Country Living -- God in the Midst of Plagues

I can’t take credit for this blog today. This isn’t from a ministry or church. It is an email I received from “Country Living” magazine and it encouraged me to know they know how to lift our spirits and give us the answer to everything -- the promises of God. This is their article, verbatim. Only missing are the plaques that carried the scriptures about God in the midst of plagues:

"When diseases or natural disasters ravage our world, it can be confusing and scary. It can also be hard to understand where God and your faith fits in the midst of grief and uncertainty. You might find yourself wondering if you are experiencing the types of plagues described in the Bible and unsure if this just happened because the world is imperfect. Or you might hear people saying that it’s a form of punishment and find yourself uncertain what to believe. The truth is, we don’t know why these tragic things happen. But we do know that while God allows them, He is a God of comfort, and the plagues found in the Bible are only a small piece of a larger story—a redemptive rescue mission that culminates with Jesus and the gospel. We can take great comfort that we are not alone in any hardships we may face. The Bible is full of reassurances of God’s love, sovereignty, faithfulness, and protection. These are just a small handful of the verses about who God is amidst uncertainty.

--16 Uplifting Bible Verses About God in the Midst of Plagues--
~~ Deuteronomy 31:8 -- “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
~~ John 16:22 -- "So, with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."
~~ Joshua 1:9 -- "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
~~ Psalm 23:4 -- "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
~~ Psalm 4:8 -- "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe."
~~ Psalm 46:1 -- "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!"
~~ Psalm 46:10 -- “Be still, and know that I am God!"
~~ Psalm 56:3 -- "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you."
~~ Psalm 91 -- "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely, he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.'"
~~ Isaiah 41:10 -- "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
~~ Jeremiah 29:11-13 -- " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.' "
~~ Jeremiah 17:14 -- "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise."
~~ Matthew 11:28 -- "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.' "
~~ 2 Corinthians 1:10 "And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us."
~~ 1 John 5:14 -- "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

Thank you, Country Living magazine, for giving us exactly what we need to conquer and win during these times and all times!

This Just Wasn’t MY Plan

Plan: strategy, intention, aim, intent, objective, goal, ambition

I remember thinking and saying those words so many times in my life “This isn’t what I (or we) planned!” How well I remember that place of feeling stuck. Our lives were just not going the way we had planned and although it was always the greatest desire of our hearts to trust the Father completely, trusting wasn't easy when our plans were wrecked and our dreams were relinquished to a divine design that we didn't understand.

We knew plenty of scriptures and quotes well that helped us to stay the course. We had "Expect a miracle" signs all over our home. We believed and spoke out “He did it before. He’ll do it again!” “Hold on, my child. Joy comes in the morning!” “When you’ve done all to stand, keep standing!” And I could hear those stories, coming from everywhere, of a plan that isn’t ours, of a God who knows so much better than we do.

Right now, you may be in the middle of trying to figure out what in the world is going on with the plans you made, too. You may be thousands of dollars in debt for a degree that you’re not sure you want any more or for that business start-up investment and “trends” aren’t on your side. You may look over at the empty space next to you in bed, aching for it to be filled with the spouse you thought would be here by now or for the one whose life was cut short. Or maybe your life is everything you hoped it would be, but there’s profound emptiness where contentment should be.

Best laid plans sometimes go awry! How many times do we make a plan, chart a course, set goals, cast vision, and even set out on a long-awaited dream-come-true adventure and it went all wrong? Most of those times, there are logical reasons beyond our control that keep us from our plans. Other times, it’s simply a matter of readjusting a schedule, and the plan can proceed. Changing the course or our mind isn't a bad thing. Having to reconfigure doesn’t make us a flip-flopper. In fact, accepting that God could be planning an even better outcome than what we had planned makes us flexible.

I know how hard it is to be grateful in the midst of uncertainty. It is much easier to look at where we are, line it up with where we thought we would be, and become fearful and frustrated about the differences. But our Heavenly Father knows exactly where we are and exactly where He desires us to be. God is not deaf to our prayers nor blind to our place. His ways are simply better.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

We can be angry that our lives have been disrupted, or we can trust that God is crafting a life for us that is far better than we could ever imagine. One of my favorite lines from the “God’s Not Dead” movie was “It’s not easy, but it’s simple.” I love this quote. It tells us a simple but profound message. Living the life is not always easy, but Christ’s message is simple “Trust me. I’ve got this. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life.” Our plans may go awry, and tough times may come unexpectedly, but we can be grateful for a God who loves us enough to wreck our plans when it is for our good and for His glory.

Maybe today you are smack dab in the middle of a story you would NEVER have chosen for yourself. I know I was supposed to share these words and this post today because God nudged me to tell you “You’re on the brink of a miracle. TRUST ME!" He asks us to have the courage to find the beauty in these times. We may not know what He’s doing, but because we love Him, we can trust that it’s good. He's a good, good Father and so are His best plans for us!