His Plan is Flawless

"And he believed..." Genesis 15:6

As I journey with the Lord I know that sometimes anguish in our lives is too deep to have the understanding of others but it is only God who can reach into the deepest places of our heart and minister His comfort in our time of need. This separation from others is not an isolation but a time of consecrating ourselves to God more fully.... a part of His flawless plan as He wants to bring us nearer to Himself. This is a place within our soul where we must be fully confident that we are His, of who we are and what He has called us to and our journey continues by faith, in surrender to the will and Word of God, a place of consecration. "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to 'go out' to the place which he would receives as an inheritance. And he 'went out', not knowing where he was going." Hebrews 11:8. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to journey out into an unknown place, of place of uncertainty....a place where God was calling Him to believe only in Him...to be separated from his home, family and friends....but in that place God had a Divine calling that came with Divine direction and Gods Divine plan that is always flawless as God promises to bring us too to a land of Promise where He will bless us and God will test our faith along the journey to see if we can obey His Word and do His will. This land of Promise is the blessed life of a Christian...to trust the LORD to do in us and for us what we cannot do, all for the sake of a dying world.

Whatever our trial, whatever our circumstance, nothing ministers peace to our hearts and gives a quietness of spirit when our emotions are working overtime than to come to the place where we recognize that 'He is There' and He enables us to bow to our Father's will and take the cup from His hand. Things in our life do not happen by chance...nor without Divine permission. His Divine plan for the events in our lives is flawless. The peace that God gives lies in the bending of our hearts to accept His will and asking ourselves "do I believe?" in His Divine plan in the unknown places. Each step of each day are filled with the appointed times and places He has ordained for me. Do I believe in each of His promises written as His very presence in my life. Do I believe with a faith like Abraham's that along my journey with the Lord I continue with even more perseverance and continue as the Lord tells me or do I say, "This journey Lord is far enough"?

Once again, yes, how much more I believe in the LORD who has allowed every event in my life and has brought me to a place separated from all that was known only to be separated so He could take full possession of me to lead me and serve Him. The Bible teaches us that we are separated unto the Lord Himself as Christians. But often as we walk with the Lord He wants to bring us nearer to Himself and at times He separates us from what we have known, from who we have known, from places we have known...and this is good...to have full possession in us. He first has separated us from this world to be His inheritance. We are separated only to continue with the Lord who is able to give of the blessings yet to come as we see our calling. "Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them..." Numbers 16:9

I know that each of us who suffer great loss, or who are in various trials, who enter unknown places, experience the anxiety of facing the unknown. How Abraham felt those same feelings but obeyed God anyway. I am thankful to him and for his faithfulness to God. There is such a direct line leading from Abraham and his calling to us today. As believers we are his descendants...and we too are looking forward to a city 'whose architect and builder is God'. We too are on a journey with God as we allow Him to lead us on the path He has and on the schedule He has planned out for us each day...a schedule that is flawless. A schedule that is always perfect in it's timing...and according to His will and always for our Savior's glory and for the redemption of others as we see in Abrahams life and how his faith has impacted our's today.

"There is a definite moment at which the seed is ripe for being liberated....All prepared are the hooks or spikes or gummy secretions needed to anchor it to the ground, and so to give purchase to the embryo shoot when the time comes for it to heave its tombstone and come out into the light. Even its center of gravity is so adjusted that, in falling from the sheath, the germ is in the very position for its future growth. If it is torn out of the husk a day too soon, all this marvelous preparation will be wasted and come to naught." (Anonymous)

His will, way and workings are perfect in the growing of a plant and in the growing of our lives in Him. The Author of life and death makes no mistakes and it is in the depths of my own soul that I must believe in Him and take the way that is appointed. As with the seed so perfectly designed to wait quietly for God to work...we too must wait as we believe for the perfect moment while abiding faithfully for God's timing and way. His Divine schedule is perfect even as seen with a seed, "if torn out of the husk a day too soon all the marvelous preparation will be wasted and come to nothing."

