Making a List… Checking it Twice - Girlfriends in God - December 12, 2013
December 12, 2013
Making a List… Checking it Twice
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT).
Friend to Friend
Every year, I make a Christmas list comprised of every person for whom I am buying a gift. Beside each name, I put a dollar amount, a limit of how much money I will spend for that gift, vowing not to spend one penny more than the set limit. (Somehow, the amount I actually spend rarely coincides with the amount I intended to spend. Can you relate?) With every purchase, I then draw a beautiful red line through that name. Done!
I carry that list everywhere I go because sometimes I find a gift during a random shopping trip but mainly because I can’t afford to let it out of my sight. There are evil people lurking in my home who will go to any lengths to find that list. You see, I am the Queen of Surprise when it comes to Christmas, so I must guard my list with my life in order to keep my “Queen-ship” status secure. Consequently, the list is hidden in various and unusual places such as a random file on my computer, in my closet, in an old purse, in a sock drawer, in a flower pot – you get the picture. I know where that Christmas list is at all times because it is my gift-giving plan for the holidays.
I wish I were just as concerned about "God's list" for my life; carrying His life plan for me in my heart and mind as I live each day, constantly making choices and decisions in light of that list, guarding it like the treasure map of eternity that it truly is.
Just knowing the plan God has for me does not guarantee success.
I must actually do the plan. That is where the choice to obey comes in.
An obedient heart is a “fixed” heart and is the gift God wants from us this holiday season.
“O God, my heart is fixed!”
“I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart.”
A “fixed” heart is a determined heart, a steadfast heart that is rightly focused on God and His will, His plan. When we choose to follow God’s plan, the desires of our heart will line up in obedience to that plan. We will find our greatest joy in pleasing God, in doing His will because that is what we were created to do.
Maybe today is a good time to stop, go back over the list, and review those life lessons we have learned, checking to see where we really are in our walk with God.
Maybe today is the perfect time to revisit the manger to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by giving Him the gift of obedience.
Let’s Pray
Father, I love You. Forgive me for the times when I choose to follow my own will instead of Yours. Teach me how to fix my heart on You and give me the strength to do what You created me to do. I know Your plan is the highest and best plan for me and that I was created in response to that plan. Thank You for the purpose that doing Your will brings to my life. Today, I choose to seek You and obey Your Word.
In Jesus’s name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Can you believe that 2014 is just around the corner? If one of your resolutions for the New Year is to have a daily quiet time, and you need help getting started, Mary has some great resources to help you get started.
Looking for a Bible Study to start the New Year? Check out Mary’s weekly online Bible Study, Light for the Journey. Don’t miss the new study, How to Tame the Tongue, beginning January 20, 2014. Enroll before December 15 and have access to all 2013 lessons.
Do you want to revolutionize your prayer life? Check out Chair Time, a new E-Book written by Mary’s husband, Dan. It not only will teach you how to hear from God – it will change your life! And be sure to connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.
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Girlfriends in God
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