- Welcome to a Grace Digital Presentation.
We will be discussing all you need in God's plans alone.
If you have ever tried to run stubbornly
with your own plans, decisions, or dreams
without God's input even when there was this red alarm
going off on the inside?
Then without a doubt, you know that there isn't much
of a future in holding on to our own plans.
Neither is there any peace in running head long
onto a path where God's backing
or presence isn't guaranteed.
Jeremiah 29:11 through 14.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,
"Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me
with all your heart.
I will be found by you," declares the Lord,
"And will bring you back from captivity.
I will gather you from all the nations and places
where I have banished you," declares the Lord,
"And will bring you back to the place
from which I carried you into exile."
Nobody knows like God,
how much we need to be on the right track
for our own wellbeing.
And this is why he tells us in this scripture
to seek him, his will, and his plans
because eventually, it is only those
that are taught of the Lord
that will experience great peace.
Isaiah 54:13 and 14.
All your children will be taught by the Lord,
and great will be their peace.
In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you.
God shows us all through scriptures
that his ways are always higher than our ways.
This means, even in moments where we can't understand
why he is leading us on another path,
different from what we want, we can be rest assured
because his ways will always turn out
to be better than ours.
Isaiah 55:8 through 13
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways", declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower
and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish
what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow."
This will be for the Lord's renown,
for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.
Even our best laid out plans
will eventually look like nothing
compared to his seemingly simple vision for us.
When we start to walk in the fulfillment,
enjoy his unique ways bring.
Proverbs 16:2 through 4.
All a person's ways seem pure to them,
but motives are weighed by the Lord.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.
The Lord works out everything to its proper end.
Proverbs 21:2.
A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
It is only natural to assume that the path we have chosen
as it has to do with our career, relationships,
or living choice is the best path.
After all, we are intelligent beings that know a whole lot
and have dotted the eyes and cross the tease.
But it is important to remember
that God always knows the end from the beginning.
Therefore, he alone can tell us where there could be
a pitfall and regrets down the line or in the future.
What a great privilege to be aware of God's path
and to walk in the center of this path
because that is the only place of true peace
as we journey through life.
Proverbs 8:32 through 36.
"Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death."
However, it all starts from a heart
that has come to love and value God's chosen way.
Proverbs 23:26.
My son, give me your heart
and let your eyes delight in my ways.
It is possible to develop a supernatural
longing for God's ways, especially when the holy spirit
opens our inner eyes to see
that God gives us the option of his own plans
because he can see that our plans will most likely lead
to lots of regrets in no time.
Remember Jonah, the obstinate prophet
who wanted to do things his own way?
Well, it didn't take too long for him to realize
that choosing his own thoughts,
instead of God's thoughts would only complicate matters.
Jonah chapter one.
The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai.
"Go to the great City of Nineveh and preach against it
because its wickedness has come up before me."
But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.
He went down to Joppa where he found
his ship bound for that port.
After paying the fare,
he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish
to flee from the Lord.
Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea
and such a violent storm arose
that the ship threatened to break up.
All the sailors were afraid and each cried out
to his own God.
And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck
where he laid down and fell into a deep sleep.
The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep?
Get up and call on your God.
Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish."
So they asked him,
"Tell us, who is responsible
for making all this trouble for us?
What kind of work do you do?
Where do you come from?
What is your country?
From what people are you?"
He answered, "I am Hebrew and I worship the Lord,
the God of Heaven who made the sea and the dry land.
This terrified them.
And they asked, "What have you done?"
They knew he was running away from the Lord
because he had already told them so.
The sea was getting rougher and rougher.
So they asked him, "What should we do to make the sea
calm down for us?
Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied.
"And it will become calm.
I know that it is my fault
and that this great storm has come upon you."
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land
but they could not,
for the sea grew even wilder than before.
Then they cried out to the Lord.
"Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man's life.
Do not hold us accountable for killing
an innocent man.
For you, Lord have done as you pleased."
Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard.
And the raging sea grew calm.
At this, the men greatly feared the Lord
and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord
and made vows to him.
After they threw him overboard,
he got himself in deeper trouble
till he eventually decided to do things God's way.
Jonah chapter two.
From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God.
He said, "In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry,
but I, with shouts of grateful praise will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed, I will make good.
I will say salvation comes from the Lord."
And the Lord commanded the fish
and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
So just like the prodigal son,
Jonah realized the futility of life outside God's will.
Thankfully, it wasn't too late and God is always interested
in setting us back on the right path,
even if we have been on the wrong path for so long.
Luke 15:13 through 20.
Not long after that, the younger son got together
all he had, set off for a distant country,
and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine
in that whole country and he began to be in need.
So he went and hired himself out
to a citizen of that country who sent him
to his fields to feed pigs.
He longed to fill his stomach with the pods
that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When he came to his senses, he said,
"How many of my father's hired servants have food despair?
And here, I am starving to death."
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him,
"Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
Make me like one of your hired servants."
So he got up and went to his father.
But while he was still a long way off,
his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.
He ran to his son, threw his arms around him,
and kissed him.
In the book of Isaiah Chapter 45,
there is a perfect picture of what happens
when God holds a person by the hand
and leads him on the clear path that he has chosen for him.
Everything from provision, protection,
a future, and victory is available on God's way
and not on our own way.
This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations
before him and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you and will level the mountains.
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you hidden treasures,
riches stored in secret places so that you may know
that I am the Lord, the God of Israel
who summons you by name.
For the sake of Jacob, my servant of Israel, my chosen
I summon you by name and bestow on you
a title of honor though, you do not acknowledge me,
I am the Lord and there is no other.
Apart from me, there is no God.
I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me.
So that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting,
people may know there is none besides me.
I am the Lord and there is no other.
Woe to who quarrel with their maker.
Those who are nothing but potsherds
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter, "What are you making?"
Does the work say the potter has no hands?
Woe to the one who says to the father,
"What have you begotten?"
Or to a mother, "What have you brought to birth?"
This is what the Lord says,
the holy one of Israel and its maker.
"Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children or give me orders
about the works of my hands?
It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it.
My own hand stretched out the heavens.
I marshaled their starry hosts.
I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness.
I will make all his way straight.
He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward," says the Lord Almighty.
All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced.
They will go off into disgrace together.
But Israel will be saved by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation.
You will never be put to shame or disgraced,
to ages everlasting.
Let us pray.
Lord, I am grateful because your path
is full of I could ever think or need.
Thank you for having my best interests in your heart.