A Bright Future

For my birthday, my oldest daughter, Julianna gave me a book called "For I know the Plans I have for You." She chose this book because Jeremiah 29:11 has been the scripture that saw us through a year of cancer treatments and doctor appointments.

The first day is titled, "A Bright Future." The scripture for the day is Proverbs 16:3. Now I am a translation freak meaning that I love reading the same verse in different translations.  This scripture in the book was from the NIV, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." The Message says, "Put God in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place" and  the New Living says, "Commit your actions and your plans will succeed". So these three are very similar in meaning. If God is in charge, if what I am doing is done within the will of God, then I will succeed. Good to know in my life. Especially since I have started a new phase of my life.

But the King James says, "Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established." Now wait a minute, this translation actually requires two actions. The first to commit the work to the Lord. In my Christian life, I do not remember a time when committing the actions of our daily lives to God. It seems to be the theme of books, songs, and messages. This idea that our daily lives should glorify God.

The King James also says, "and thy thoughts shall be established." Now to me this mean that when we commit the actions of our daily lives to God, then our thoughts will be on serving God in meaningful and productive ways. God never intended us to live in the isolation of Christianity. He did intend that our lives would be the very word of God to the lost world.

Now as I said, Jeremiah 29:11 has been our family anthem this last year. We were sustained by the promise of God's hand on our future. Now that the trial has passed and it is time to go forward with my life, it is time to be an active part of that bright future God has for me.

"God has designs on our future...and He has designed us for the future. he has given us something to do in the future that no one else can do."  Ruth Senter

God promises every believer that He will prosper not harm in the future. But I believe that God also wants us to be find way to be active in our future by doing the work He has ordained just for us. What is your work? What action does God want you to take? These are the questions I am asking myself. However, one thing I am certain of, "God will be in Charge of My Work."