GET READY FOR AN AWESOME RIDE!
“‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)
The plans God has for you are plans to give you hope and a future. He has things in store for you that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1Cor. 2:9b) When you receive Jesus as your personal savior, His plans are going to be brought forth. They will come to pass in order for you to be conformed to the image of Christ. The Context for the verse in Jeremiah 29 was God’s chastening of His people by sending them into captivity for Seventy years in Babylon. It was just prior to this captivity that God reassured them that He knew what he was doing – and that He was working out His plan for their good and His glory. The experiences that the Israelites went through during these years were that of dealing with the consequences of their sin. They disobeyed the Lord and were now being held responsible for it. And so it is with us. When sin is present in as person’s life, God will do one of two things with it – forgive it, or judge it. In order for anyone to enter into a personal relationship with God through Christ, sin must be dealt with. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” (1Jn. 1:8-10)
I remember as a kid going on the rides on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, NJ. My favorite ride was the Jet-Star. This bobsled type rollercoaster reached speeds close to, if not over 100 miles per hour. Now, Great Adventure boasts of its “Nitro” rollercoaster or the “Great American Scream Machine” or, if you like a more traditional roller coaster there is “Rolling Thunder.” Usually before each of these rides start, you hear a final statement from the operator that sounds something like, “Please Hold On To The Bar!” It was the indicator that you were in for an awesome ride. The operator of the ride knew what you were in for. If it was your first time on the ride, you may not have known what to expect. The ride may seem dangerous. When the shoulder harness clicks and the bar comes down over your lap, you’re locked in for the ride of your life. You have to trust that the operator knows what he’s doing to have an awesome ride. In your walk with Christ, it may seem like a roller coaster of a ride; but take heart, God knows what his plans are for you. He’s the one you must hold on to. He is the one that who keeps you securely in his grip. It’s like the first time you ride a road you haven’t been down before. The twists and turns along the road have to be met with caution and skill but keep holding on to the handle bars, lean into your turns and accelerate through them and you will have an awesome ride.
Lord, sometimes this ride seems too much for me to handle, please help me to hold on to your promises to steer me through the twists and turns of life so I may enjoy the ride before me. In Jesus’ Name -- Amen
Rev. Michael P. Woods
Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 1-2; Luke 19-28-48
Pastor Mike Woods is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and is the Administrator of the Colony of Mercy, America's KESWICK'S 108 year old residential program for men in addiction. For information about the Colony of Mercy, visit our website -- www.americaskeswick.org
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