Have you ever made a plan to do something but you never get a chance to actually execute that plan, and then it is eventually left out of your plans because another project takes over? I have been there several times in my life and the reason why plans don’t get finished is because of the other distractions and responsibilities in life. Living on a farm takes a huge responsibility and the unexpected can happen at any given moment that makes my plans change. For instance, planning to sleep the whole night but at 3:00am the cows get loose on the road below your ridge, or trees that have fallen onto the fence after a storm around your property and you have to fix the fence before doing anything else because you don’t want to wake up at 3:00am again and chase cows. There are several plans that have been left undone because of these unexpected happenings in this thing called life but that doesn’t mean that you can not make a plan to actually finish those plans that you once had.
Some say life throws curve balls and we don’t understand why but things happen and we cannot be prepared for the unexpected. I will disagree with that statement because when life throws the curve ball, we as believers should expect the unexpected and react accordingly to the curve ball and hit that situation out of the park. Putting our whole trust in the hands of Jesus will help us react to that curve ball that has been thrown our way and help us carry out the plans that we make because scripture tells us that as believers, God will give us a way out of things that we feel is too overwhelming, if we put all our trust in Him. A lot of people think that God will not give us too much we can’t handle, which is a true and false statement. God doesn’t give us trouble in our lives because God is love. Satan gives us the trouble in our lives and our own self worldly desires does too. The truth about the statement about God not giving us too much we cannot handle, is that with God on our side and his strength in control, He will get us through anything that comes our way, whatever comes our way. God is the giver of life and the source of love and blessings, not of trouble in your life. He wants what is best for you and wants you to honor him in everything you do and lean on him always, even when life doesn’t go according to plan.
God does give us things that are hard in life like obedience. John 15:5 says that “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” This means that if we do not obey God, we can not live up to our full potential and purpose of life. God also gives us tests, no not like a Math test or that dreaded History test but commandments that we need to follow in order to keep our sight on Him always and show Him to others with our actions in love and kindness. His expectations are high for those that want to follow Him. Follower is the key word there, we must allow Him to lead and let him guide us through life and when doing this, our sight is much cleared and our plans will be accomplished according to His will and not ours.
There was actually a man that had a plan and never lost sight of fulfilling those plans until finally the plan was accomplished. That man was Jesus. He came, born of a virgin without sin in his whole life and died on a cross for the sins of every human that would come thereafter. We can read this in John Chapter 19: 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”[c] 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
The death wasn’t the only plan that was fulfilled, it was the resurrection 3 days later that shows another plan that he has in stored to accomplish one day. We read about the resurrection in John Chapter 20 which says: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. 11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”16 Jesus said to her, “Mary. “She turned toward him and cried out saying Teacher.17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
He will return and take his children to Heaven with him for eternity. Acts 1 9-11 tells us this: 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Again, when this happens, it should not be unexpected for those that call themselves believers of Jesus because when Jesus plans to do something, he completes the plan just as he says. The greatest plan you can make in life right now is to prepare yourself for Jesus to return and to continue to live your life for Him in everything that you do. That doesn’t mean you will be perfect, but why not try to be as perfect as you can be? May God Bless you today and guide you in your life until death on earth. We are reminded in scripture that Jesus is near if we seek him and Jeremiah 29:13 says this, you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jesus is waiting for you to seek him with your heart, what are you waiting for?