Devotionals for the Heart: God's Plan

God Has A Plan
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” 

–Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

It was “Back to School” season.

My husband and I ventured out to the store to buy some new clothes for our growing boys. We decided to go in the middle of the afternoon so that we did not have to deal with the crowds and the long lines at the register. Because we live in Florida, “Back to School” season is also the middle of hurricane season. This means heavy rain almost every afternoon.

Fortunately, sometimes the rain does not last too long. It just downpours and then moves along to another area. On this particular afternoon, the sun was shining, and the beautiful blue skies were filled with big, puffy, white clouds. But I brought my umbrella inside the store just in case.

As we were completing our purchase at the register, my husband tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the window. I looked in dismay at the torrential rain showers that were pouring down with a fury. It had come without warning. We still had to go to the store next door, so the plan was to stay under the awning and make our way down the sidewalk.

The exit doors opened and all you could hear was the sound of the rain beating on the pavement. We stuck to the plan and made a left toward the other store, while staying close to the building and underneath the awning. On the way there, we noticed that the awning suddenly stopped. There was about 20 feet of uncovered sidewalk with puddles of rainwater everywhere.

I had my umbrella, but the wind started blowing, so I knew from experience that an open umbrella would be to no avail at this point. My husband looked at me and held my hand to prepare to run to the next store. I was not ready. I didn’t want to be soaked and risk slipping and falling in the puddles. I convinced him that we should just stay in our safe spot, under the awning, until the rain slowed down or stopped.

We were waiting for only a minute or two when the wind abruptly changed direction. Our safe spot was no longer safe. The rain we were trying to avoid was now blowing straight at us. I felt every pellet of rain against my arms, legs and face. We had no other recourse but to run to the other store, now even more soaked than if we had just run there from the beginning without stopping!

In this journey called life, there will be adversity ahead of us. In some cases, God wants us to head directly into the adversity because the experience will be to our benefit. He also knows that it will be detrimental to our well-being if we stay where we currently are instead of moving forward with His guidance. But too often we procrastinate, and we remain stagnant because of fear, doubt, or lack of trust. We would rather stay where it seems comfortable and safe, not realizing that we are delaying the journey to our destination. Sometimes we must be forced out of our safe place in order to move forward.

Through it all, God promises to be with us. He wants us to move because He has a plan, He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows what’s best for us. Our delay from lack of trust in God can be detrimental. We are more susceptible to issues and misfortune because of our decision to do things our own way instead of His way. When we truly trust in God, we will move forward without any hesitation, allowing us to experience the joy of being in His will.

Let’s Pray: Father God, thank You for caring so much about us so much that You will do whatever it takes to guide us through life. Help us to believe that Your plan is what is best for us. May we trust in You even though the path ahead seems uncertain. Help us to hold on to You as You lead the way. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “I Know the Plans (Audrey’s Song)” by Damaris Carbaugh. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in NJ. She found her love for writing when she was in elementary school. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood.

Angela is the author of a devotional book titled, Just When I Thought I Knew God, and a children's book that is not yet published.

In 2021, Angela started writing articles for an online magazine called Christian Women Living, where she focuses on writing messages for mothers and sharing advice on parenting. In addition to this, Angela wrote a devotional that is featured in a book published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book title is Hope When Your Heart is Heavy.

Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing as well as speaking. She is the co-founder of Anchor Moms, a ministry to cure loneliness in Motherhood. Currently, this ministry meets via a group on Facebook.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson, for 17 years. Together, they have two sons: Thomas (age 9) and Ryan (age 4). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling, and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family. Her personal mission is to empower others to achieve their goals and dreams.

~*~
Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook fan page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God:
https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/