Planned

This cute little nest sits in a barberry bush right in front of our house. It looks like a great location to me, if I were a bird building a nest! The sharp barberry thorns provide protection from predators, and once the leaves finish filling in, they will provide a visual cover as well. I don’t think this nest accidentally happened here, I think this bird went shopping for just the right spot! Once the location was chosen, the nest didn’t magically appear, and it didn’t build itself, either. The bird had to painstakingly put piece upon piece, carefully weaving bits of grass and other materials together. To top if all off, there’s a bit of lichen inside to add cushion for the eggs to come, and comfort for the chicks that follow! Quite the process, isn’t it?

What if this bird decided it wanted to have a better view of the neighborhood, so it built the nest on top of a telephone pole? There’s no protection there from anything, and nothing to anchor the nest to. What if the bird just put a piece of lichen on a bare branch? The eggs would roll right off, if the wind didn’t blow the lichen off first. There are steps to this process of building a nest, and they have to be done correctly and in the right order.

Your life, like this nest, was planned by the Master. You were born in a particular time and place, with a destiny in mind. The circumstances of your life, whether good or bad, He can use to form you into the image of Christ. As you submit to God, you are shaped and molded for His purposes. We definitely have more say in the matter than a nest, as we were given the gift of free will.  A nest can’t say to the bird, “I don’t like that piece of grass there!  Move it over here!” But we can rebel against God and refuse to follow His reign in our lives. Either choice has consequences, whether in this life or the next. We can follow His leading and watch Him use us as ambassadors to this world, or we can choose to rule our own lives and shun any use that he has for us. We can choose the wisdom of God and His plan, or our own wisdom, following our own plans.

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3:13-18).

Which wisdom will you choose? You were planned, you have a design, and you have a purpose. That plan and purpose is better than anything your human mind can come up with.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Don’t limit your life! Hand the reigns over to God, and follow His guidance. Watch and see what He does in and through you. You’ll be amazed!