Great Plains Daily Devotional for 5/13/2021

2 Peter 3:9

The first part of that verse is something I should repeat to myself daily - “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise…” I am, like many of you, very much a planner. Every Sunday I sit down and write out the things I have scheduled for the week ahead. I have a physical agenda AND I use the calendar on my phone. I make lists. Lots of lists. I color-code too many things. The physical act of checking tasks off after I’ve completed them brings me so much joy, and I probably (okay, absolutely) find too much peace in knowing what comes next. 

But faith doesn’t work that way. We can plan out every single detail of every single day, and in the end, God has the final say. The way we saw our day, our week, our year can suddenly look very different, and this picture we painted comes crashing down around us. We are left feeling confused and anxious and hurt. 

But God’s plans for every single one of us are good. He never promised a life free of pain or anger or doubt, but with faith we can keep going. He lives in each one of us. His strength, His love, His peace, it’s all within us, and we can trust that when He sent His son to die on a cross for our sins, He kept His promise. A promise of salvation and renewal, of healing and guidance, of love, hope, and heavenly peace. 

I think we can all agree that this year of covid craziness has wrecked many of our plans – vacations, graduations, birthday parties, family gatherings, holidays, and so much more. The planner part of me craved structure, and the lack of structure, the endless wonderings of what would happen next, and the constant worries about the health of myself and my loved ones shook my faith. If you are feeling the same way, please know that you are not alone, and join me in leaning into God’s presence, finding rest in knowing His plans are good, and rejoicing in His patience for each and every one of us.

-Sara Goerl
Emporia State Campus Ministry
 

Prayer for Reflection