Morning Devotional

July 1, 2005
"Surprise!"   
    by Don Emmitte

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"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Do you like surprises? Some do, some don't. My wife doesn't like surprises very much. She likes a plan and knowing what comes next. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. However, there is a balance in our spiritual life that we ought to consider.

Several years ago, I heard a message by Lloyd Ogilvie, who later became chaplain of the United States Senate. It was about a surprise party he had been given. At first, he was upset, because he viewed it as one more interruption in his plans for that day. Later, after he'd thought about it, he realized that's what life is: a series of interruptions. It's kind of like God saying, "Surprise!"

We make plans, God laughs. Life goes on, with our schedules being continually interrupted. All the while, the Lord has surprise, unexpected plans for us. I'm not sure that I'm a control freak, but admittedly I like to be in control a lot. We probably all like to be in control to some degree, of ourselves, others, circumstances, and even the future. It's an illusion, of course. Fortunately, we aren't in control, and God is.

The next time things don't go quite the way I'd planned and expected, hopefully I will hear God's voice saying, "Surprise!" How about you?

Even when these “surprises” don’t seem to make a lot of sense, trust in his plan for your life. Often a turn in the road is the only way to get where we need to go. That turn might contain some rough patches of pavement and the travel might be a little bumpy! However, remember that God’s route is always the best way. He’s not going to harm you in any way.