Day 24 – Sunday (9/16/18)
Health Update: Still Trucking. Still Waiting
Thought for the day: God’s plan vs. our plan
In Sunday School today, we were reading from 1 Samuel , chapter 8. In this chapter, Israel demands a King. “We will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles”. When Samuel heard this, he took the concern before God. God told Samuel “heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them”. Samuel spent several versus warning the Israeli people what would happen to them if their request for a king was fulfilled. Some warnings included (paraphrased) that the king/government would take 10% of their stuff (in addition to the 10% they were already giving to God), their sons would have to work for the king, and their daughters would be taken to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers for the King. Basically, the warning was simple. You want a king? You can have one, but you are going to be giving up your children, freedom, and possessions. So what did Israel decide to do? They did not listen to the warnings, and demanded, “give us the king”! If you read through the rest of Samuel, you can see how this played out for them. Spoiler… not good.
What about us? Have you ever been stubborn when it comes to something you want? Have you prayed and asked God to give you something, and His answer was no? Did you figure out a way to get what you wanted anyway? How did that turn out? For me, in my adult life, I know one time that I did this. I won’t elaborate the details, but let’s say the decision became very costly for me. After that personal experience, I became very careful when God tells me no. There have been at least 3 other times that I remember distinctly where I had a plan, and God said no. These times I obeyed, and dropped my plans, knowing that God knew something I did not. In all three cases, months later, I realized WHY God told me no, and I’m so thankful He did. To summarize my point… When you have a plan, pray, listen, and obey.
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to go to Church today. Hurricane Florence has really not caused as many issues in our area as originally projected. This is a tremendous blessing. Please be with the people in the eastern part of the state, as they have really been hit hard. Thank You for reminding me today the importance of including You in decisions. When situations arise, we need to pray, listen, and obey. Obedience can be difficult sometimes, but I thank You for the Holy Spirit who can help us obey. As we start a new work week tomorrow, I pray for safety, strength, and opportunities to serve You. Please continue to be with the pathologists at Stanford, and I look forward to hearing the results (in Your timing). Thank You for all You do, amen.