Planning Your Life for Next Year

Jeremiah 29:10 and 11    This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. 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.

Here we are another year is about gone and looking back I see victories whether small or large.  The plan for my life on January 1st 2011 was one of hope anticipation for our business.  I had made plans of where we were going to take the business and how to get to the end of the movie successful.

But several new buyers later and the frustration of in store tests and poor results because of product not going on the shelf but staying in back rooms or being placed in the wrong spot has made this year more frustrating than ever before. 

We have to rely on others for financing our orders where everyone else makes a lot of money and we struggle.  Lord, it is not fair.  Yet no planning could ever make this change.  So we have been on this road to understand the verse today.

So often we only read verse 11 of Jeremiah when we struggle to understand why good things are not happening.  Yet verse 10 says a lot to help us understand how the Lord in in the middle of our plans for next year.  God had promised that after seventy years he would show up for His people of Israel.  Therefore we need to realize that everything that happens is in God's time. 

If you have had a bad year, just know that God has not abandoned you but His timing is perfect for your life.  Make plans for the next year.  Write them down and get into a plan for your life beyond your work. 

Check out this website and get your copy of this book, "Plan For Your Life".  Dr. Chris Stephens Book
This is one of the first books that not only gives you the written word but also gives you a CD for you to incorporate your personal plan for next year.

Verse 11 of Jeremiah can make your year the best ever.  Just believe, " 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."

Now get to planning and not just for a New Year's eve celebration.

Handling the Accusers

Psalm 18: 2    “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horns of my salvation, my stronghold.”

We’re all guilty. We have either started gossip or been involved in passing it along to others.    Remember the game that was played where the leader would whisper a statement into a person’s ear and then have them to repeat it to the person seated next to them?  By the time it was passed around the room, the story had completely changed.

This type of game can be fun until it happens to you. For real.

Thirty-five years ago,  a friend at work was getting into a close relationship with a man whom she only known for about six weeks.  Listening to her talk, I knew she was blind to anything about him because she had not taken the time to get to know him.

As a good rescuer, I took it upon myself to find out about this guy.  I only knew his name and where he grew up, so I asked some people in his hometown about him. They told me how he had been arrested for hitting his past girlfriends and was known for his drinking problem.  I relayed this information to her and saw the pain well up in her face.  She immediately took action and called off the relationship.

Two evenings later the man pulled into my driveway.  He was furious because of what I had said, and told me that I had no right going around town telling everyone the story.  I explained that I had only told my friend and from where I got the information. He then explained that it was his uncle by the same name that had the reputation and that he had chosen not to follow in the same footsteps.

After apologizing for several minutes, I followed him to my friend’s house and explained the whole situation.  They got back together, but I lost a friend and destroyed any trust we may have formed. 

You may have found yourself in a similar situation. Churches take on other churches in wrongful accusations. Growing churches and their staff are easy targets for rumors.  Women and men’s circles start talking innocently about others.  I hear words like, “I am concerned about this person’s lifestyle”.  Or they spread stories that are not true through things such as prayer chains or contact groups.

When you feel attacked, go to the Lord first.  Ask Him for the wisdom to handle the situation in an appropriate manner. No matter whether it is at work, home, school, or church, know that the Lord will give you the answers you seek. 

Follow the Scriptures, and take someone with you to discuss and rectify the issue.  If they are a Christian you may want to pray with them, which can help them deal with their own issues rather than pointing fingers at others.

Don't forget to ask forgiveness for your gossiping?

Another Day's Struggle

Matthew 11: 28-30 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (The Message)

OK Lord, it’s time for a talk. It’s five in the morning and my night’s sleep is gone. I’ve been here before and just know that whatever caused this action before was taken away by You.

There is nothing I can tell You this morning that You don’t already know. Here it is another year end and I feel like I missed the excitement of celebrating Your birth. It was another Christmas season that I didn’t experience the joy of my children or grandchildren on Christmas morning.  No video and no phone call.

