Do you ever wonder, “How can it get any better?” We are so amazingly blessed. Just to live in the United States of America is an amazing blessing. Then to personally know the true and the living God and to be in a personal, living relationship with our Creator and our God, it does not get any better than this. Preparing for our study on the Kingdom Definition of Success, I am overwhelmed at the goodness of our God. Before we enter time, the living God has a written plan for our success. Our plan is good and full of hope. Life on this planet is miserable without hope. Our mind plays wicked tricks on us and we imagine all kinds of disasters for ourselves. This is why He clearly said that His plans for us were for good and not for disaster. There are good plans for our success written in our God’s book before our life in time on this planet begins.
These plans are not hidden, but we do have to pursue them. I believe our propensity for “busyness” is part of our enemy the defeated Satan’s plans to trick us into believing that we are too busy living life to take the time to determine what our Creator’s plan is for us and then to follow that plan. That is a huge mistake. We are told to seek “first” HIs plan and His way of doing and being right. Seeking here is defined as striving and being ravenously hungry for His plan. We are told the simple method of knowing His plan for us. The New Living Translation says “keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” Our God is not hiding His plan from us. His overwhelming desire is for us to know His plan clearly and that we make this plan our primary motivator and heart’s desire. The following verse in Matthew (7:8) says “for everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be open.” Rather definitive results.
We are told that when we pursue His plans for our lives in time until we have discovered His plans for us and when we then make His plans for us our heart’s desire, our plans will be established and our plans will succeed. The whole of the book, cover to cover is about how we can be successful now and in our eternity… Amazing! How have we missed that? How have we made it a book about religion and regulation and compliance? I am thankful to know and to share with you that the scriptures are our Creator’s instructions about our success through a living relationship with Him. Praise our God!!!
The fourth of July, our Independence Day, is such a special day in America. The entire country celebrates. Fireworks, parades, and festivals are everywhere. It is also Fran and my anniversary. Forty-nine (49) this year. That is amazing also. When my Mother died she and Dad had been married sixty-nine years.. At Fran’s Dad’s death Pop and Mom had been married sixty-six years. Like the old country song, “we come from a long line of love.” And we are thankful.
Fran and I depart early Tuesday for a Familiarization cruise with a ministry as we are doing research into their operation. We will be in Italy, France, and Spain. Please pray for our protection, peace and safe passage.
I am continuing to write in the Definition of Success series, so stay posted for more of that. Until then, be blessed!
Thank you—informative with a good dah of inspiration.