The Paper Copy That Never Quits Working

Today’s pop tart was blueberry . I knew it was going to be an awesome start when I opened it and it had been reduced to crumbs from being crushed somehow. It still tasted fine though.

Jeremiah 29:11 "for I know the thoughts I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and hope." 

That's an encouraging verse but the hard part is He knows the plan and I don't. No matter what happens I have to rest in His promise. His plan doesn't include anything other than peace, future, and hope. Satan's plans are another story. I know that God’s plans for good are true because of the next verse backing up this one. Another verse we've all heard a million times.

Romans 8:28 "and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose." 

He has plans of peace not evil. He wants to give me a future and hope. Then He promises ALL things work together for good in my life. Not just the good things, but He turns the bad into good as well. 

I have to remind myself daily when the "what ifs" cloud my mind. "what if He doesnt move and help me?" Then I remind myself that whatever evil comes is not from His plan, but He has promised to use it all for my good. 

God knew there would be people like me that would read a promise and say “sounds great but I need to see it”. He gave Joseph as an example. I've talked about Joseph a lot but when wrongly accused and imprisoned you really start to relate with this guy. 

Genesis 50:20 " but as for you, you meant evil against me  but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." 

Now, I don't have Joseph’s testimony or even saving lives like him but what I do have is an example. I've learned over the years as I struggled with my case that there are two types of people, people who get the luxury of learning from others hardships and struggles, and those who make the mistakes and have to learn the hard way, becoming the example of what not to do. 

I was a middle child so I did get a taste of how sweet it can be to learn from others mistakes and avoid trouble. There were several occasions growing up I got to learn from my older brother how to avoid a spanking. Lol It’s much easier watching someone else's struggle to avoid learning the lesson the hard way.

As I struggle with my own walk with the Lord, faith struggles, and separation from my family, it becomes more bearable hoping that someone may read my struggles and see my mistakes. And in turn, it may let them bypass the struggles and go straight to where they need to be spiritually, or at least closer to where they need to be.

Biblical examples like Joseph are great, but I pray God uses this hard season in my life to be a modern day example of His love, provision, and keeper of His promises. 

I tried watching a sermon on my tablet this morning and it was working perfectly fine until I clicked on a sermon. The sermon lasted five minutes before it was stuck on buffering. The last thing the preacher said was Jeremiah 29:11 before it quit playing. 

Frustrated, I pulled out my Bible and dared Satan to make my Bible not work. The result turned into today's jumble of my thoughts on verses we all hear on a weekly basis. Spiritual warfare is a real thing. This tablet works just fine every day until I log into the pando app and try to watch church. Not a coincidence. When the tablet wont stream, when you start quiet time and the phone rings, or kids interrupt its easy to write it off as life instead of what it is, an attack to keep you out of the Word. I am guilty of saying I'll come back to it when the tablet will work, or I'll start back after I handle the interruptions. Call it for what it is, tell Satan to get behind you and make your reading a top priority. 

The harder he tries to distract me the more I feel like God’s trying to speak to me. Instead of falling victim to the distractions I've started getting excited that God must have something good for me today. When the tablet or phone doesn't work, pull out the paper copy that never quits working. God will speak to you. He did it for me through verses I've heard a million times. Some days He provides a little extra through what we "already know"

If anyone is going to outback this week eat, eat a blooming onion for me. I saw a commercial for it and I’ve been craving it ever since lol It’ll only set you back $8.99 for a limited time apparently.