Plans 2 Prosper U Blog

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:15,16, NIV)

Psalm 139 tells us that God saw us when we were in our mother’s womb. Not only did He see us at that time, but He saw every day we would ever live. All at an instant He knew exactly what was going to happen to us and perfectly equipped us to handle every obstacle. Actually, the truth is that this didn’t solely occur at our conception.  Oh no.  God knew all of this from eternity past.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Think of a time in your life when you were encountering a tough situation and God provided you with the perfect amount of resources, strength, and people to get you through that time.

When I think of my son, now 5 months old, I can’t help but wonder what God has in store for Him. I know that He has great plans for my little Adam and I can’t wait to see them unfold.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.   I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful , I know that full well.  (Psalm 139: 13-14, NIV)

I was leading a workshop at a convention in Boca Raton, FL when these verses really sunk in.  I was speaking on God’s plans for our lives (a common theme for me to speak about) and I came to a point where I usually read Psalm 139.  For some reason this time it was different.  You see, my wife had just given birth to our first child 10 days before.  Somehow that experience made me look at God in a whole new way.  Cliche aside, my son truly was a gift from God. 

It is amazing to me to think that my son (Adam Richard) was made by the hand of God and that even though he has been on this earth only a short time- God already has plans for him. 

God, I do indeed know full well that your works are wonderful!

Reader- what does it mean to you that God made you specifically?

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139: 7-12)

No matter where we are, no matter where we go, God knows it. We don’t have to be afraid of anything. As long as we submit to His will for us, His hand will guide us. He WILL hold us. No situation is too dark. All hope is never lost. God knows about it already. He has already planned to be there for you. His hand will guide you. He will hold you. Will you let him?

You Hem me in– behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain.  (Psalm 139: 5-6, NIV)

I would agree with that assessment.  It is almost unfathomable to think that the one and only God who created the Heavens and the Earth and who authored all of the rules that govern science and nature has laid His hand upon each of us.  It most certainly is too wonderful and lofty a news.  Thank you Lord!

Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely. (Psalm 139:1-4, NIV)

Do you ever wonder if God knows what you are thinking?  doing?  saying?   God knows it all.  Read those verses and think about them.  Is there anything that you are going through that God doesn’t know about?  Not according to Psalm 139. 

According to these verses, God knows our thoughts.  He knows what we are doing. He knows what we are saying.  But not only that.  God knows what we are about to think.  He is fully aware of what we are going to do.  And he knows what we will say.

Wow! There is nothing that we can keep from our Heavenly Father.  So lets stop trying to hide all of the things that we are afraid to pray about.  He knows them already.  Lets stop trying to accomplish things on our own.  He knows the desires that are on your hearts.  He so much wants to be a part of our lives. He is afterall our Father and we are His children.

If you’re looking for a place in Scripture that supports the idea that God the Father knows exactly who you are, you need to take a look at Psalm 139. 

During the first week of July, I was leading a workshop and I began to speak on Psalm 139, as I often do.  Right in the middle of the exercise (verses 13-15) it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I can’t even explain it since I have always believed those words, that is after all why I was speaking about it.  But this time it was different.  Susan and I had just given birth to our first child, Adam Richard, the week before.  Somehow, Adam’s birth gave those verses so much more meaning in my own life and it directly goes to support Jeremiah 29 and the plans that God has for us.

I think we will take a little bit of time and a few blog entries to go through this amazing, amazing chapter of Scripture. 

Why don’t you go ahead and read Psalm 139 today and see if it comes alive to you as it does for me.

Here’s a picture of my son (day he was born) from which new insights of who God is have been revealed to me. 

Thank you Lord for my Baby Adam!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.  (Psalm 107:1, NIV)

This is probably one of the most popular of the verses containing the word “thanks” in it.  It is simple, yet so powerful.  God is indeed good.  Who can deny that?  But what this verse is telling us is to remember to Thank God for His goodness and His love.  We often thank God for things that we have and for people in our lives but how many times do we thank God because He is good to us and because He loves us?  Of course there are plenty of you out there that do thank God for these things.  But others of us may not.  During this week of Thanksgiving don’t only remember to thank God for all that you have and the people in your lives. Be sure to remember to thank God for being a good and loving God.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

(Psalm 28:7, NIV)

Many of today’s Christians are under the impression that worship music is a relatively new and modern way to pray.  This is just not so.  King David, the original Song and Worship leader, was sing praises to God thousands and thousands of years before Michael W. Smith or Chris Tomlin every sat down to a piano.  Here David writes one of his purposes for song- To Give Thanks. 

Song is such a great way to pray and to thank God.  The best part about it is that we don’t have to wait for Sunday or some special occasion to sing our praises to God.  Each of us can thank God in song just by praying the music that we listen to on the way to and from work.  Think about it.  Turn the frustration of your morning and evening commutes into a time of praise and thanksgiving to God by praying in song.  Just be sure to keep your eyes on the road….