By Jeff Roman
Jeremiah 29:11. "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."
It was a long hot day, or so it seemed. We had been fishing very hard all morning. It felt like 3 o'clock in the afternoon as the sweat from the 95 degree and 100% humidity came pouring off my head and dripped onto my shirt sleeve. I looked down at my watch and it said 8:30 am. Oh my, really, only 8:30. Feels like we have been here all day, and without a bite.
It was the fourth tournament of the season and things have not been going well. Did not seem to matter how much time we practiced or how good practices were we just were not able to catch them on tournament day.
Another hunting season had fallen upon us. I have not been able to hunt the previous year due to work commitments, family commitments, and then a series of small illnesses which kind of kept me inside. So looking forward to this year. Spent the entire summer and fall putting out trail cams, putting up new deer stands. Doing all my homework to make sure there were deer in the are and I had properly placed stands where they needed to be. Watching the trail cams and seeing we were going to have good deer opportunities to look forward to And here it is the last day of the season as the clock is ticking down and we have not seen anything all season long. Where did they go, what have I done wrong?!
Work has been stressful. I put in all overtime they asked me to put in. I do all the little things that they ask of me and then on top of that I do things for the company and business that are not even required or expected but that they do notice and have given words of compliment to. Never late, or complain, or short change a full days work.
That new promotion should be mine. But as it is posted on the bulletin board who received it my name is not on there. Somebody in the workforce that I have never even heard of. And come to find out later they have only been there for six months where I have been there for 12 years. How did they manage to get it and I was over looked?
2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?? Are any of these scenarios you??
A tough year of fishing. A tough year of hunting. A tough year at work. Or all of the above. We all go through tough times in our lives. When it just seems like it does not matter how hard we try or work at things. They just do not turn out!
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand.
During these tough times NEVER GIVE UP!! Learn to rely and trust in Him. Jesus Christ. Spend more time with His word. Spend more time working on that relationship to get to know Him better. He tells us over and over that if we rely on Him things will work out. They may not work out the way we want them to work out, that is were the trust in Him comes in. He knows the plan for you and I. And He has a special plan for you and I. If we rely and trust in Him, His plan for us will work out and like He tells us it will be good.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
You have to remember His plan for you and for us and for all of us is to lead us in one direction, but how we get there His plan is different for each of us. But that direction for us is inevitably, straight up. And it is called Heaven!!
