" What a relief to know that God's established plans from the beginning of time cannot be interfered with by my mistakes."
Patsy Clairmont - I Second that Emotion
How "powerful" I make myself when I believe my decisions can alter God's plans.
How "small" I make Him when I think I have knocked "history" off-track by my failures.
(my response to the above quote)
Patsy's comment has rung in my ear as the enemy dragged me through past years of failures, trials and mistakes recently. The enemy knows what hurts my heart as I read an e-mail from a distant friend expressing her excitement over her adult children's achievements. She had no idea that when sharing one of her child's accomplishments, the enemy would inflict a wound upon my heart. Her son had achieved a "dream" that one of my sons and I had just recently cried over. Mistakes and bad decisions my son made had erased that "dream" from his reach.
Another friend expressed her gratefulness over coming to the end of their mortgage, setting them up for financial freedom in their early 60's. My heart sank as our "dream" for this life milestone was swept from our reach because of mistakes and job situations, after 28 years of paying for a mortgage. We now find ourselves without the "American Dream", living day to day in temporary housing.
(These are small examples of greater trials and challenges, but the solution to all accusations are the same)
As the enemy came to throw these accusations into my face with "See, your mistakes have messed up life," I had to choose to hear the "Truth".
Did my sin cause some of the consequences? YES
Is My God greater than my sin? YES
Did my sin or trials change His established plan? NO
God didn't leave His throne when the mistakes and trials came!
He still has a plan for my family and me, and He will complete it!
I silence the lies, the regrets, the tears and the condemnation the enemy has slapped upon me with the "Truth".
Phil. 1:6 - "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you WILL PERFECT IT until the day of Christ Jesus."
Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."
II Corn. 12:9 - And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power to be perfected in weakness". most gladly. Therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Eph. 3:20 - Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within me.
Jer. 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wealth and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."
II Corn. 12:9 - And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power to be perfected in weakness". most gladly. Therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Eph. 3:20 - Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within me.
Jer. 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wealth and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
The scripture reveals the "Truth". I need to thank Him for all the things He has kept from me. My "dreams", if fulfilled, could have led to other trials that God prevented from happening. I rest not in the accusations of the enemy, but in the peace that My God is in control and loves my family and me, even with all of our mistakes.
I hope you are encouraged that no matter what has come into your life or will come, our God is in control and will see you through, to bring beauty from your ashes. I look forward to watching the transformation in my life. I hear the Casting Crowns song, The Voice of Truth ringing in my ears, instead of the enemy's accusations. I hope this encourages you to SILENCE the voice of the enemy in your situation.
23 Joining in with more words:
That verse in Philippians is one of my favorite verses and one I have carried in my heart over the years through my own mistakes & disappointments. Thank you for sharing so honestly in this post.
Oh Janette how I identify with this post...sigh....The enemy can soo often times have a field day with us. Just recently some of these same issues came up for my husband and I, and I went to the Lord and prayed and begged for some peace and understanding. It was a LONG story (with different people playing parts) but the bottom line was some of my thinking has begun to change. I think it is hard with the society we live in especially, to remember not to measure the value of a man by what he has managed (or not managed) to accomplish here on this earth....ie, goals and dreams or jobs, or paid off mortgages and money in the bank or finanacial security (or lack thereof)...all of which can result for MANY in feelings of failure or sorrow or insecurity. I do know a few (believe it or not) who HAVE all of these things and yet lack joy and peace in their life and will spend their eternities in total separation from God on top of it. Our goals have to be only to love God above all else and to live our lives for Him. He will care for us and provide for us and make allowances for all our mistakes and work all things (no matter what they are) for our good. This was SUCH a good post Janette. You have such a sweet spirit and a giving heart and God is using you soo much in soo many lives (mine for sure)...Have a wonderful Monday....HUGS, Debbie
Those are some of my favorite scriptures Janette. Yes, I am listening to the voice of truth with you. And it is destroying all of the enemy's lies. Amen!
This is wonderful Janette. I love the second part of the Patsy statement too. That really impacted me. We often think that don't we? Thanks for sharing from your heart.
Blessings,
Marcia
This was a wonderful and honest
post, Janette. We pray all of
these verses over our family
all of the time. They're
powerful.
Blessings,
Sandy
This is strong truth Janette, and you are standing on it!! When we realize that God owns everything, and that His plans have always been... it sure helps our perspective.
I'm so proud of you for the choices you and your hubby are making, to take God at His word, and trust His plans for you and your family. I can't wait to see what the days and years ahead will bring.
Hugs!
