The Plans of the Lord
Psalm 33:11 – “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (NIV)
On Christmas eve I was reflecting upon Luke 2:7 which says, “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger.” As I thought about those words, it struck me that Joseph and Mary never planned to give birth in a stable and lay their baby (the Son of God!) in an animal’s feeding trough. That was an unexpected twist. But at that point in their lives, just about everything was about the unplanned and unexpected.
They hadn’t planned on Mary being pregnant – no less, by means of the Holy Spirit. They hadn’t planned to travel to Bethlehem, especially with Mary so far along in her pregnancy. Nor had they planned to arrive in Bethlehem and find all the guest rooms taken. I’m sure they would have never planned to give birth among the animals.
But, neither did they plan, or could they have planned, a chorus of angels to announce the birth of their son. They could not have planned for a supernatural star to shine brightly in the east – so brightly that the Magi had to follow. And, they could not have planned to have shepherds coming in the night to see their child or Magi bringing gifts fit for a king.
The Jewish people have a saying: “We plan; God laughs.” In other words, at any time God just might step in and change our plans. Ultimately the best thing for us to do is submit ourselves to the plans of the Lord, believing that he is in control, he knows what is best, and he will take care of us each step of the way. As we do, we may face some unplanned difficulties. But we may also experience some unplanned blessings and wonderful surprises.
As we step into this new year, let’s trust God with our lives knowing that God’s word is true: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9 – NIV)
Have a blessed New Year!
-Pastor Tim Harris
On Christmas eve I was reflecting upon Luke 2:7 which says, “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger.” As I thought about those words, it struck me that Joseph and Mary never planned to give birth in a stable and lay their baby (the Son of God!) in an animal’s feeding trough. That was an unexpected twist. But at that point in their lives, just about everything was about the unplanned and unexpected.
They hadn’t planned on Mary being pregnant – no less, by means of the Holy Spirit. They hadn’t planned to travel to Bethlehem, especially with Mary so far along in her pregnancy. Nor had they planned to arrive in Bethlehem and find all the guest rooms taken. I’m sure they would have never planned to give birth among the animals.
But, neither did they plan, or could they have planned, a chorus of angels to announce the birth of their son. They could not have planned for a supernatural star to shine brightly in the east – so brightly that the Magi had to follow. And, they could not have planned to have shepherds coming in the night to see their child or Magi bringing gifts fit for a king.
The Jewish people have a saying: “We plan; God laughs.” In other words, at any time God just might step in and change our plans. Ultimately the best thing for us to do is submit ourselves to the plans of the Lord, believing that he is in control, he knows what is best, and he will take care of us each step of the way. As we do, we may face some unplanned difficulties. But we may also experience some unplanned blessings and wonderful surprises.
As we step into this new year, let’s trust God with our lives knowing that God’s word is true: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9 – NIV)
Have a blessed New Year!
-Pastor Tim Harris
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