Harvest Daily Devotional 01/07/03

Harvest Daily Devotional 
by Pastor Greg Laurie

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January 7, 2004

Learning to Yield

 

“For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

 

I read a story about a communication that took place some time ago between a U.S. naval ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland.   The Canadians warned the Americans, “Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.”

 

The Americans responded, “Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision.”

 

The Canadians said, “Negative.  You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.”

 

The Americans: “This is the captain of a U.S. Navy Ship.  I say again, divert your course.”

 

“No.  I say again, you divert your course.”

 

“This is the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, the second largest ship in the United States Atlantic fleet.  We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers, numerous support vessels.  I demand that you change your course 15 degrees north.  I say again, that is 15 degrees north or counter measures will be undertaken to assure the safety of our ship.”

 

After brief moment of silence, the Canadians responded: “This is a lighthouse.  It is your call.” 

 

Sometimes we don’t like what God wants us to do, and we want Him to change course when, in reality, it is us that ought to change course.

 

We need to understand that God’s plans are better than ours.  Having said that, it does not mean that they are always the easiest plans or even the most appealing at the moment.  There are times when we are going through life that we might not like the plan of God.  But God’s plans are always better for us in the long run.

 

Copyright © 2003 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.