Living in the country gives me opportunities to drive by the most beautiful scenery where corn fields are passed by daily and I see the glory and majesty of God's creation as the corn stalks grow up towards Heaven. The process of its growth and the preparation that takes place through each season reminds me of the many miracles that take place and how God's timing and His schedule in all things is perfect. The plant could not have grown unless it went through death and rebirth. Out of the dark grave seeds break through, breaking through the ground and growing towards the sun while being nourished with nutrients from the soil and the life giving water maturing it to bear good fruit, a bountiful harvest is reaped and then it dies and returns to the ground for a time of preparation, then there is new growth and the farmer patiently awaits with an expectant heart for yet another harvest. So it is in our lives as well. There is a season for all things and in all things through each season we wait on the LORD. In times of waiting and being separated unto the Lord there is a great work taking place, a belief that is growing and a faith that is being strengthened and it goes so very deep that no eye can see but God is aware and in time there will be a harvest of souls, a multiplication taking place because of that one seed that fell into the ground with no mind of its own only to be used as God willed.

As God grows the plants and brings them to their full glory, through this process, we see that only one thing is needed....a seed that has no will of it's own...it was made for the good fruit that it will bear and that God intended. In this process, in the innermost part of this tiny seed, is the beginning of much and it first begins with an absence of a desired will that would separate itself from God. It's God's wisdom and His purpose thought of from the beginning of time...to bring the seed to it's full glory according to God's purpose and timing...as it is in our lives as well.

Do we believe in God's perfect plan and schedule for our lives...our hearts and minds may be blinded only because of the things we cannot see at the moment and in the many things we feel...as our understanding of His ways is often limited but we must follow the Savior in spite of our limitations and feelings only believing that He can be trusted. We are His children and as I think of the lives of many who have gone before us God has allowed many to go through great difficulties as we see in the life of Abraham and as we face trials we can remember how He too is allowing these things and remember too of the glory that God is producing through them all.

Abraham believed God and obeyed and he is such a great example to us all of a man who lived by faith. Through his life we see that faith mean's trusting God's word enough to live by it. How many today may know God's Word and believe in God but still choose to live according to what seems right in their own eyes. Abraham left home and all that he knew to journey with the Lord on a long and difficult journey to the land that God promised. Often our lives are difficult and the journey seems long...and everything before us is unknown and often this is the best place to be in physically because spiritually it brings us nearer to God and more dependent on Him as He is preparing us for what He has next. Abraham and his household lived in tents and wandered from place to place believing God's word to him that he would become the father of a mighty nation that God promised in Genesis 12. Many years later God promised again....but a heir who will come from his own body was not yet fulfilled...and from human sight and understanding this promise looked hopeless. But Abraham still believed..."and He believed...in the LORD" Genesis 15:6

Abraham's faith is found in how he lived according to God's Word. His faith is never found in what he felt or what he thought but in what he believed. Like many of us, Abraham left two homes, not finding another as he was a pilgrim just passing through this world. Because his story is about God leading him and him following...its about a great journey with God. Ultimately Abrahams journey with God first began with leaving his home with no mind of his own and with his only desire to desire Gods will beyond his own....like the tiny seed...and to journey to a place with God that he did not know and where it may be difficult, where he may not be wanted or welcomed, where life may appear different from what he had always known...where it is not according to his plan or filled with comfort and ease. It was a call to leave home and follow God much like Jesus called His disciples to do as is the same with us today. This too is our life when we first become saved but throughout our life as we journey with Christ the same truths apply.

The truths found in His Word....and with a will that follows God that goes to places we never knew before...places awaiting that are filled with great promise and blessings...to be disciples who follow Him wherever He takes us because His schedule and timing is perfect...His purpose for us is flawless as we put our will in His hands...and continue to live with our minds set on the things above....knowing that we have a home forever with God...as we are foreigners and pilgrims in this world in which we live...all to advance His kingdom living each day knowing that heaven is our true home.

The Lord brought me to a foreign place a year ago, a place unknown as He moved me to the countryside and to a new town. A place that was very different and somewhat removed from all that I had known. He was calling me to trust Him and obey and to heed to His calling for such a time as this. My husband prayed for continued wisdom and God's direction over my life before the Lord took him Home and this is what he knew God wanted and I obeyed the Lord in obeying him as he sought God. I trusted his leading knowing God would bless my obedience despite my many emotions and it was a beautiful covering over me to follow him as he followed God. The Bible tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church and in that there is no greater love on this earth that a wife could ever experience. It was a great privilege for me to have a husband who was led by the Lord and like Sarah who obeyed Abraham without fear or trembling I trusted God in leading me to my new home. A place where Randy was looking forward to coming as well if the Lord chose to heal him....but also a place where he knew he had peace knowing this was a place God was calling me to go....a place unknown but where I have found rest and contentment knowing this is God's appointed place for me and I raise my hands in worship even though they may ache at times at the unknown. As Randy had a heart of worship and often lifted his hands to the Lord as he listened to songs of worship throughout the last months of his life...even though he was walking each day in the unknown...others were able to see him bringing glory to the Father's name rather than seeing a defiant heart shrinking back ..... when we choose to bring God the glory we can only imagine the Lord's applause saying, "Well done good and faithful servant.". This is the life of faith, like Abraham, continuing to believe at all costs and in the unknown place God is calling us to go.

