God's Plans for You Are Beyond the Forecast

We have a little trip planned at the end of the week. The forecast is promising to be sunny but today is what I see. It’s miserable. The swoop of cold and wet is hanging on and I am now tired of it. All I can see is cold and wet. A good forecast is great but what about now? 

There’s a purpose to the trip we’re taking and we have a destination in mind. Without purpose and destination it wouldn’t matter about the weather here when we start out or the weather where we are heading. 

God wants you to know that He has a purpose and a destination in mind for you. It’s no small thing that the King of the Universe has called you and has great plans for you. These plans are beyond your present circumstances. He knows what the report is in your life right now but He also knows what the extended forecast is – that you will reach your destination and fulfill His purpose. He knows that you may have been given a bad report or may have been told you can’t go or do or be. But He’s beyond the weather forecast and He’s beyond man’s forecast. Whoever speaks to you must first come in love. Otherwise their message can be dismissed. Love gives people the right to speak into your life and God is the Ultimate in Love – pure unadulterated Agape love. So what He speaks over you is Agape Love words. God wants to remind you that Jesus paid the ultimate price to secure your success in the Kingdom of God. He traveled all the way from heaven to the cross, from the cross to the grave and arose from the grave to live and make intercession for you – so that you can find purpose and live out your destination in Him. 

Oh beloved, you once thought you really had a chance to go somewhere with God. You still do. Quit looking at the present and pray through to the future. Now is not your forever. God is working in you a heart of perseverance so that when chilling times linger you will know to stay the course beyond your natural abilities. He’s creating in you a heart of intercession and that’s beyond simple prayers for peace and joy and help. Intercession will get you on to the bright forecast and help you arrive at your destination right on time. 

God loves you and He’s for you. That’s why you can stay the course. That’s why you can pack your bags for the destination of God’s purpose even when it looks like you’ll never get out of the present situation. It’s never too late to listen to God. He’s never too late to change the weather. You’re never too young or too old to hear from God, walk in His footsteps and make it to the destination He has ordained for you from the foundation of the world. 

Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Amplified

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.

Hebrews 10:36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Psalm 40:5 O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

Ready to Take a Cruise? Hold Onto the Captain of the Ship!

We’ve been asked if we’d ever like to take a cruise. I just don’t know. I love swimming, but really only where I can see the bottom and know I’m not in over my head. I am not sure I like the idea that I would be in a tiny floating town in 2 mile deep water. Cruising along with creatures that can eat you doesn’t make me feel safe at all. Probably the nearest thing to a ship I’ve ever been on is a houseboat and it was moored at the time. This is still a possibility and we will continue to think about it. 

I’m not known for my risky adventures. But there are some ships that I’ve traveled on – relationships, friendships, hardships to name a couple. Smooth sailing most of the time. With these three ships I’ve taken some huge risks. Some of the trips on these ships have required me to get out of my comfort zone. Some have been rocky trips, making me seasick with pain. 

To go on the friendship cruise you have to dare to be real and dare to love. This friendship cruise can last for years and years. Occasionally the trip is cut short through no fault of your own. Don’t quit loving, don’t quit being real. That ship has sailed but another one is coming again soon. This is a cruise you don’t have to take. It’s a choice. But the choice is worth it. Rich and rewarding can be the best words if you’re willing. 

Relationship cruises require complete honesty and total selflessness. Big words those both are. Honesty requires you to be authentic, candid and open with those closest to you. Selflessness simply means as the 70’s song said, “think a little more of others and a little less of me”. This cruise can last a lifetime if you go with someone who also wants to travel the world with you. Again, you can leave this one off your itinerary but for those who go it promises great rewards. Make sure you know all about this one before you go – you want to travel with like-minded people who will lift you up and not put you down; those who know the ropes and are willing to share their faith with you as you grow along the way.

The hardship cruise is one no sane person will sign up for ahead of time. Nope. It just shows up one day on your lawn of all things. It’s a rough, rough road to get to the seas that will prove to be choppy and dangerous. You’ll meet some interesting things on this cruise – adversity, lack, need, suffering, rejection. The entire trip is under hard conditions. No let up, no great stops along the way. Just the continual rocking of your heart and mind and spirit until you feel you can’t take another minute and you cry and try to jump ship. This trip is usually the most lonesome of trips for the people you met on the friendship and the relationship sometimes don’t want to go with you when you travel this way. 

You’ll need to carry supplies on all the ships you travel on. Hope – which is the conviction that the trip makes sense regardless of how it turns out. Peace – this will guard your heart and mind better than a Dramamine. The Word of God –you will have plenty of time to read and you will want to find the Truth regarding things you encounter along the way. 

