What's the plan?

Hold on and Hold out, Help is on the Way!


Ps 46:1- God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

There are times everything in our world gets turned upside down. There are times when all the plans we have made, suddenly change. We have been living our life and the doctor tells us that we have an incurable disease. Or perhaps one spouse says to another, I don’t love you anymore. Or perhaps it is your 16 year old who tells you they are pregnant. These unwanted misfortunes can and will cross, social, racial and economic barriers. No one is exempt from these and many other adversities.

The word trouble in the above psalm refers to being pressed in; like being between a rock and a hard place. Many people today find themselves in that position. Psalm 46 furnishes the background for assuring the people that God will be present whatever the outward circumstances. We have to hold on, hold out because help is on the way.

Some of these tribulations can become pretty intense in severity and nature. Have you been feeling like you are in a pressure cooker and can’t get out? Some are under severe stress, and not just with the external and more obvious issues; some are fighting with inward struggles. These inward struggles come in the form of fear, doubt, worry, stress, insecurity. On the outside everything looks fine, but on the inside we are screaming and we wonder why no one hears us. There is brokenness in our spirits, and in our hearts.

God often uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop. It takes broken grain to give bread. He will take a broken heart and mend it back together. He will take the broken things of your life and produce something good. Isa 61:3- To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

The plan today is to go to God and give him our ashes, the things that have burned up in our lives so that he can give us beauty. The things that have caused us to mourn or have hurt us and caused us to be sad, we give HIM these so that he can give us the oil of joy. And if you feel that you have gone as far as you can and you can’t take another step. He will give you the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

We have a spiritual adversary we are fighting every day. Whether you choose to believe it or not. He wants to wear us down and wear us out. He does not want us to have any joy. Joy is different from happiness. Joy is eternal; it is based upon who the Lord Jesus Christ is in us. Happiness is temporal. It is based upon my outward circumstances and feelings. That’s why the bible declares the Joy of the Lord is my strength. We go through all that we do that God might get some glory out of our lives.

Be encouraged today, even in your darkest hour God has a plan for your life. The plan today is to place all your trust in God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. I may not understand everything that is happening around me, but I do know this God is still in control.

For we know that all things are working together. The good things, the bad things the not so pleasant things, they are all working together. Hold on, Hold Out, Help is on the Way. What’s the plan? Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. God Loves you and so do I…. Pastor Tammy