I've
always been one who loves to dream and make big plans. I*ve
spent a lot of wasted time hoping and dreaming while the outcome
of those hopes and dreams never come to fruition. For me,
it*s usually a let down and a feeling
of failure from never producing what I set out to do.
I like plans. I like
organization . . . my father gave me a love for maps and history
. . . border lines. As a girl I always colored within the
lines of the coloring book. I never marked past them and was
always proud that I kept the picture looking the way it was
drawn. I*ve found
out recently that all of my plan-making--for me--is really
a detriment to my relationship with God. I can stay within
all the lines, plan and dream all I want to, but if its not
Gods picture or plan, I will always be left feeling like a
failure.
Usually the reason
for my plans was because I thought I knew more than God. I
knew, I felt, and I wanted. I only consulted God on the matter
secondarily. I would ask God to bless my plans and my actions
instead of asking Him to work out His own plan through me.
I now know that (Gods plans) are the plans that will be blessed
and produce much fruit.
I don’t think I would
have ever come to this understanding if our leadership had
never first submitted to Jesus Christ. Mr. Tkach, Sr. was
God’s sod-buster for our fellowship. I think we sometimes
forget how obedient he was to what God was working through
him. He made decisions at the time that probably to him seemed
illogical. The plan was being laid down before him for our
benefit today. And aren’t we reaping the fruit of his sweat,
prayers and labor today, now that plans are still in effect
through his son Joe Tkach?
I look to Israel for
the many examples of obedience to God's
plans. Joshua had been given a plan to lead the Israelites
into the promised land. Just the name "promised" should have
been enough to make them obey. Joshua was obedient to God*s plan and so were most of the people.
This plan actually worked and was fulfilled. The reason why
it worked was because it came from God. Not out of the mind
of Joshua or from the people under Joshua. Joshua 1:16 reads:
then they (the people) answered Joshua. "Whatever you have
commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will
go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses so we will obey you."
Our church has taken
on some very real and difficult challenges. Many of our critics
have had us on the mat and down for the count. They weren*t counting on the fact that our reform
might have been God*s
plan. They didn’t realize that Christ stepped in where no
man could. We should have been washed up and split apart till
none of us were left. We probably would have been if our leadership
had decided that they knew best and had not submitted themselves
to much prayer, fasting and searching of God and His word.
They surrendered themselves to the Spirit of Christ.
This reminds me of
a little boy who wasn't
supposed to be able to fight a giant, much less kill him.
His brothers and king laughed at him. Yet they weren*t
willing to go out and fight this Philistine themselves. They
turned and looked for someone else to take the heat. How many
of us would have had the faith to believe God would deliver
this giant into the hands of a small boy? When Gods plan is
in action things never seem as they are, do they? And yet,
David was actually offended that the Philistines would have
the gall or stupidity to take on the army of the living God.
I Samuel 17:26 reveals David’s faith in Gods plan helped him
to know he would never be alone while facing this giant.
Do we really believe
that we aren*t
alone either? When we act within the plan of God for our lives,
we will not be left to fend for ourselves. Satan is roaming
around looking for us to act outside of God's
will. Let*s encourage one another to stay submitted
to His perfect will. Let's
encourage one another to enjoy where we are while God prepares
us for where we are going. Enjoying it, I know, would actually
mean we*d have
to stop complaining and rely on God for our answers instead
of making up our own.
I want to be a branch
that is submitted to the vine. Whatever fruit he wants to
produce through me is what is best for me. Whatever he wants
to prune off of me is also best for me as well. Our church
has been through severe pruning . . . but fruit is right around
the corner if we will stay faithful to God and faithful to
the vine.
Trials make the promise
sweet; trials give new life to prayer. Bring me to my Savior's
feet, lay me low and keep me there.
