For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.–Jeremiah 29:11–13

Some time ago I came across this “message from God” that shows His love and concern for you and I so beautifully:

My Precious Child,
I am in control. I am sovereign. I am able to make things happen the way I want them to go. Yes, I allow you to make your own choices. And I know you don’t fully understand how these ideas can operate side by side. But I’m able to work within and around the choices you make to cause My ultimate purposes to succeed. For this, you must trust Me. Ask Me about your choices and plans. My wisdom is yours if you’ll ask.
I want you to cooperate with My plans. When the people around you don’t do that, be assured, I am still in control. I will fulfill My plan. Their choices are their own, but I’m still in control. Trust me. I’ll use it for your good.

Lovingly,
Your Heavenly Father, the King

Sometimes we forget that God is in control of our lives. Even when others hurt us by acting against God’s will, God is able to turn their choices into our good. (Think of how He did this for Joseph!) With God in control, there are no accidents or coincidences.

And God has big plans for your life. He told the people of Israel through Jeremiah that even though their current circumstances were bad and showed no hope, the future was bright indeed…and it is for you as well.–From “Daily In The Word”

1 John 5:4—For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world,even our faith.

One of our young ladies recently asked about “something to read” and I immediately recommended “To The Golden Shore”, the biography of Adoniram Judson, missionary to Burma–one of my favorites. Just this morning I happened to read this reference to that book in this article by Stephen Davey:

Sometimes it takes more faith to believe that God is in control of your own personal life than it takes to believe that He is in control of the whole world.

On one occasion Judson was falsely accused of being an English spy. As a result, he endured a cruel imprisonment by the Burmese government. His wife, Anne, faithfully and courageously attempted to have him released through every possible channel, but to no avail.

His prison cell was so tiny that he was forced to stand, while the cells of others allowed room to lie down to sleep. The sun was unbearably hot at times; prisoners were never allowed to bathe; pain filled every fiber of his body as he was tortured day after day. His only respite from the agony of his incarceration was a visit from Anne. In those brief but wonderful moments, she would encourage him with the same message, “Hang on, Adoniram, God will give us the victory.”

Week after tortuous week, Anne came and encouraged him, delivering the same words, “God will give us the victory.” After many months, Adoniram was unexpectedly released and assigned the task of interpreter for affairs between the English and Burmese. Because of this new duty, he was still separated from Anne. Sadly, during his time of absence, Anne became deathly ill.

Months passed and Judson was finally allowed to return home a free man. Body broken and weak, he approached the place he once called home. As he slowly limped toward the door, he saw a child sitting in the dirt. The little girl was so covered with filth that he failed, at first, to recognize her as his own daughter. He went into their simple hut, squinting in the darkness, and gasped as he saw the emaciated form of his wife lying on a cot, weakened by disease. Tears coursing down his cheeks, he hugged his daughter close to him and knelt beside the cot.  Anne looked up at him and with her last breath, smiled and whispered the words, “Adoniram, God will give us the victory.”

If you were to be able somehow to interview the Judsons today, they would no longer be saying, “God will give us the victory”; instead, they would joyfully deliver the news, “God has given us the victory!”

Be encouraged, my friend. No matter what you’re going through right now, your life is in God’s hands. Hold fast to your faith as Anne and Adoniram did, even in the face of squalor and disease, deprivation and disappointment, heartache and loss.

Your reward in the end is everlasting, and the celebration of final victory is . . . just ahead!—

Pray right now that God will give you the kind of faith that Adoniram and Anne Judson exercised, even in the face of persecution. Then, thank God for giving you victory over sin, death, and the world, through Christ’s perfect life, His sacrificial death, and His resurrection.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover a multitude of sins.–1 Peter 4:8

Football fans have favorite teams, players, and coaches. At different times in my life I’ve had several different “favorite” coaches, but the one I always respected the most was Tom Landry. I think many people would agree. However, not only do we have our favorites, we also have our list of players and coaches that we do not “like” or respect. Heading up my list of people in that category was Woody Hayes, former head coach at Ohio State. Although very knowledgeable and successful as a coach, Hayes was a short-tempered hot-head. During the 1978 Gator Bowl game Coach Hayes lost his temper and slugged a Clemson player on national TV. It cost him his job. He was fired that same day—a “well-deserved firing” most people would say.

Now, back to the “good” guy. Just a few weeks after the shameful act of Coach Hayes, Tom Landry was to speak at a huge banquet, attended by many professional and college football players and coaches. Always the gentleman, Coach Landry asked if he could bring a personal guest, and permission was granted. You guessed it–that guest was none other than Woody Hayes.

That display of compassion for a fallen and disgraced man forever endeared Tom Landry to the hearts of thousands. It showed the world that true love really does “cover a multitude of sins”. Landry was concerned enough to show compassion although it was not deserved. We should be so concerned about aiding in the restoration of those who have fallen. It’s not a matter of whether or not they deserve it, none of us do, it’s a matter of loving people unconditionally—like Christ loved you.

We are all very busy — busy writing epitaphs. We do not let a day pass without doing something in this line, and we are all busy, not in writing epitaphs for others — but in writing our own. And we are making it very sure that people will read what we have written when we are gone. Shall we not be remembered? If not by many, we certainly shall by a few, and that remembrance we are making sure of, by the tenor of our lives. Our characters are the inscriptions we are making on the hearts of those who know, and who will survive us. We do not leave this office to others. We are doing it ourselves. Others might falsify and deceive by what they might say of us — but we are telling the truth. The actions of our passing life are facts visible, plain, undeniable. We engrave them on the mind of all observers. How interesting the question: What kind of epitaphs are we writing? Will they be read with joy or sorrow? Remember the epitaphs we write are not for the marble that tells where we lie — but for the memory of every one that knew us.–Anonymous