As with many of our moves since we married in 1982 each has been Divinely scheduled by God. Each came with great purpose spiritually and with greater faith knowing that it was Him and we would follow. It was a blessing for me to know that despite my finite understanding and my dim sight I was married to a man who followed God and I had a God who led him...and again, despite my understanding at times. It required more surrender and faith to go where we were led...as Sarah obeyed Abraham...and her example God has given us and her example has been instrumental in my life.

Our last move led us to a place where we were abundantly blessed as God had continued purposes and although another season with unknowns and new challenges and more trust in God required....we knew that it was certain and we were confident in His plans as we allowed Him to unfold His perfect will for us each step of the way and we felt that God was doing great things as we continued to believe. God was moving quickly in our lives as we began serving Him and stepping out in greater faith in new areas of service...ministering to those He brought into our life while surrendering more and more of ourselves to Him...there have been many unknown places along the way but in those places there is always a greater working of the Spirit and a greater dependency on Him and this came with great sacrifice but with even greater blessings and we knew it all was God. We were learning more and more how God blesses obedience and that was our greatest work...to trust and obey for there is no other way. It is the giving up of one's self wholly unto the Lord.

God's plan for us impacted God's plan for others...and a church was established...and it grew...and lives were touched and changed. God was faithful and the journey was amazing as we surrendered our lives to Him to do as He pleased and at all costs.

Today, God is still requiring more faith and trust as I continue to obey His perfect will for my life. It is better to be in the will of God and experience fellowship and a peace from Him even through various trials than to try and experience a false sense of fulfillment found only in the chasing of your flesh and to be out of His will. In our sufferings, when laid at the cross, they have a way of perfecting and refining us and strengthening our faith in God. And with each step of my faith since the time I first believed...He has done the greatest work in the most unknown places and in the hardest of trials. A place that requires my faith to believe even more...as I feed of His faithfulness and commit more of myself to Him like that seed that falls to the grown...for Gods purposes...for it to be multiplied...all for a harvest of souls.

As I look around me...I see a place so unfamiliar with barren land and rustic landscape...nothing like the surroundings that I have been used to. I continue to learn that it is not the place I am living in or the circumstance that I am in that defines me but it is Christ that lives in me. I look up into the sky and although there is a quietness and serenity where I only see trees and hear nature instead of cars and homes lining the streets....God speaks so mightily to my heart and He is there in the most powerful way...when all else of what is so familiar is removed He asks me 'Am I enough...Do you believe?"

Oh how I see Him in the greatest of ways as I am still and even more confident of His plans because none of this journey is what I asked for or planned...I have only given myself to Him along the way...so I know all of this He has allowed and how much He has done and as a farmer waits patiently with an expectant heart for the harvest....how too I wait upon the Lord. Since His love for me and all mankind is indescribable this journey is written by Him and it is with Him as I continue to be led. Even more than the United States, Florida or Virginia, Chesterfield or Powhatan, even more than the many homes I have lived in with my beloved husband and our family....where we raised our children...my true home is in God and in the place that awaits for me where I will live with Him and all the faithful saints forever.

There is no greater blessing than to know of the salvation God has given to me and all those who believe. To be separated in this world and have Him receive you as His child and to know Him as Father brings eternal hope into the heart of man and the greatest sense of belonging. Belonging to the One who separated us for His purposes and plans...to be separated to bring us nearer to Him....it all is part of the blessing of knowing Him more and allowing the Lord to give to you all He has intended. Separation can be a good thing when God has allowed it and often it is only for a season. God wants to draw us closer to Him ...to consecrate ourselves in what He is preparing next....to show Himself strong and He wants us to know that He IS enough. "Is an earthly crown to be compared to the consecration of our God upon our head"? (F.R.Havergal)

He never separates us from things without the purpose in preparing our hearts for what He has called us to. 'Be ye separate'...it is not a small thing...through it God gives us that which is eternally good....He brings us nearer to Himself...to do the work of the Lord and to serve others.

"Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them..." Numbers 16:9

Michelle A. Guerra