In my mental struggles this morning, I recall a few years ago a young man who has lent a hand in the cabin construction in Tennessee was riding his motorcycle when a dump truck pulled out of a side road, hit him and killed him. My mind kept wondering if I had been any influence on him because I never really talked to him about his relationship to You.   I’ve felt guilty on more than one occasion that this man had no hope because of me.

This week a man who was prominent in our community died from a sudden heart attack and I felt somewhat numb to think of anything but, “I’m sorry”.

I know, Lord, that we have periods in our lives when things happen that make us wonder and doubt, and this is one of those moments for me. I just feel tired.  Harkey was a strong man who has done a lot in his life but again I just feel numb.

Throughout my life, Your words found in Matthew have pulled me through and renewed my relationship with You. It seems that when I take my eyes off You, I become discouraged as I focus on my failures. When I look at verse 29, I realize that I need to get back into the rhythm of Your grace.

Lord as we talk this morning; please give me a fresh outlook on today. Help me to depend on You for my joy and faith, so I come to You during the rested times and not just when I am tired.

Inspiring Another Year

Good Morning Lord.  It’s time for a devotional to prepare for another new year and after many years of writing blogs and devotionals, I need an idea to inspire, motivate, and move people to a closer relationship with you.

Lord, in the past year there were moments that were really great and other times there were moments in which life really stunk.  There are periods in life that I get exhausted in offering hope and encouragement for another year.   I take my eyes off You and look around at the events that may control me.  

There are so many people hurting right now from natural disasters, war, sickness, death in the family, or in the loss of a relationship.  What can I say to make people feel good about themselves?  How can I encourage others when I need encouragement?

I have heard that change is good, Lord, but no one said that going though these changes was the good part.  Physically leaving the comfort areas that were developed are sad and scarry, but Lord you are already opening new doors even when I cannot see them.  So what’s my problem?

Maybe I need to look beyond what is directly in front of me and realize that through my relationship with you, that you will protect and guide me. 

As I look back on my life, I can see that it has been better when I allow you to be the driver.  If I had had my way, I would still be working in a factory in Cincinnati.  But with job changes, start-up of a new business, the sale of that business, the loss of finances from my partner not paying me, political life, moves to a new Christian work position, divorce, move to Florida, break up of other relationships, death of my parents, and the startup of another new business, I can see your hand in using each event.  Some events were started by me and others, yet I can see you handiwork.  Nevertheless, I can see where you were in charge during each change or you took the change and did something good with my blunders.  Everything continues to work for the good so I just need to go into this year trusting you more to lead me, instead of me leading my self.

In my youth, Dad used an example of me training one of our steers to be lead.  At first, “Billie” (the steer) resisted, but through persistent tugs, he soon figured that it was better to follow me than resist and then receive correction from a board hitting him on the head.  Soon were walking all over the farm with Billie just paces behind.  One day in the heat, I sat down under the tree and thought that Billie could just lead himself, since he was so well trained.

 As I closed my eyes to rest,  Billie moved away and within moments, he was in the garden eating on some green vegetable that would give him a stomach ache.  Grabbing the rope, I tugged hard to correct the situation.  When my Dad got home from work, he saw the evidence and was furious.  Later he related the incident to how we walk with God.  When we walk with God, he leads us to goodness and safety.  When we go off on our own and don’t rely on a relationship with God, our lives get messed up and only then do we yell for help from the Lord to fix the situation.

As you enter into the new year take one last moment and look back on last year and your entire life.  See where you were close to the Lord and how He handled the tough times and where you were so concerned with yourself that God was left under a tree.  I encourage everyone to spend more that five minutes a day with the Lord.  Talk to Him in your heart before any move this year and then you can look back to see how this will become a year of peace, happiness, and joy.  It’s in the relationship.

Oh yeah,  Thanks Lord for today’s reminder of your guidance, love and protection.