God Has a Plan

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13.

One of the most important decisions we make in our lives is choosing a companion, one that we hope to spend the rest of our lives with. Before I went to Bible School, I had dated some, but never had a committed relationship. I had made up my mind that I would not date anyone again unless he were someone I would be willing to marry. There were times when this was hard to stick to, especially when I saw most of my classmates pairing up. When graduation time came, there were five couples in our class of fourteen, and I was not one of them.

The next year I met a man who I believed was the one the Lord had planned for me, but he lived in a different province. During a visit there, we did go out on a few dates and over the next few months we wrote to each other, but it did not seem to be going anywhere.

I had been living in a minister’s home, helping the pastor’s wife, doing some clerical work, and working with the young people of the church. I received a letter from the place where I had worked, offering me an excellent job. I could feel that some changes were coming but did not feel I wanted to accept this. One night, in the prayer room, I poured my heart out to the Lord, asking Him to direct me. I told Him I was willing to stay single if that was His will. Peace flooded my soul, and I knew that everything was going to be all right. I told the employer that I was not available for the job.

Shortly after, I received an interesting letter from the one I was interested in, wanting to come for a visit and see what the future held for us. While I had been praying, the Lord was already working things out. A few months later, we were married, and the Lord gave us thirty-five wonderful years together.

This is a struggle for me, writing these personal things, but I felt impressed that the Lord wanted me to do this. I hope that as I share some of the ways that the Lord has used His word to speak to me and to be my guide in difficult situations, those of you who read this will be blessed.

God has a plan and purpose for each one of us and He knows exactly what we need. If we are willing to put our lives on the altar and be submissive to His leading, He will bring His plan to fulfillment. The secret is in verse thirteen of Jeremiah 29, searching for Him with all our hearts.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you know what is best for us, and that you have a plan and purpose for our lives. Help each one of us to yield to your will.

Devotion by Anne Johnston