Sonja
Janette,
Your words are such precious reminders of God's grace. Oh, I'm so thankful, especially as a Mommy and wife, for His grace. May God bless you for encouraging so many with the truth of His Word.
Marcia,
The words under the quote were my thoughts after reading the quote...
Oh Janette, THANK YOU! You have no idea how I needed that message today. I needed to hear that nothing I do or didn't do will change his ordained plan. I can quite beating up myself in my mind. You are such an inspiration and your realness and vulnerability are a God-send and will help many. (like me!)
Please say a prayer also for my hubby. He has been so ill since Saturday with what we thought was food poisoning and today we found out it is his gallbladder. We see a surgeon tomorrow. Thanks.
God's big plans and the enemies' "curve balls" don't always make sense, do they? Our daily dependence on Him keeps us humble, and our hearts open to the Spirit's movement. I've concluded that there's really no better place for me to be. Self-sufficiency in our later years is a huge temptation, but with major loss comes a renewal of our faith--like a breath of fresh air. ღ
Thanks for your honesty. The amazing truth of God that you have explained is Grace, and it's so hard to grasp at times, especially in Christianity because it all falls on the goodness of God, and not ourselves. In the grad program I'm in for counseling, I was intentionally reduced to look at all sins, failures, weaknesses, and it was only then I realized the greatness God and His grace. Sometimes we forget what we are saved from - ourselves. We are wretched and sinful, and He still loves us.
Thanks so much!
So thankful that His love for us is not based on what we do or who we are. No matter our faithfulness or what we have or have not done His faithfulness never changes-His love is never ending.
So thankful as always for your post-there are many things in my life I wonder had I done it differently how it would have changed the outcome-but so many lessons I have learned along the way-the greatest being how much do I trust Him and His greater plans for my life.
Praying for you-so hard not to compare ourselves to others-Satan loves that-wants us to feel inferior to what God has created us to be and wants us to be.
Thank you for your sweet comments on my post. You always make my day!
Love and blessings
Jill
Janette,
Thank you for encouraging my heart tonight. May satan be silenced with the truth as he so often wants to distort the truth into a lie. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Thank you for each verse that you shared. Each one I cling to today.
God's plan for you and your family IS perfect. May you put on the blinders to those around you and know that the path He has you on is for you. And be encouraged that those around you see God's glory evidenced in your heart and your life.
Much love in Christ,
Stacy
Janette, you have a gift. Maybe that's why you are where you are right now...? YOU are sharing your love of The Lord and bringing wisdom and comfort to so so many... You are just what my spirit needed to refocus on God's plan. Thank you so much for sharing those verses and yourself so honestly. I'm sure his plan for you and your family is great!
(((hugs)))
Leslie
Awesome post. It's mostly our minds that send us into despair - just believing lies and forgetting the truth. But thankfully - we have the Mind of Christ!!! How awesome that is - and he truly understood his relationship with his Father! Thanks for posting...love ya.
I love that song...the message of it is one I often cling to.
I posted this week about a huge mistake I made that, except for God's grace, could have (and perhaps still could) had worse consequences.
I know exactly what the struggle you shared feels like.
dear janette,
i have been in that exact same spot
with one or two of my children. it
can be paralyzingly heartbreaking.
but! He still has a hope and future
for them.
for yours, too!
thank you for sharing so transparently.
it encourages me a lot.
love,
lea
That was great and I am so glad that you understand that God has a plan for us all. It is hard to sometimes hear another persons happy stories when we did not achieve the same, however God has other plans for us. :)
Janette, as you well know I so identify with this post. We are in temporary housing which is the last thing I ever anticipated happening to us. But life happens, decisions are made and they aren't always the best.
But God ...can even use our mistakes and problems for our good. How thankful I am for that.
Love,
Debbie
Thank you, I needed to be reminded of the truth today!
Janette..... thank you.
I certainly needed to read this post!
With difficult decisions staring us in the face- we must remind ourselves that He is our only answer.
( I like what your reader Debbie said...we too know those who have it all....)
I'm going to head back to your post...read it again.
xox
Lis
What a beautiful post Janette!
The enemy does like to bind us using our past. So glad to see that God has walked you through this.
Have a beautiful weekend!
I'm' so glad I stumbled upon your blog today. You've been through much...and yet the power of God's almighty faithfulness remains.
I've been SO encouraged today by reading your posts...realizing...that I'm not forgotten...and although things aren't what I wish them to be...nothing in my life has happened and caught my Savior off guard.
I know that I know that he's not in heaven wringing his hands wondering WHAT on earth he's going to do. Rather...he daily...and sometimes it seems momement by momement he's leading us...one baby step at a time.
You are MUCH in my prayers dear friend.
Kim~
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