Faith In His Arrangement

I found some time this weekend to do a little more reading in Charles Swindoll's The Mystery of God's Will.

I just wanted to share a little of what I read: "Faith is believing God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do. Faith is obeying the Lord when I'm unsure of the outcome. Faith is trusting Him when everything in me screams for empirical proof."

Living by faith means "releasing our own plans and pride and will as we flesh out His plan and purpose. That's what it's all about. In the process, we experience a deep inner peace, a satisfying sense of fulfillment, because we are within the circumference of His plan, moving inexorably toward His destined arrangement for our lives."


I love that last part: His destined arrangement for our lives!

There is so much peace knowing that this is God's arrangement....not mine, not Darin's, not some evildoer out to get us....God's.

God's arrangement for our lives is beautifully described in Jeremiah 29:11-13: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Before we would attempt any new arrangement, we would want to have a plan, and then we would need steps to achieve the plan; ultimately achieving our new arrangement. God's plan for us is prosperity, hope and a future. His steps to achieve that plan revolve around our relationship with Him and our acknowledgement of our need for Him...calling on Him; praying to Him. All He asks for, is our heart...and when we seek Him with our full heart He will complete "His destined arrangement for our lives"!

My Faith has always been the biggest part of my personal journey in my relationship with the Lord. My Faith has sustained me time and time again. My Faith has brought me to God's current arrangement for my life, and my Faith will carry me through this time.

I have always questioned whether or not my Faith was enough. I've always worried about my lack of ability to quote scripture, I've always worried about my lack of a daily devotional, and I've always worried that maybe I didn't quite know enough about the Bible to ever walk through anything h-u-g-e. Well, let me just say, there is PLENTY to be said for my not-so-lacking Faith! My relationship with the Lord has always been such a private and very personal matter for me in my life. There is nothing like the affirmation that the journey I have been walking in my relationship with the Lord has been exactly what it was intended to be. God's arrangement for my life, up to this point, has been perfect and I have nothing but hope for the new arrangement ahead. I worried, worried and worried; when all along, I have been in the circumference of His plan!

I believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do. And I believe that He has brought me to a place, prepared my heart, and instilled in me a desire to learn more about what He says He will do.

I believe that our Faith prompts us to discover His promises, and His promises increase our Faith!

~Whitney