blessed thought

He leadeth me! O blessed thought! O words with heav'nly comfort fraught!  Whate'er I do, where'er I be, Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

my own plan

One of my dear friends is the mother of a 17 year old who after a recent discussion about life after graduation told her mother "I don't need your plan!  I have my own plan" with all of the attitude you are probably imagining.  When my friend told me this, I laughed and said "that so sounds like me talking to God."  And, the more I reflect on it, unfortunately, the truer it seems to be.

I'm studying Nehemiah right now, and his confidence in leadership strikes me.  When others jeer at him or try to ruin his plans, he stands firm, yes, confident, that the hand of God is with him and that there is a job to be done.

I'm afraid that my responses are not always like Nehemiah's.  It seems sometimes God hands me a plan that looks too hard, and I tell Him "I've got my own plan."  Or, He hands me a plan that appears to be of little importance, and I tell Him "I've got my own plan."  Or, He hands me a plan and when others jeer at me rather than trusting in His ability to work through the situation, I tell Him, "I've got my own plan."

I suppose with Nehemiah's confidence in God's plan it should be no surprise that he led his people in building the long-awaited wall around Jerusalem.

Oh, Lord, forgive my "own plan."  Amen.