1 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,900 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,550 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is about when God the 4 00:00:17,710 --> 00:00:21,770 Speaker 2: author rewrites our plans. We'll return with the devotional after 5 00:00:21,790 --> 00:00:37,990 Speaker 2: a brief message from our sponsors. When God the Author 6 00:00:38,070 --> 00:00:42,449 Speaker 2: Rewrites Your Plans Written and read by Hannah Benson The 7 00:00:42,530 --> 00:00:45,460 Speaker 2: heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes 8 00:00:45,540 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 2: his steps. Proverbs 16.9 ESV I just returned from living 9 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:53,700 Speaker 2: in the beautiful state of Tennessee for over four weeks, 10 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,580 Speaker 2: working on a feature film project. As I've been processing 11 00:00:57,740 --> 00:01:00,010 Speaker 2: all the Lord has done, I've reflected on this verse 12 00:01:00,060 --> 00:01:03,310 Speaker 2: in Proverbs in particular. When I was a little girl, 13 00:01:03,410 --> 00:01:05,850 Speaker 2: it was my dream to serve the Lord through media missions. 14 00:01:06,780 --> 00:01:09,420 Speaker 2: As a young woman, how is that dream now a reality? 15 00:01:10,630 --> 00:01:14,570 Speaker 2: Only God. The truth is, we all have dreams, hopes, 16 00:01:14,630 --> 00:01:18,110 Speaker 2: and plans. There's nothing wrong with making plans and hoping 17 00:01:18,150 --> 00:01:22,390 Speaker 2: for something. In fact, God often places these desires in 18 00:01:22,450 --> 00:01:26,390 Speaker 2: our hearts. What about when our plans fall through? When 19 00:01:26,420 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 2: we feel like we're praying, begging for a breakthrough, but 20 00:01:29,060 --> 00:01:34,110 Speaker 2: heaven seems silent, or worse yet, God says no. There 21 00:01:34,130 --> 00:01:36,190 Speaker 2: have been times in my life where I found myself 22 00:01:36,270 --> 00:01:38,610 Speaker 2: on my knees praying for something only for the door 23 00:01:38,650 --> 00:01:41,870 Speaker 2: to slam shut. When we have our plans, sometimes we 24 00:01:41,910 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: can question why. Why would God withhold something good from us? 25 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,900 Speaker 2: I can't claim to know God's reasons. After all, His 26 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,460 Speaker 2: thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher 27 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 2: than our ways. Isaiah 55, 8-11 Sometimes rejection is our protection. 28 00:01:59,860 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 2: I have often found in my life that God will 29 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 2: open doors that will draw me closer to him and 30 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:07,180 Speaker 2: will bring him the most glory. When he withholds something, 31 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,339 Speaker 2: it could simply be that I long for that thing 32 00:02:09,419 --> 00:02:11,060 Speaker 2: more than I long for the will of the Lord 33 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 2: to be done. That's convicting. I want to desire God's 34 00:02:15,740 --> 00:02:19,610 Speaker 2: will far more than I desire anything else. That's hard. 35 00:02:20,750 --> 00:02:24,750 Speaker 2: When Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6, 36 00:02:24,750 --> 00:02:27,590 Speaker 2: he tells them to start by praying our Father in heaven, 37 00:02:27,610 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 2: hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, your will be 38 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:37,750 Speaker 2: done on earth as it is in heaven. Notice the 39 00:02:37,770 --> 00:02:41,190 Speaker 2: part about your will be done. God's will is perfect. 40 00:02:41,730 --> 00:02:44,150 Speaker 2: We should have a heart that desires to see God's 41 00:02:44,230 --> 00:02:46,490 Speaker 2: perfect will unfold here on earth as it. 42 00:02:46,450 --> 00:02:47,070 Speaker 3: Does in heaven. 43 00:02:48,090 --> 00:02:50,180 Speaker 2: We know God has good plans for us that are 44 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 2: far better than anything we could dream or even begin 45 00:02:52,940 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 2: to hope for. It's one thing to agree with our lips, 46 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,399 Speaker 2: but quite another to truly desire in our hearts when 47 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,820 Speaker 2: God's will isn't always ours. What about when God says no? 48 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:08,209 Speaker 2: When God allows a door to quietly close? I wish 49 00:03:08,270 --> 00:03:10,489 Speaker 2: I could say it's easy to accept those no's, but 50 00:03:10,750 --> 00:03:13,510 Speaker 2: I don't know that it ever gets easier. When we 51 00:03:13,550 --> 00:03:16,910 Speaker 2: receive a no from God, sometimes we may never understand why. 52 00:03:16,930 --> 00:03:20,109 Speaker 2: Other times, we'll look back and realize it was His 53 