Friday, June 7, 2024
Today, my family is packing up for our vacation on Lake Michigan. All week, my siblings have talked non-stop about the ice-cream, lighthouse, bike rides, and the farmer’s market. We can barely hold in our impatience. If we had it our way, we would leave right now!
Patience is hard. Vacations, fulfilling relationships, our dream college, a promotion, children, retirement—there are so many things we desire. It is difficult to wait for what we want, to have high hopes for our future but not be able to fulfill them.
Sometimes, our insecurities get in our way. They tell us we aren’t good enough, we don’t have what it takes to make our dreams come true. In a sense, those doubts are true—we can’t reach those goals on our own. However, God can, and he has an incredible plan for our future.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
God has the perfect plan for all of us. We aren’t required to achieve anything before we can make a difference. His purpose for us starts right now, exactly where we are.
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
God doesn’t need us to figure everything out on our own. He asks that we humble ourselves to accept his plan. He wants us to give all of our insecurities and doubts over to his care and trust that he will guide us on the best path forward. At the right moment, he will provide beyond anything we could ever ask for or imagine.
My siblings and I know that we will have an incredible time on vacation, but we can’t leave just yet. We have to be patient and rely on the schedule, believing that fun is on its way.
Trusting God’s timing is similar. If we ignore his plan, we can damage our future on earth. Yet if we trust him to write our story, every day becomes an amazing step on the adventure with him.
God is writing a beautiful story in our lives, and that story starts right now.
Questions:
What are your goals and dreams for the future? Do you ever feel impatient about reaching them? How can you trust God’s timing this week?
Next Steps:
Write out a list of all of your life goals, and give that list to God. Ask him to fulfill his perfect plan for your life.
If you haven’t gone through GrowthTrack yet, try it out this weekend! It’s a great way to discover God’s purpose for you right where you are.
Prayer:
Father, there are so many things that I want. Please help me trust that you will provide exactly what I need, far beyond anything I could ask or imagine. You have an incredible plan for my life, and I entrust it to you. I am ready to follow you on this adventure. I love you. Amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Psalm 37:3-4
3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Today’s post was written by Lydia Snyder, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut devotional.