We've been talking about The Circle Maker for a long time. For those who don't know, Circle Makers is a book that teaches us how to trust God for things that are beyond our ability to achieve. I would like to share with you some Scriptures that help me know the Lord has great plans for me and hopefully, after you read this, you will know God has great plans for you as well.
But we have to make the Lord our first delight, yes, even before our spouses and children.
For me, the Lord has given me several verses that help me know the vision I have is a vision that he gave me, as long as I trust him and don't doubt.
Psalm 27:8 My heart has heard you say, 'come talk with Me,' and my heart responds, 'Lord, I'm coming' (New Living Translation)
When you read Psalm 27:8, what does your mind tell you this verse is saying?
Does a picture comes to mind? What picture is that?
What would you think the Lord is telling you in this verse?
For me, the picture of the way the Lord feels about each one of us is poignantly illustrated in this verse. As I was writing the Sunday school lesson, and thinking of this verse, I couldn't help but think of the old song by Glenn Miller, Moonlight Serenade, "I stand/at your gate/and the song that I sing is of moonlight/I stand and I wait/for the touch of your hand in the June light…"
Seeing the Lord work on my behalf so that I can see the result of this vision starts with my willingness to talk with the Lord and tell him all that is on my heart. The Lord is standing at the gate of my heart, calling me to tell him everything. If I come, we have that loving relationship that both of us want.
Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
For me, this verse reminds me that the Lord God is my Creator and he knows better than I do what my true desires are.
Closely related to Psalm 37:4 is Isaiah 48:17
This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." Isaiah 48:17
I don't know what is best for me. The Lord knows perfectly what I need.
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. Psalm 9:10
"'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord…." Jeremiah 29:13-14
Did you catch what the Lord is saying when we seek him with all our hearts? "'I will be found by you,' declares the Lord."
The Lord is DECLARING that when we seek him he will make sure we find him. What stronger word could there be than the Almighty DECLARING this? I am awed. God Almighty will do everything he can to make sure we find him!
But we have a part to play in seeking him. These next verses help us know what we need to do:
The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenants and obey his demands. Psalm 25:10
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46::10
Psalm 112 tells us our rewards for seeking the Lord, fearing him and taking delight in obeying is commands. What are these rewards?
Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands….They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. Psalm 112:1, 7-9
What do you see in these verses in Psalms 112 that speaks to you?
Isaiah 41:10 is a well-loved and well known verse, but often when we know a verse well, or love a verse particularly, we might be tempted to believe God doesn't speak through it. That is not the case. It's important not to disregard a verse, just because it is well known. God will take these verses and give each of us a special meaning, meant only for us. The same verse can be for each person, because God's word is alive and powerful and will speak to those who allow it to know them.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not be discouraged for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and I will help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. For those who ask, receive; those who seek, find; and for those who knock, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
What message do you think Jesus wants us to understand from this verse?
And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled Romans 15:2b
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.'1 Corinthians 2:9
These two verses illustrate the need we have to know God's word. We can't be encouraged by Scripture if we never pick it up and read it, and we can never understand how much the Lord loves us unless we know his word and let the Holy Spirit speak to us.
God has promised that he has great plans for us. In some of these scriptures I have shared with you, God has spoken to me and continues to speak to me to help me have courage when I am discouraged and to wait on him. Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."
When we trust God to do all things in his good timing, we will find that everything that needs to happen in our lives will happen at just the right time, in just the right way, in his perfect will. Then we will be like the people Daniel described in Daniel 11:32b
But the people who know their God will be strong and carry out great exploits.
While I don't advocate the lifestyle Hunter S. Thompson lived, I do think we as Christians need to keep his words in mind as related to obedience to Jesus. For my purposes I changed the quote below just a little, and replaced the word "reader" with "Christian":
“So we shall let the (Christian) answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?”
― Hunter S. Thompson
Jesus wants our lives to be more than existence and when we trust him without reservations, we will find our lives to be exactly what we desired.