The Promise above tells us that God has a plan for you and me, and His plan is good.  Although our life might feel as if it is out of control and that God is nowhere to be seen or heard, the truth is, He is in control and His plan is at work.  Do you believe this?  Will you stand on this promise, for if there is doubt at this point, then the other promises will be doubted as well.  There will be times when we will question whether God is in control, if He even cares, or if what He has allowed in our life can ever be good.  But we have His word on it, backed by His Name (remember that His name is important to him) that His plans will work for our good.  It is only a matter of time.  After a period of time and when the time is right, His plan will be revealed.  Our faith in Him requires our trust in His timing.

During our waiting time we will need to persevere, for perseverance is the forerunner for something good that God wants to build in us.  Through persevering He is building godly character while we trust His timing (See Romans 5:3-4).  Sometimes all we can do is wait for Him to act, for we have exhausted all other options.  Though this seems bad, the truth is it is a good thing, for the elimination of other false paths allows God to lead us to His plans and our feeble efforts do not get in the way.  Do you believe this?  Can you trust Him like this?  Can you praise Him in this challenging time?  You must, if you believe the foundational promise that God has given to you that His plans give you a hope and a future.  This is the test of your faith and you must walk on this scary "bridge" to experience the truth.

I wonder how many of you agree with the idea that God has a special plan for you, without being sold out to it?  Do you feel this promise is for you ... that God really does have a plan for your life and His plan will work out for your own good?  Can you truthfully insert your name before the promise given above as if God is speaking to you personally?  Can you receive this word from God into your heart and embrace it as if He is speaking directly to you?  It will require faith to do this.  It will require courage.  But, if you will do this and it is real, there will be a peace that follows that cannot be explained, for it is indescribable that in the midst of all kinds of tribulation there can be a place in our mind and our heart where we can reside that will not be touched by the threats we see.  We just know that our God will not be outdone and His good plan will eventually work out ... for our good ...  for you and me.  But, if we are double minded in this basic promise from God to you and me, the peace He promises will not be fulfilled in our life, for we will be unable to grasp it.  If we believe that the promise of His plan being perfected in our life is true, then we must "walk on the bridge" to prove it by putting our life absolutely into His hands.  If we do not do this, we will never find this peace I speak of.

A great writer and person wrote words that spoke truth deeply into my heart about finding the rest and peace from my fears that I faced each day.  I was challenged.  But I saw a clear path that awaited me if I had the courage to walk on it.  Here are the words.  Let these words challenge you as we continue to understand tomorrow the need that we all have, which is to live by the promises God has made to us.