but i changed my mind...

i know that i left some people in vegas who wondered why i changed my mind. i had said that i was going to die in vegas and here i am on long island. i know that caused some frustration but i'm not GOD and i am not perfect and i thought i would stay but things changed.

now did GOD change HIS mind? no. just like GOD's love for me doesn't change and GOD's word doesn't change so GOD's plans don't change. 1 samuel 15:29 in the today's english version says, GOD is not a human being – HE doesn't change His mind.

i’m really glad for that verse. long before you were born, GOD planned you. and that plan has never changed. you were made for a reason.

now why do our plans change? two reasons: one, you can’t see the future. none of us can know what’s going to happen tomorrow, much less ten years from now and because you don’t know the future, you often make plans that don’t happen because there are circumstances beyond your control that kick into gear. you can’t see the future so your plans get thrown out the door.

the other reason is you don’t have the power sometimes to pull them off. you have a great plan, a great business plan, but you don’t have the time or you don’t have the money, or you don’t have the energy or intelligence or the opportunity – something happens that you don’t have the power to pull off this great plan.

now contrast that with GOD. GOD never has to change his plans. never. why? because GOD is all knowing – omniscient. and GOD is all-powerful – omnipotent. so GOD never has to change his plans. HE already knows everything that’s going to happen and HE already has the power to do anything HE wants to do. so HE doesn't ever have to change HIS plans. HIS plan for you has never changed. it is unchanging.

now you might ask, can i miss GOD’s plan for my life? and the answer is yes, absolutely. millions and millions of people miss GOD’s plan for their life all the time. you can miss it by neglect. you can miss GOD’s plan for your life by arrogance – doing your plan and not GOD’s. you can miss it by disobedience, by rebellion, laziness. you can live your entire life and never fulfill the reason you were actually put on this earth. that’s a tragedy, but GOD never forces his plan on us. it’s a choice where you say, "JESUS CHRIST, i want you to be my LORD. i want to follow your plan and purpose for my life.” yes you can miss your purpose in life, the very reason you were made.

let's stop there and pick it up later. this is saturday and i can't sit on my front porch all day. margaret has plans...