God's Got Something Better

“You keep checking doors and you keep checking doors and when it doesn’t open, you leave them alone.”  Those words of advice was given to me by a pastor in December 2011 as he and his wife met with my wife and me.  I was discouraged as I was wondering if God really had a place for us.  I knew that God had a place but the search and the wait was getting frustrated.  I once heard this quote “On the way to a dream you will find a better dream”.  Too often we have this idea of what we want or even how we want, but when we pray God will either say yes, no, or I have something better.  The third answer is probably just as difficult for some as the second answer because the third answer most likely involves waiting.  When I received the invitation to pastor Belleview Community Church, at the time I had a hard time seeing how this could be better.  16 months into the journey, I can see that God is right.  Sometimes when we push the issue, we usually will wind up in trouble.  With any of life’s major decision we need to LET GOD.  We need to let Him provide.  We need to let Him guide.  We need to let Him answer.  Whatever the answer may be realize that our best interest is in His mind.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

God has a plan for us.  Did you know the word “providence” means “to see beforehand?”  God knows what is best for us but not only that, we need to realize that He knows what is best for us beforehand.  Long before our journey begins….God knows.  He knows our hurts.  He knows our heartaches.  He knows our situations.  He knows our frustrations.  He knows our prayers.  He knows our desires.  He knows our thoughts.  He also knows what is best.  The Message has a wonderful paraphrase for this verse: I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  As we determine God’s plan and purpose for our lives we can take comfort in his provision.  He will take care of us.  God supplies our every need.  Everything we could possibly need to get us to where we need to go, God will take care of it.  Every obstacle that stands in our way, God will enable us to overcome.  He knows the plans.  He knows what He is doing.  We can also see God’s presence.  He will not abandon us.  No matter where we are or where we are going, He will not abandon us.  What a blessing!  When I reflect back to the second half of 2011 when we were searching for God’s plan for our lives, I can see how God was with us.  There is no way that we could have financially survived those months except for God.  There is a third blessing found in the verse.  His promise.  His plans are for our best.  You didn’t get the house you want.  You didn’t get the job you want.  You didn’t move to the state you wanted to move to.   It doesn’t mean God is saying no, it could just be God saying, I have something better.  Let God.