Thanks for joining us on this journey of building a consistent habit of reading our Bibles every day. The Bible reading plan we are using this year can be found here: One Year Bible or here on the Bible app. As always, if you miss a day, don’t feel compelled to go back and catch up. Just skip it and start back on today’s date. I am reading the NLT this year, but feel free to use whatever version you prefer. Now here are some thoughts from today’s readings:
God tells Abram that he will be the father of many kings. The odd thing is, later in book 1 Samuel we see clearly that God didn’t want the people to have kings. But God knows every decision we are going to make before we make it, good and bad. Israel having a king wasn’t God’s will, but God has worked it into His plan because He knows ahead of time what we will do.
Let that encourage you! God knows your decisions too, good and bad, and He has worked them all into His plan just like He did for Abram. God is never surprised by your actions and you can never shock God. He knew all of our dumb decisions before He chose us and He chose us anyway. He’s just that awesome of a God!
So, where does God’s sovereign will come into play? Some think that God’s will and His plan are the same thing, but they’re not. Think about this example: It’s not my will to spank my daughters. I don’t enjoy it and I don’t want it for them either. My will is, however, for them to grow up learning right from wrong, respect, self control, and that there are consequences for their actions. What’s the plan then to get them there? Spankings is part of that plan.
In the same way, God often allows and uses situations in our lives that are not His will for us as part of His plan to get us to His will. That’s why it’s important for us to learn when we are going through these situations. If we fail to learn what God is trying to teach us, He may have to let the cycle start over. We can’t get to His will unless we follow His plan, and the longer we take to listen and learn, the longer that plan may be!