Our plans can change in an instant. If you’re a planner like me, it can be tough when things don’t go the way you expect. You can try to factor everything into your plans, but the truth is, it is impossible to plan every single moment of your life. The good news is that you don’t have to. God is a planner, and He is by far the best planner that will ever live. During seasons of transition in my own life, the uncertainty of not knowing was sometimes unbearable. It meant I had to trust more in the Lord than in myself, and I had to choose to follow Him without being able to see exactly where I was going. It meant surrendering my own plans and choosing to accept whatever His may be. During seasons like this, I had to pray daily, “Lord, whatever the next step is, I will choose to trust you and to take that step as you lead.” It was a daily walk of faith, one step at a time. When my future is uncertain, I can be certain that God will come through for me because He is always good and He is always faithful. If you’re anything like me, you know this by heart: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord …” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT). But how about these? You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. (Proverbs 19:21) The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? (Proverbs 20:24) No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord. (Proverbs 21:30) While these verses do not say that planning is bad, they are a reminder that refusing to surrender to God's plans is not at all wise. Trying to make things happen in your own life, instead of trusting in the Lord and His good plans, is also not wise. We can only see a small fragment of the picture before us, and our plans can change so very quickly. Just think about all the times you’ve planned to do something, only to have those plans changed by the weather.  Unlike our plans, God’s aren’t affected by the weather. He is immovable and unshakeable. He is all-knowing and all-powerful. He can see the entire picture—the entire portrait of your life—and doesn’t overlook a single detail. God’s plans for your life are good because He is good. No matter what comes your way, God knows about it, and He will faithfully walk alongside you, regardless of what you walk through. He works all things out for your good because He loves you.   Father God, I recognize that Your plans are far better than anything I could come up with. Lord, I can trust You to come through for me because You can see the full picture. I believe that You love me and will take care of me. Give me the strength to surrender my plans for the good plans You have for me. Lord, You direct my steps. Help me to follow Your lead and to glorify and honor you with every step I take. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.    ~ Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV) says, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” I am the youngest in the family, with two greatly admired older brothers. There were many advantages to having older brothers because they were always there to protect, encourage, give advice, and care for me. In times of trouble, their presence comforted me. Just standing on the front porch without saying a word, my enemies would flee.  Although I was the typical annoying little sister, they were always there, helping me in times of need. After graduating from High School, I began looking for a summer job before going away to college. So, Allen enthusiastically told me that he had just left the canteen at the Veteran’s hospital and saw a sign that they were hiring and needed help.  Extremely excited, I rushed out of the house to ask about the job and apply. The manager came out of the office and said, “We are not hiring here.” So, I eagerly walked over and showed him the sign. He said, “Oh! that sign is asking the customers if they needed any help behind the counter.” I told him that my brother told me about this sign because I was looking for a summer job. Unfortunately, we both misunderstood! I was very disappointed and discouraged, and getting ready to leave, but suddenly, he called me into his office and said, “We can use more help here, and there is a special program for students.” Then he told me to go to the personnel office in another building and tell them I wanted to work in the sales department. Then, I would call him, and he would approve it. I could hardly believe the good news. I was so grateful and filled with joy for this Divine appointment, a supernatural intervention.  When I got home, I told Allen that God had opened the doors for me with favor because we both misread that sign!  I am sure he had been praying for me to find a job because he prayed about everything. For years, as a partner of The 700 Club, my brother always called for prayer for himself and others. How ironic and amazing that 40 years later, I am now on the prayer team at CBN, ministering to people like my brother Allen, who are daily seeking help, favor, wisdom, healing, deliverance, and salvation.  God continuously has the power to somehow, in ways I don’t understand, take all my challenges, disappointments, and discouragements alongside life’s trials and create beautiful results from it. God continuously has the power to somehow, in ways I don’t understand, take all my challenges, disappointments, and discouragements alongside life's trials and create beautiful results from it. Romans 8:26 says, “But the Spirit Himself makes intercession in each of our lives.”  The power of agreement and answered prayers of my brother Allen opened the door of opportunity and favor for me.  I believe that every detail of my life has been woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan—bringing His goodness into my life to fulfill His designed purpose for me. Pray this prayer with me: Heavenly Father, You are a giver and keeper of promises. Thank You for supernaturally fulfilling Your promises to work all things together for my good, to bring all honor, glory, and praise to You. Lord, help me to cling to You, always trusting Your promises, provisions, and blessings in my life. I rejoice that You are my friend who sticks closer than a brother and has promised never to leave nor forsake me. What a friend we have in You, Jesus! You are truly a loving and faithful friend. Humbly, I pray with a grateful heart in Your worthy and powerful name—Jesus. Amen!

An elephant’s training begins as a baby. When it’s chained to a pole, it learns to go no farther than the chain allows. Its freedom is limited. When an elephant becomes fully grown, the trainer will remove the chain, yet it still will not move. This massive animal, which could destroy anything or anyone that got in its way, continues to walk in circles and never goes farther from the pole than the previous chains allowed. The pole and chain no longer restrain the elephant, but it doesn’t know it’s been set free! The elephant's conditioning prevails. Isn’t that like us sometimes? To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31 NIV)  We can see a theme of freedom woven throughout the Bible. Jesus said later in the same chapter, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The freedom Jesus is talking about goes beyond our freedom of choice or freedom of speech. When Jesus sets us free, he’s talking about freedom from sin and its power over us.  Throughout the Old Testament, we see that the solution to sin was a sacrifice. The blood of animals was used as a covering for sin until Jesus’ death on the cross. He took our sin away, crucified it, removed its power, and set us free. Sin does not need to rule us any longer. If we have put our faith and trust in Jesus, then we are transformed from the inside out because we are given a new nature: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here (2 Corinthians 5:17).   God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) We are given Jesus' righteousness, not as a covering but as our identity from the inside out! So when Jesus says, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:37), it means completely free, from the inside out—a total transformation. In this broken world, you and I will be tempted by sin and experience its effects, but as followers of Jesus, we don’t have to give in to it, for sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). If you are in a constant battle with sin, there’s good news — the chain is gone, and you’ve been set free! That is courageous living! Prayer of Commitment: Father, please free me from my past conditioning to sin and shame. I receive Your gift of freedom and ask You to help me establish new, godly ways of living. ~ Scripture is quoted from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.