Another year is off and running. I have a ton of things that I want to accomplish and even more that are still on the back burner, but they’ve all come to a standstill so to speak. Some on my part, but mostly, I’m waiting for those open doors for the plans God has placed in my heart.
What about you? Are you trying to make things happen on your own like I was, or are you one of those people who “get it” and have learned to trust God’s timing for His open doors of favor to come into your life?
You Were Planned for Favor
Did you know that if you are a child of God, your life has already been planned for favor? It is true! Can you guess what your part is? Your part or “job” is to trust God and believe His Word by being faithful, which at times can be quite challenging.
It is not hard to tell if a person really believes in something or someone. Sooner or later the truth will be revealed when the belief is tested. The result being they will either stick to their beliefs because they trust them to be truth, or they will sway from them when obstacles present themselves making their faith to believe weak. This is why it is so important that we believe God and trust Him to be faithful to His word no matter how things look.
God has already placed in you the things needed to walk out your destiny through His favor. He has placed skills and talents inside you that will open doors to success as your progress in faithfulness. So, if you are wondering why things are not happening, look at where you wandered from being faithful to God’s plan in what He wants you to do.
The Mighty Power to Accomplish Anything
It is easy to get side-tracked, especially when we do not see things working out as expected or as fast as we think they should. However, God’s plans are worth waiting for in the end. His plans are bigger and more rewarding than you could have asked or imagined.
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 NLT
The power within every believer is the favor of God through the work of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the plan He has set in place for each of His children. When we take hold of this in our heart (not just a head knowledge), we will not live in a continual state of fear, unrest, or strife over trying to accomplish the “plan” on our own.
Remaining faithful in believing God’s plan will come to pass in His timing will keep you from worrying how things will work out or if they even will. You will have confidence and peace knowing God is in control. You will rest in the knowledge that His plans are good and will not cause you any harm. God’s word tells us this in Jeremiah 29:11, but do we really believe it?
“I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (KJV)
Let us look at another easy-to-understand translation of the same passage.
“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the LORD. “I have good plans for you, I do not plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.” (ERV)
In other words, God says, “I will bless you with a future filled with hope – a future of success, not of suffering.” (CEV)
God’s word is specific and clear; if there is any confusion in His plans it is not from Him but the devil. The plan of God includes hope for good things and success for the future; it does not include evil things from God when you mess up and get off track for a time. God’s unmerited grace (favor) for forgiveness covers that when we repent.
Only Believe, Even if It Looks Impossible
The enemy (satan) will do anything to prevent a child of God from believing things really will work out if they only believe. Jesus gave us an example of staying in faith when things look impossible in the gospel of Mark.
Jesus finished preaching in a specific area and had crossed over to the other side of the sea. When He arrived, there was a multitude of people gathered on the shore waiting for Him to depart from the boat. Among the group was a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus who desperately wanted to talk to Jesus.
When the Lord stepped out on land Jairus fell at His feet begging Him to go to his house to lay hands on his dying daughter, believing that if He did, she would live. Jesus listened and began to follow him, but as they were trying to leave something happened to interrupt the plan.
A Faith That Touches God
News got out that the “Healer” (Jesus) was in the area. A woman who had been bleeding for twelve years had all but given up on being healed. She spent every dime she had on doctors when she heard of a man called Jesus, who heals and forgives people of their sins. Hope was restored when she chose to believe.
The sick woman believed that if she could only touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed. Her faith was so strong that she did not even have to talk to Jesus … just touch some part of Him, and healing would manifest.
The Bible did not specify how many people were gathered in that place by the sea, but apparently the crowd was so large that the people were crammed together like sardines, making it impossible for anyone to know who was touching them. When Jesus asked who had touched Him, the disciples were dumb founded as to why He would even ask such a thing knowing the situation. They replied, “You see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, who touched Me?” *Mark 5:31 AMPC
People often ask why Jesus would ask who touched Him if He really was the Son of God. Jesus was not concerned about all the people touching Him, because He was aware of the situation and that would be a probability with so many gathered. No, something else got the attention of Jesus.
Come back next time for part 2 of this teaching on Faith
to Open Doors of Favor.
For those who trust in Jesus Christ, God gives the promise of life here but also the gift of eternal life (in Heaven; a Kingdom that cannot be shaken) as an inheritance of being His child. If you would like to have this gift also, click here to learn more.