rest in that, but I struggled along to be content with what God was doing, all the while my foot getting worse and worse. Finally I sought the aid of a Doctor, and my family practice could not help me. So they referred me to Dr. Edmunds, the podiatrist in Hopkinsville KY. I put off going but this week the pain got so bad I couldn't take it anymore so I called and set up an appointment. The next morning I awoke and the pain was gone. I remember talking with a good friend and counselor, Frank Smith, and telling him doesn't it just beat all that now that I make the appointment God would heal me. Frank advised me to really seek the Lord and to make sure that he had healed me before canceling the appointment. The next day the pain, which was Wednesday October 4th, the pain came back a little and so I kept the appointment.
So as I am seated on the table talking with the nurse and Dr. Edmunds it comes up that I am a Pastor and the talk turns to the things of God. (That seems to happen a lot with me.) I find out that the nurse is a Christian and goes to a Missionary Baptist church. Dr. Edmunds seems to have some sort of Christian background or something like it, but won't say what. So after he leaves the nurse and I talk for quite a while and I shared with her how she could share her faith. Then she tells me how Dr. Edmunds is a Mormon, though not the strictest one you will ever meet. At that point we began to talk specifically how she could share with him in a way that would gently expose the lies of Mormonism, and ultimately give him a fighting chance at heaven. The conversation went on so long that Dr. Edmunds actually came back in and asked if everything was ok, and at that point we went our separate ways. Sometimes when we have a "thorn in the flesh" as Paul did, it is not a matter of faith that keeps us from being healed, but a matter of God's divine plan. I really believe that God wanted me in that office to share with that nurse so that she could share with Dr. Edmunds. They have a good relationship and he allows her to speak into his life about spiritual things.
Pray for Dr. Edmunds right now, and for his nurse. (I am embarrassed to say I can not remember her name.) Pray that ultimately Dr. Edmunds might repent of his sins and put his trust in the Real Jesus Christ, and not the fictitious one the Mormons present. I have another appointment on October 11th. Hopefully we will get to hear some promising news from it.
posted by Pastor Jerry at
7:18 AM
1 Comments:
God always has a plan for your life. In the situation that my family is in, it is difficult to be patient with the LORD. I know in God's time a blessing will come into our home but until then i must read these verses and stay in the Lord and HIS will, not mine.
Do not turn from the Lord when what you want may not be what he wants because what the Lord wants is a thousand times better than what we want; and he gives it to us at the right time.
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HurtOhana, at 7:08 PM
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