God speaks to my heart: You don’t always get to choose which ship you are traveling on and when you can disembark. But you can always be sure that I AM going to be with you wherever you travel. You will never be totally alone because I AM your closest ally, your most worthwhile relationship and the Captain of even the roughest seas. You can travel in safety. You can trust the harbor. You can rejoice in the midst of it all as you look to Me for all your needs whether at home or away. I love you. So I will send you people to help for a season. I am with you, so I will give you relationships that will build your faith. I will let you go through hardships, knowing that you will grow stronger and more steadfast here than any other trip you take. Your trip is not your destination. I AM the one who travels before you to prepare you for everything you may need, not only along the way, but all the way to the moment you leave for heaven.

Oh beloved, let God lead you! He knows your past. He knows your present situation. He knows your future. His desire is that you let Him be the captain of your life so that no matter where you go, how you travel or what the conditions, you will learn to rely on Him more and more. The only place of true safety is in trusting in the Lord, relying on the Holy Spirit and living in the Light of His Word. God loves you and He’s for you. That’s why, no matter what ship you sail on, the Gospel Ship will be your best voyage ever as you learn to trust Jesus for the entire cruise.

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

Isaiah 43:1 But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Proverbs 7:4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend; 

Joshua 1:9 This is My command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. NLT

The Wise Men Traveled from Afar and Your Walk of Faith will Take a While

It’s Monday and the special day is nearly upon us. Not much time left to get things done. So much preparation and then the day gets here before you know it. Our pastor was talking about the wise men who came to see the baby Jesus. We see the entire nativity story as one day’s events. But the story actually was spread out over a while. The fact that the wise men came “from afar” lets us know that they had to travel a distance to get there.  It may have taken days or even weeks to arrive. Even if they traveled on camels it would take a while.  They had to find shelter along the way, they had to avoid enemies and dangerous places.  They had to plan the trip and hope for good weather and might have even encountered sandstorms or worse.

Everything worthwhile takes planning and takes a while. Not many great things are done in a hurry or with haste. Our walk of faith is like the trip of the wise men. We are born again of incorruptible seed. But we must grow into Christ-likeness. We learn the Word, we go through things, we become overcomers and we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord.  Experience teaches us that Christ is all we need. Time teaches us that God is faithful. Study teaches us what the Word says, but the trip we take in the flesh seals the facts for us. We walk out our walk of faith and it takes a while. To become wise men and women of God will take our entire life.

God knows your hearts’ desires. He knows that you want things to be just right. He also knows that you want to hurry things along, including your faith.  It often seems, doesn’t it, that just as you feel you have arrived at the pinnacle of your faith walk, another mountain comes upon the scene and you must make it over. You want to “arrive” just as the wise men did. You want to sit at Jesus’ feet and let the world go by. But it takes time to live this life. It’s a trip worth taking, if you remember that your arrival, your final destiny, is to be with Jesus in heaven forever. Until then, this is a learning experience that takes time and effort and planning. There will be mistakes along the way and perils and troubles and trials. There will be times when the devil will work against you. Other times your flesh will try to reign supreme. And there’s always other people who disappoint, discourage, disagree and pronounce untruths on your life. Friends walk away, loved ones quit loving and life gets rough. Hard times will make you want to turn back, but God is with you, guiding, protecting, interceding and caring for you all the way.

Oh beloved, rejoice in this most blessed season while there is time. You are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to be all He wants you to be, to go where He wants you to go and to be a living, visible sign that God has a plan for everyone’s life. You may feel unworthy, unprepared and undone much of the time along the way. But each and every mountain you face or valley you make it through is preparation for becoming more like Christ.  The Holy Spirit is guiding you, even in the hard times, for you have a destination just as the wise men all those years ago. Your destination is to live in heaven with Jesus forever. This is no demotion, this is your promotion.  So enjoy the trip, take plenty of the Word with you, along with peace, comfort, joy, abiding faith and enduring love.

Just as those wise men needed their travel needs to be met, you will need the whole council of God’s Word to make it, but beloved you are going to make it, because God loves you and He’s for you.  Because God’s plan for your life is surrounded and filled with His love and His care, you are an overcomer who will arrive at every checkpoint of faith, growing into His image on every turn. Keep traveling, keep walking and keep looking to Jesus, who is the author and finisher of your faith.

1 John 4:17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Colossians 3:10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

God's Plans Are Written Out Just For You!

We had a great time last week, but our vacation is over. It’s time to get back to work, change gears and start living more by the clock. Not a bad thing really. We’re tired. Even though we didn’t go far, we had a couple of 10 hour days on the motorcycle.



