God Knows What He Is Doing

It is early or late, depending on which side of the fence you sit.  For me, another day has rolled into the morning of another even though the sun will not be up for hours to come.  It doesn’t matter; what does matter is that which God has spoken to me.  I walked into the kitchen and there on the radio is a man talking.  He is telling his story.  His wife had cancer and she was pregnant.  It must have been her second time on this path because he said she had miscarried before during chemo therapy.

 

On this next set of treatment, she was in a similar situation. Pregnant and having to undergo chemotherapy.  She felt nothing more from the baby within her and they thought for sure that the little guy was gone.  They went to do an ultra sound and it was then that they heard the heartbeat.  He said it was not slow and weak but strong and fast.  He knew that God was saying to them that he would bring about whatever his plans were for them and this little one.  I just burst into tears.

Right at that moment, I could hear for myself that the circumstances did not matter; God’s plan will be accomplished.  I was reminded of His Word in Jeremiah 29: 10 – 14.  God knows what he is doing.  He has it all planned out for us.  The Message version reads like this:

      Jeremiah 29:10-14The Message (MSG)

^10-11 This is God’s Word on the subject: “…. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

¹² “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.

^13-14 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.

“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.

“I’ll turn things around for you…. You can count on it.”

(Taken from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+29%3A10-14&version=MSG)

To read this word brings me to tears even more.  I love that God has spoken this promise that I know He will fulfill.  He was talking to his chosen people during a very difficult time in their history.  Yet, He sends this word of hope and encouragement to them. 

 

God is not saying to you or me that your life will be problem free, but He is saying that in the midst of it, trust Him.  Again, I say to you and to me, God knows what He is doing. 

 

DO YOU LOVE ME?

Lately I have been thinking about Peter the apostle.  He was passionate about serving Jesus, a leader, and a speak first think later kind of guy.  He was a man of the sea, knew how to work hard and provide for his family. He was a man's man in my eyes.  What I related to more than anything else was his faults.  He messed up, just like me.  Maybe just like you?


I read the accounts in Matthew and Peter was the one who was able to identify that Jesus was the Christ.  He knew what others didn't and when Jesus asked of his disciples who do you say that I am?  Peter was the one who spoke from the Holy Spirit. 


Peter was the one that Jesus told that he would build his church upon.  He was not just Simon but he would be Cephas, the rock upon which a church would be built and the gates of hell would not be able to prevail.


Peter was the one that passionately declared that even if he had to die, he would never stumble and never dessert Jesus.  Jesus told them all that the day was about to come when they would be caused to be stumble.  Peter said never.  Jesus said in addition to fleeing, you would deny me. 


Peter was the one who denied Christ.  He said loudly and with great emphasis, I do not know the man.  He tried to change the way he spoke when he was betrayed by his speech.  He swore and cursed.  He denied Christ just was foretold by Jesus.  Peter was the one who wept bitterly in remorse and repentance.


I said all of this to say that many of us do the very same thing.  We say with great convictions I would never deny you Christ. However, when the pressures of life become more intense, we too may have done the same thing. Thank God the story did not end on this note of disgrace.  In fact grace in abundance is what Peter was given.


Jesus found him where he was and he restored him unto himself.  He asked Do you love me?  I like to believe that with every denial, Jesus wiped it out with a confirmation of love. Love covers a multitude of sin.  So my friends here is the question that Jesus is asking "do you love me?"

I HAVE A DREAM

I have a dream. This is the month(February) when north Americans set aside a time to remember black history.  For me, a Jamaican living in Canada, I never really thought much about this prior to living here.  I never thought about Martin Luther King and what he fought for so many years ago.  Today, though, I can almost hear the speech he gave to the hundreds that came out to hear him.  I have a dream that one day….

For him, the dream was never realized.  However, today, his dream is alive.  Today, little white boys and black boys are playing together.  I am sitting right now in a gym where I can see every colour running around together on the same team, playing the same game.  You see my friends, Martin Luther’s dream was bigger than himself.  It was longer than his life span.  It was beyond his resources and his abilities.  I believe that his dream was a God given dream. 

That is the kind of dream that I want to have as well. I want the dream that God has for me.  I remember listening to a speaker and she said the gospel of Jesus Christ is the dream; the news that God has sent His son to live, to die, to rise and to save is the dream that we are living out today.  It is the one that we ought to tell everyone about.  It is the one that is bigger than us and the effects are beyond the earthly realms we can see.  It goes beyond our imaginations and it transforms lives. 

Jacob's son Joseph had a dream that took him from the pit to the palace.  Joseph, husband to Mary, had a dream that caused him to marry a woman that was pregnant, and move from a land he knew to a foreign country to protect a baby that was his saviour.  Paul had a dream. John had a dream.  Peter had a dream.  My question is, do you have a dream? 

I have a dream.  I have a dream that one day my son will be saved.  I have a dream that one day, he will lift up his voice and proclaim the gospel of Christ.  I have a dream that one day my eyes will Jesus.  I have a dream that one day I will be before my King, my Lord and my God.  I have a dream.