Seeing God In Your Life #3

Seeing God In Your Life #3 - The Bad Things

Ever heard this?

God has a plan for your life; a perfect plan.

Ever thought this in response?

Yeah, I know, I've heard it a million times. But I don't see it! How can this be his plan for my life?!

I've heard it a lot. But I don't always see it! At my school we have "WEB Leaders". And generally in things I do I'm successful. In those times I feel like I can see that God has a plan for my life. But when things go badly - like I try to become a WEB Leader and don't - suddenly life doesn't look as good.

I'm over the whole WEB Leader thing - really I was upset for about half a day. And there's one main reason why I wasn't upset longer.

The day I found out I hadn't made it, I came home, upset. I asked God, "Why didn't I make it? Why didn't you help me?" Immediately I felt like I got a response. It seemed like he told me that it wasn't a part of his plan for me. It was kind of funny, actually, because I'd been thinking, "How can this be a part of God's plan for me?" And he told me that being a WEB Leader wasn't. I started thinking about all the things it would have kept me from doing. There were certain things at school I wouldn't be able to do, things that I really, really wanted to do. I realized that he seemed to have seen the things I hadn't.

God really does want the best for you. Even if "the best" is having your home get destroyed by a tornado. I know it sounds strange, but in everything he does there's a reason for it. If your home is destroyed, it could open your eyes to new things, or allow you to share your faith with new people.

I know a lot of pastors say that kind of thing, but I want to try to reinforce it. GOD REALLY DOES HAVE A PLAN. Even in the bad things.

Sometimes he's testing you. Have you ever read the book of Job? If not, you should. But a quick summary: There is a man named Job who is very righteous. He respects and fears the Lord. Satan comes and convinces the Lord to let him test Job's faith because the Lord has "...put a hedge around his and his household and everything he has" (Job 1:10). So Satan kills all his family, takes away all his livestock and servants, covers his skin with sores...tries to make Job curse the Lord. But Job stays true to the Lord, and in the end "...the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10). Even in the bad things, God has good plans for you. He is there to lend you the strength to get through them, and looks out for you. Try to stay faithful in God! (My "Strengthen Your Faith" Post)

~Reagan <3