GOD had a better plan...

GOD is unbelievable in the way HE works. experience and reading HIS word show that to be true. look at paul's circumstance here. this is great! paul says, philippians 1.12 (ms), i want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. instead of being squelched, the message has actually prospered. all the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that i'm in jail because of this MESSIAH. that piqued their curiosity, and now they've learned all about HIM.

this is great. look at this and think about your plans, and your dreams.

paul had always wanted to go to rome. he had this dream, to rent the coliseum, get the best bands he could find and have a crusade. ''GOD, if we do that i know we can make a difference. we can change this old world.''

but GOD had a better plan. instead, GOD put him in prison where he would write the new testament. he's chained to a palace guard, the praetorian guard, the crack elite troops of the roman empire, personally chosen by caesar to be his body guards. they were the highest paid people of the empire. when they retired after 12 years they were made leaders in rome. there was not a more strategic group that paul could witness to if he's going to reach the roman empire.

so GOD puts paul in rome, nero pays the bill and chains a future leader of rome to him every four hours. in two years at four-hour shifts, paul had witnessed to 4,380 guards. these guards had an inside route to the emperor and as a result even some of nero's family became believers. history tells us that nero had his wife, mother and children killed because they became believers. a "chain" reaction. paul had a captive audience.

paul had a plan but GOD had a better more effective one. and the same is true for you and me.

just a thought from the front porch...