00:03:20,190 --> 00:03:22,690 Speaker 2: protection or He had different plans that may have never 54 00:03:22,750 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 2: unfolded otherwise. intersecting faith and life. It can be incredibly 55 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,860 Speaker 2: difficult when our plans fall apart, when a dream begins 56 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 2: to fade, or when a door we've knocked on stays 57 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: firmly locked. It's okay to grieve and to take our 58 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,090 Speaker 2: pain to Jesus. In fact, he wants us to share 59 00:03:41,210 --> 00:03:44,510 Speaker 2: everything on our hearts with him. But a closed door, 60 00:03:44,570 --> 00:03:47,410 Speaker 2: a changed plan, or a dream that feels dead isn't 61 00:03:47,450 --> 00:03:50,990 Speaker 2: a sign of God's abandonment. Instead, it's proof of God 62 00:03:51,030 --> 00:03:54,150 Speaker 2: the author's hand over each of our lives. Riding in 63 00:03:54,210 --> 00:03:57,590 Speaker 2: each moment, caring for us so deeply as he sketches 64 00:03:57,670 --> 00:04:01,970 Speaker 2: out all the details. Think about that. He cares about 65 00:04:02,010 --> 00:04:04,890 Speaker 2: us so deeply that he'll tell us no, or shut 66 00:04:04,930 --> 00:04:08,180 Speaker 2: a door, or change our plans. As I reflect on 67 00:04:08,220 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 2: my own life, I can see the doors God has 68 00:04:10,380 --> 00:04:13,580 Speaker 2: closed and others he has flung wide open. If it 69 00:04:13,620 --> 00:04:15,620 Speaker 2: weren't for the no's of the past, I don't think 70 00:04:15,660 --> 00:04:18,620 Speaker 2: I would have received or appreciated all the yes's of today. 71 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 2: That doesn't mean there aren't no's, not yet's, or waits 72 00:04:21,940 --> 00:04:25,050 Speaker 2: since current season. But when there are, I want to 73 00:04:25,110 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 2: remember that every closed door isn't a rejection but a redirection, 74 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 2: a beautiful gift from God. His plans aren't always ours. 75 00:04:34,380 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 2: His thoughts are often far beyond what we could imagine. 76 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,650 Speaker 2: And honestly, thank God. If you are facing a closed 77 00:04:41,690 --> 00:04:44,909 Speaker 2: door today, take some time to consider the following questions. 78 00:04:45,870 --> 00:04:48,670 Speaker 2: Are you gripping a specific outcome so tightly that you're 79 00:04:48,710 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 2: missing where the Lord may be leading you next? Can 80 00:04:52,180 --> 00:04:54,859 Speaker 2: you find peace in the truth that God's no is 81 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,850 Speaker 2: an act of sovereign protection? How can you shift your 82 00:04:58,930 --> 00:05:02,150 Speaker 2: prayers today from, Lord, do things my way till your 83 00:05:02,230 --> 00:05:08,250 Speaker 2: will be done? Pray with me. Dear Father, thank you 84 00:05:08,290 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 2: that your plans aren't always mine. Thank you for every no, 85 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 2: for every time you tell me to wait, or when 86 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 2: you whisper, not yet. Thank you for the times you 87 00:05:21,020 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 2: shut doors just as much as when you opened them. 88 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,479 Speaker 2: Please help me surrender to your leading and release my 89 00:05:27,540 --> 00:05:31,219 Speaker 2: plans to you. Lord, please don't let me miss where 90 00:05:31,260 --> 00:05:36,130 Speaker 2: you are calling me next. In Jesus' name, amen. 91 00:05:40,510 --> 00:05:43,490 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 92 00:05:43,510 --> 00:05:45,590 Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 93 00:05:45,650 --> 00:05:49,589 Speaker 1: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 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It's called The Good Word, our free weekly 104 00:06:28,770 --> 00:06:31,650 Speaker 3: newsletter built for people who want to go a little 105 00:06:31,690 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 3: deeper in their faith. Think devotionals, guided prayers, curated podcast recommendations, 106 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,820 Speaker 3: and a little community all in one place. No ads, 107 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,620 Speaker 3: just good content. This one means a lot to us. 108 00:06:44,020 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 3: We built The Good Word based on the audience survey 109 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 3: so many of you filled out a few months back. 110 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 3: You told us what you wanted and we listened. So 111 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,060 Speaker 3: thank you truly for helping us shape this. 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