GOD's Perfect Plan

Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your
servants are shepherds, as our fathers were." 4 They said to Pharaoh, "We have
come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks,
for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen." 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your
brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father
and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen,
and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."
13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. - Genesis 47:3-6, 13 ESV
Grace and Peace in our Lord Jesus Christ!
I am writing you again from a hospital chair, receiving my third infusion.
As we were travelling here we came across a man begging for money at one of the
stoplights. My first thought is that man needs to get a job and work. But then I
remembered the words of Jesus and the sheep and goats in Matthew 25. Jesus tells
us "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for
me".
Our job is not to judge, the Bible says that repeatedly. Our job is respond to the
words of GOD without judgement. It is hard to take our human upbringing and opinions
out of this equation. But, the more we can do this, the more pure our
religion/relationship becomes. From One Sheep to Another, Be Blessed! - Jim

Greetings!
Last week we took a look at how GOD never leaves us, in bad times or good times,
through Joseph and his misfortunes. Joseph was thrown into a cistern by his brothers
then sold as a slave by slave traders. Then after maintaining his integrity to himself
and GOD, he ran away from Potiphar's wife when she asked him to have sex, but he
was thrown into prison.

This week I wanted to take a look at how GOD's amazing plan came together for good.
Not only for Joseph and his family, but for much greater events to come for GOD's
people. Yes, through the good and bad events that happened to Joseph, GOD made all
things work together for His glory. This is not only true of Joseph's life, but
true of your life.

Read what Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:19-21
19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You
intended
to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the
saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your
children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

I just wanted to stop for a minute and look at Joseph's forgiving heart, did you
notice that? After Jacob died his brothers were worried that now Joseph would take
revenge for what his brothers had done to him. It would have been the perfect time.
But, Joseph had his heart in the right place; in GOD's hands. Joseph saw that GOD
allowed those events to take place, and he could see how GOD was using those events
for good.

I am sure that not all the events in your life have been positive. And when you
are going through bad events in your life, it seems like it takes forever. If you
are like me, it seems to drag on and on, and you might wonder if GOD cares or knows
what you are going through. I am sure Joseph felt this way when life seemed to be
going well, then he found himself in prison.

Sometimes we get a twisted view of GOD. We see GOD as a mean god waiting for us
to screw up, then when we do, He is quick to punish us and make us suffer for the
wrong choices in life. But just the opposite is true. He is a loving GOD that cares
deeply for you, and He can use any of your wrong choices for good if you allow Him
to.

Once I became a father I saw the connection between my son and I, and GOD our Father.
I love my son and want the best for him. I just want him to be happy, that is it.
But, there are rules or guidelines that he needs to follow. These are not to punish
him, but to protect him. If he makes a mistake it is not a big deal, it is a learning
process for him. I do not remember that mistake and punish him for life. If his
heart is in the right place we can move forward onto bigger and better things.

The same is true with us and our Father, except GOD's love for us is beyond our
thought. Even if you were to try, you could not fully comprehend the depth of His
love for you. So if you were to make a mistake, GOD will use that mistake for his
glory.... if you let him. I know some people that stay stuck in their sins, they
will make mistake after mistake after mistake. Their heart is not in the right
place, it is in the sin and not in GOD's.

I turned my back on GOD once, I became involved with another woman. It almost
destroyed
me as well as my family. But, I gave my mistake to GOD, repented of my sin, gave
my heart fully to GOD, and He did amazing things with that mistake. His perfect
plan in action. Now, I could have let that sin destroy me, and not allowed GOD's
perfect plan to be activated in my life, but I did not. GOD used my mistake for
His glory and is still using it today. Sorry satan, you stink, and you lost. :)

Another little side note.... If you have sin in your life, confess it. There is
nothing to be ashamed of! Everyone makes mistakes, everyone! satan loves to keep
sin hidden, in the dark. Jesus is light, once you bring that sin into the light,
satan has nothing against you, you are free, the yoke is lifted and Jesus' yoke
is put on. Jesus promises us that His yoke is light.

You are going to make mistakes and there are going to be events in your life that
happen that are not going to be your fault. Have the heart of Joseph and trust and
know that GOD is going to use those events and mistakes for His glory and His perfect
plan. TRUST JESUS! You never know, just as Joseph, you could be helping to shape
GOD's kingdom in a way that you will never imagine until you go home. Have a Blessed
week, surrounded in Jesus' Love! - Jim