There were lots of pullouts where we could view the scenery. There were lots of water breaks so we could keep hydrated. There were gas stops an...d meal stops. Every time we stopped for gas, the tires would be checked and the windshield would be wiped clean of bugs.


We packed light so the bags would go on the motorcycle. It’s hard to leave so many things you feel are necessary for your comfort at the house. But I’ve learned that packing light makes for lighter travel.

The road trip was awesome, the company was great, and wonderful things happened along the way. We could have had a great time if we’d stayed home, but because we left the house for unknown territory we were blessed with people and sights we’d never known in the comfort of our home.

Not everyone enjoys the trip. Sometimes the sudden change in altitude makes people sick. Sometimes the looming mountains make for worry. Sometimes the frequent stops are disconcerting. You never know on the trip when you are going to have to make a quick change of plans or travel another road. It’s easy to get your bearings off and find that you’ve taken a wrong road and have to backtrack. Some folks would rather just stay home.

Life is like that. In order to endure the trip, you’ve got to have your destination in mind always. You’ll need to pack light because things weigh heavy and slow us down and wear us out. You’ve got to keep to the road map so you don’t have to backtrack through the mistakes of life. You can though, if you need to. You’ve got to keep your GPS on and working correctly, so that no matter how dark the night, how stormy the weather or how steep the troubles, you have a beacon to get you through.

How is your trip going in life? Have you over packed? Are you weighed down with worries, cares, fears, troubles and more? God says to pull into His loving care and let Him help you lighten the load. He knows what you need to make the trip so He can be trusted to choose what you don’t have to carry. Is your GPS working? The Word of God will get you through anything, anywhere, anytime if you have it handy and refer to it often. That still small voice beckoning you to do right when you could veer off wrong is the Lord!

Oh beloved, you are so precious to God! So much so that He has a perfect plan written out just for you. It may at times look unnavigable, but He is able and trustworthy and faithful and true. He knows the heartaches , the tiredness, the fearful things you have to face, but He will get you through it all. If you will keep your eyes on your destination, He will get you through the rough spots and let you enjoy the good times. Lighten your load, especially the things you were never meant to carry with you and watch as He guides, directs and keeps you safe all the way. Don’t ever think for one minute that your life is not important to God or that you can’t make it another day. He is the One who decides how far your trip will be and how long it will take and He can be trusted.



Give it all to Him, every single thing, and think about your destination so that you can remember He loves you and He’s for you for that will keep you going and get you there no matter what.



Psalm 119:43 Do not snatch Your word of truth from me, for Your regulations are my only hope.



Hebrews 10:35-36 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.



Psalm 91:14-15 The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My name. When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.



Psalm 91:1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.



Romans 8:39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God Understands You Even When It's Hard to Speak

We have a gps in our car. It’s voice activated. Sounds awesome in theory, but just try to speak a destination to it. You have to say “destination, address, city, state” quickly and clearly. Otherwise you may get a map to Tucumcari instead of Texarkana.


The gps has a hard time understanding my TexArk dialect. Try as I might, it just doesn’t understand me. Often I get frustrated and use my cell ph...one for directions because I can type them in. I have a destination I need to get to and all I need is for it to respond to the information I give it. Then together with its help I can get there! We can arrive at an understanding and then the trip gets made!

Everyone wants to be understood. Check the bookstores. Watch the talk shows. Listen to your friend, your mate, your child. In marriage it’s imperative that both partners understand one another. Without mutual understanding there’s not real communication. Without coming to agreement and knowing one another’s needs and hopes there’s no direction and no plan to follow. It all comes up garbled at best and frustrated at least and turning each other off and going to another device at worst. There’s no way to make it to where you want to go in life, whether it’s in a marriage, a life plan or a heart’s desire without being understood.

Are you having trouble being understood? Have you tried to express yourself over and over only to be shunned, ignored or rebuked? Have your feelings, hopes and dreams been devalued or misunderstood? Are you about ready to throw the gps out the window and try a new method? You may be thinking that if you could just find someone who could understand you better it might be worth the detour. It’s rough when you can’t be heard, aren’t listened to or tuned out completely isn’t it?

Oh beloved! There is One Who understands you completely! He is knows how hard your way has been, how serious your problems are and how much you want to have a clear path and a good trip through this life! He has made you to desire to know His way and walk in His precepts. Don’t look to the world for your direction! He is calling you this morning and He speaks loving direction into your life. His ways are so much better for you and will always take you exactly where you need to be as a child of the Most High God!

Trust the Lord and seek His direction, for He loves you and He’s for you and that will keep you on the right path forever!

Psalm 139:1-2 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away

Jeremiah 24:7 I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. (NAS)

Proverbs 5:21 For the LORD sees clearly what man does, examining every path he takes.

Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.