No Plan B

We had a rather important meeting scheduled recently.

Moments before the meeting started, we had an equipment failure.

I quickly came up with a different option.

This was my Plan B.

One thing experience has taught me is preparedness.

I immediately formulated a third plan in case my second plan failed.

A short time later, it did.

I had to put my third plan into motion.

Having done that, I immediately formulated a fourth plan, just in case.

Fortunately, I did not have to put that fourth plan into action.

As human beings, we make both plans and backup plans.

Fortunately for us, God has a plan and He has no need of a backup plan.

Each of us is a part of His plan.

When God told Isaiah of his future as a prophet, Isaiah resisted.

God reminded Isaiah of His plan.

Jeremiah 1:5 (NET) - “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”.

Jesus Christ Himself was part of the plan from the very beginning.

John1:1-3 (NET) - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

Even our salvation itself was part of the plan from the very beginning.

Ephesians 1:4 (NET) - For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love.

We are not here by accident or coincidence.

Each of us is a part of God’s plan.

A plan that has always been in place and cannot fail.

God requires no “Plan B”.

That is something we can all rely upon.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 20, 2018.

I will be back here on Friday, July 27, 2018

Mercy

David ordered that his soldiers be counted.

Joab tried to persuade David not to do this as it would bring judgment from God.

David’s edict held and the soldiers were counted.

This offended God.

David confessed his transgression and asked God to remove his guilt.

When God spoke, He did not speak to David.

Rather, He spoke to the prophet Gad.

1 Chronicles 21:9-10 (NET) - The LORD told Gad, David’s prophet, “Go, tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: “I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.”’”.

The prophet Gad then delivered God’s three options to David.

David did not choose three years of famine.

Nor did he choose three months being chased and struck by his enemies.

Instead, he chose three days of plague.

He chose this in hope that the Lord would be merciful.

So, God sent a plague through Israel and 70,000 men died.

God was merciful as David had hoped.

1 Chronicles 21:15 (NET) - God sent an angel to ravage Jerusalem. As he was doing so, the LORD watched and relented from his judgment. He told the angel who was destroying, “That’s enough! Stop now!”

This was not the only time God spoke through a prophet.

It was certainly not the only time God was merciful.

In Acts 15, the apostles and elders met concerning the Gentiles.

They listened to Peter and Barnabas as they spoke of the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles.

It was James who laid the matter to rest when he spoke of how the prophets of old agreed with this.

Acts 15:15-18 (NET) - The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be my own,’ says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.

The words God spoke through these prophets is true.

God is firm, but He is also merciful.

Just as He showed mercy to David, He also showed mercy to the Gentiles.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 3, 2017.

I will be back here on Friday, February 10, 2017