Wednesday, January 19, 2011

#128 - Faithful, No Matter the Cost!

Good morning! :) Well... let's just say it has been an interesting morning as normal! :) I've had a chance to talk to my husband A LOT! :) (HA!) During my quiet time, he wanted to share all the stuff he got out of his quiet time... and wanted to share a funny reprimand that happened to him yesterday... OK.... let's just say, it looks as if "THAT" will all be a part of today's devotion. We will be veering a little of our "regular" reading schedule. 


We were both sitting in the living room with our Bible's and journals, having our own separate "Quiet Time." Tyler piped up and said, "Do you mind if I share some of what I'm learning right here. I mean, this is good stuff!" So.... I stopped my own reading.... I had just written down a key verse that had jumped out at me, then I put my pen down to give my undivided attention to my excited husband. :) As he started to read, I recognized the verse as the one I had JUST written down. 
Proverbs 19:21 - Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand.
He proceeded to talk about Proverbs 19:21, and we jumped over to a couple other places that also applied: 
Isaiah 46:10 - Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose .
Isaiah 29:11 (NIV) - 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.
As Tyler started talking to me... he made a statement that is a GREAT statement to think about EVERY time one gets in the Word. Good enough to even write it down on a post-it note, include it with your Bible, so every day when you open up your Bible, you have THIS thought in the back of your mind. This is what he said: "As I was reading, I was looking for the word behind the Word." That, my friend, is what it means to meditate. That, my friend, is what it means to allow the WORD to speak to you! TO LOOK FOR THE WORD BEHIND THE WORD!  What exactly does that mean? Well.... obviously, we know that not even a pen-stroke should be added or taken away from the Bible (Matt. 5:18), right? So how can we get more than what is there? Well, since when we are saved, the Holy Spirit now LIVES within us, He has the ability to make known to us all things, IF we are willing to ask, seek, meditate, etc. So... when reading... it is a matter of reading with purpose, reading with a desire to see the "hidden treasures" that are locked away in the Word. (Prov. 2:4, Is. 45:3)


With the scriptures from today... the bottom line is this: The Lord's purpose will stand. He has a plan! We have our own will, but He has a plan. We have the ability to choose His plan, or choose our will. If we choose our will over His plan, He will find someone else to carry out the Ultimate Purpose! Tyler made an amazing point as we were talking! He said, "Look at the life of Joseph! Look at when Joseph is in Potiphar's house and Potiphar's wife continually tries to get Joseph to go to bed with her. Well, after continual refusals, she finally tears of Joseph's cloak one day and accuses him of trying to get her to go to bed. So, Joseph is wrongfully accused. Well, look at this. Joseph didn't try to defend himself, THOUGH he was innocent. He was then thrown in prison and remained their for a couple years. Well, think about this. Why didn't Potiphar just KILL Joseph right there? Maybe Potiphar had some doubt that what his wife said was true. Maybe Potiphar thought, 'This is totally against Joseph's character. What if he did not do this?' Then, if Joseph, would have slept with her, he probably would've died! Potiphar would've probably had him killed!" If you remember the rest of the story, Joseph ends up rising to power, 2nd in charge only to Pharoah, and because of the plan Joseph receives from the Lord, in a time of famine, that plan SAVES NATIONS!


God's divine plans will stand. He will see that someone who is willing to be faithful, will get the job done. We just have to remain faithful to HIM and HIS direction. He declares the END and the RESULT from the beginning. So, as we start down our path of following him, from the BEGINNING He has already declared what the end & the result will be. IF we stay on HIS path, the end will prove to be thoughts and plans to prosper you! Now, that is good stuff! IF we, follow HIS plan, the ending has already been determined! The end our OUR story as a faithful, child of God are plan of prosperity, plans of success! Praise the Lord! 



I definitely can't take any credit for all this Joseph information! Tyler has been meditating on it for over a year now. He continually sees new insights, information, nuggets, treasures. It is a story packed with amazing things!


Well....let's wrap this up. God is God. His purpose will stand. The question is, will you be faithful to HIS plan no matter what the cost? Will you be faithful? 





2 comments:

Deb Ellis said...

Very encouraging. It's so tempting to want to justify yourself when someone wrongs you or takes advantage of you. I guess that's pride talking. I believe Joseph was an amazing example of God's Justice in the end as the story of Potiphar's wife was only one of many wrongful acts against him. I can only imagine what he must have thought 'Why am I being treated so unfair? I have done nothing but serve and care for others.'
He declares te END and the RESULT of the beginning. He is a just God and never loses sight of His plan and how to fulfill it. We just need to trust Him to fulfill His plan and not be a hinderance. Thanks Tyler for sharing these good nuggets of truth.

Jo Ann Bright said...

I thank God for both of you. When I read...Declaring the end and the result from the beginning... I remembered Tyler talking to my daughter, Samantha, at a picnic a few years back and what he said to her. He said she should decide what qualities she wanted in a husband like he had done with you, Amy. He went on to say how God had answered. So, in the beginning Tyler had declared the end, and he's still doing it!
Isn't God great!
Like you said, "the Lord's purpose will stand".

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