Tuesday, November 18, 2008

655 - The Destroyer Has a Plan

A very daunting task for me is explaining to my kids that God has their lives all planned out and it is for their good. The clique term of "God's will" is something I want them to be very familiar with and learn to seek at all costs.

I remember seeking the Lord (and still do) about various situations in my life. God always came through and revealed to me what to do, but it was not without much effort. I didn't know where I was suppose to go to college. I just remember knowing that I wanted to help pay back my parents by getting a scholarship for all they had done to get me to this level of tennis. And most importantly I was looking to find my Baptist husband. (Isn't it funny when our requests are so specific. I think God wants us to be more broad about our requests and see Him come through with all the details. I needed to just pray and hope for someone to marry me - God didn't care about the denomination!)

I want to make sure my kids are well aware of Jer. 29:11. "For I know the plans for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." God is not out to smoosh them. He is not out to spoil them from all the fun. He is not out to destroy their future and make them a zombie in Christ! No, my Lord and adventurously awesome Savior is a blast. I want to make sure my kids know that.

But as much as I want them to know and live in the belief that God is for them and has wonderful plans for their lives - for His glory - I need them to know there is one, the defeated one, out to destroy and demolish them! John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and detroy..." This thief is not just a scary monster. This thief is Satan himself that can be disguised as a good time. He can be disguised as something innocent on the internet, something that everyone else is doing, something that no one else will ever know about... Satan too has a plan for their lives. If he can not get them into Hell, he will do everything to make their lives a living Hell and bring as many others down with them as possible. Satan is real and really wants to kill!!

As we are getting closer and closer to Thanksgiving my heart does rejoice in the Savior and all He means to me. I am thankful for His mercies and grace. I am thankful for salvation and redemption! But I am also very much aware and thankful for His protection. God works all things for my good and His glory, Satan just wants to see his plan for me to be a reality as well - steal my joy, kill my relatiosnhips, and destroy my walk. I cling to "greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!" I pray you will too!


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I needed to hear this today. You know why. I am really struggling today. Heavy, heavy heart and feeling alot of isolation and aloneness over this situation with Lindsey. I don't think some others close to the situation "get it" and understand the seriousness of it.

Pray for wisdom, peace and just a steadfast mind to get to the bottom of the situation and help my child.

Love you,
Dori

Anonymous said...

Awesome message today Leigh! Sometimes we get so wrapped up in how God is working in our lives that we forget that he is also working in the lives of our children; this is important for them to know and understand all that it means for them.

HIS Child said...

I so needed this word today. Satan is real, fights dirty, and seeks to steal, kill and destroy.
He wants to take me job, he wants to bring sickness upon my husband, he wants to rip off my daughter so that she will follow blindly the things of this world.
I am a Daughter of the Most High God and I wear His seal, my husband wear's His seal and our precious daughter (20 yrs) bent her knee to Jesus when she was 13 years of age and He says those that are in His hand he will never leave or forsake. So I will praise Him when everything looks upside down, because I have been asking him for rememberance over our lives and he is delighting me with those powerful and sweet memories of His Right hand being stretched out on behalf of His children. I will choose to press in as I feel pressed on.
Thank you so much for your video devo's, your words of encouragement and the thought provoking questions.
Much love and blessings your way
Celeste

Joyful said...

Thanks for these great reminders today Leigh. Such wonderful verses to claim. Yesterday some news at my Dr's appointment made me anxious, but today the Lord is reminding me that His plans for me will prosper regardless what touches my life.

God has used you to encourage me!
Bless you my friend,
Love & prayers,
Joy