GOD’S PLANS (part-3)

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT MEETING THE LORD FACE TO FACE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be
away from the body and at home with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:8)

MEDITATION:
What do you look forward to when you go on a trip away from home?
If you go to the beach, you probably look forward to seeing, hearing
and playing in the ocean. If you go to the mountains, you probably
look forward to viewing the scenery.

If you are going to visit family or friends, what do you anticipate?
You look forward to reuniting with certain individuals, right? How
about when you are returning home from a trip you took alone? You
look forward to the greetings and hugs from your family, right?

It was a hot day, and a little boy was riding alone on a train. The travelers
were extremely uncomfortable, and the scenery wasn’t too interesting as
they passed through the desert of Arizona. A lady sitting beside the boy
asked him,
    “Are you tired of the long ride?”
The little boy smiled and said,
    “I’m a little tired, but I don’t mind it much. You see, my
      father is going to meet me when I get to Los Angeles.”

What a great thought for believers! Sometimes we get a little tired of
the burdens of life, but it’s exhilarating to know that our Heavenly
Father will meet us at the end of life’s journey. The joy of being with
Him forever is beyond our ability to describe, isn’t it?

We should look forward to the Lord greeting us as we step into eternity.
Anticipating that meeting with Him can help us cope with the problems
of this life much easier. Of course, the world tries to distract us from our
anticipation of ‘going home’. Why? Because a world under the influence
of Satan opposes anything related to the Lord and the joy that awaits
those who have surrendered their lives to Him.

We have many problems and burdens thrown at us, but if we lose our
focus of ultimately being with the Lord, then we can be vulnerable to
worries and anxieties, that can cause health issues. However, if our 
focus remains intact, we will discover how the Lord gives us added  
strength and wisdom for coping with the issues in our lives.

When we look at the life of Paul, we see that even though he didn’t
understand some things, he trusted the Lord. Why? Because he
considered his fellowship with the Lord his highest priority. Paul
didn’t ‘play at religion’ as if it were some kind of game, he fully
committed his life to allowing the Lord to direct his paths. He
chose to make trust and obedience the two cornerstones of his
life. They would be his GPS for living his life for the Lord.

We can see Paul’s commitment in action when he had a ‘thorn’ that
was tormenting him. We don’t know if Paul tried to overcome this
on his own before consulting the Lord about it, but we can assume
he may have brought it to the Lord as his first attempt at resolving
this burdensome issue.

As we continue reading, we can see that the Lord didn’t resolve
the issue but reminded Paul of the purpose of his ‘thorn’. Paul
seems like a strong individual who would cast himself fully into
anything he did.

He was relentless in persecuting Christians before he met the Lord
on the road to Damascus, where he was changed to a new person
who would diligently point others to the One who died for their sins.

But his thorn was not taken away. Why? Because Jesus knew how Paul’s
passion could have a negative impact on his efforts to point others to the
Lord if it was not tempered with self-control.

So, instead of removing the thorn, the Lord explained its purpose in
Paul’s new life of following God’s plan for him. Serving the Lord as
a visible prophet was God’s plan for Paul, and his efforts would be
enhanced when they are ‘tempered’ with humility.

In other words, the Lord didn’t want Paul to be conceited about
his personal fellowship with Him and the ‘thorn’ remained as a
reminder for Paul to always be humble (which should be a good
reminder for us as well, right?).
    And I know that this man, whether in the body or a
    part from the body I do not know, but God knows
    was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible
    things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will
    boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about
    myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should
    choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would
    be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think
    more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or
    because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore,
    in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given
    a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
    (2 Corinthians 12:3-7)

How did Paul respond to this revelation? Did he rebel? Did he
constantly complain? Did he have a personal pity party? Even
though he may have been disappointed, did he abandon God’s
plan for his life? No, Paul realized and accepted the positive
effect the thorn would have on his efforts to serve the Lord,
so he chose to boast about his weaknesses instead of his strengths.

Why did he make that choice? Wouldn’t it have to be so he could
tell others of the importance of having a close relationship with
the Lord. It would be Paul’s constant reminder that God deserves
all the praise and glory for anything he did to serve the Lord.
    But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
    for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
    Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about
    my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest
    on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in
    weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,
    in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
    (2 Corinthians 12:3-7)

ACTION:
We can see that God had a plan for Paul and He has a plan for all
who have chosen to be followers of Jesus. When we meet Him face
to face, we will have to answer for how we have followed His plan
for our lives, how we have used the spiritual gift we have been given,
and how we gave God the praise for all that we did to serve Him.

When we are serving the Lord, we need to remember that there will
be a temptation to ‘bask in the praise’ from others. But when we do
that, we can become obsessed with garnering praise from others and
lose our focus on following God’s plan for us.

Questions:
    – What will you be able to say about following God’s plan specifically for you?
    – Where is your focus – yourself or His plan for you?
    – Do you know your spiritual gift; do you have a desire to know?
    – If you know your spiritual gift, how are you using it to serve the Lord?
    – What motivates you to serve the Lord?
    – Do you humbly serve Him and give Him praise for what you are doing?
    – Are you dreading the day when you see Jesus, face to face?
       If so, then what changes do you need to make to allay those fears?

When we are in a healthy relationship with the Lord, we will
anticipate with joy, the day when we go home to meet Him.
We can only imagine how great it will be to leave a world of
turmoil and trouble, and start living in a new world full of
joy and happiness! It can be overwhelming when we think
about the Lord welcoming us to our new homes.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise that everyone
who loves You and has given control of their lives to You, will
join You in heaven when they leave this world. Help me to
change my own priorities so I can joyfully look forward to
meeting You face to face at the end of my life on earth. When
I visualize You waiting for me at the end of my earthly journey,
I am filled with unspeakable joy. Thank You, for Your love for
me and for Your promises to always be with me.”

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