Devotion

[Pastor Joelle]

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the
world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us
for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the
good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that
he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the
riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and
insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according
to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the
fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and
things on earth.

Ephesians 1:3-10

Happy New Year

There is a plan. Despite the chaos, despite the confusion, there is a
plan and it is unfolding just as God’s will. This is not about God’s
personal plan for your day today. This is not about making sure you
can figure out “what God’s will is for your life” God’s will for your
life is the same as God’s plan for all of creation. What you have for
breakfast, what you do today is up to you. Some of the decisions
you make today will have little to do with God’s grand plan. Some of
the choices you make will either lead to you participating in or
opposing God’s plan. But make no mistake about it. God’s will to
bring all things in heaven and on earth into himself will be done.

Last year sometimes we were lined up with God’s plan and sometimes we
wandered off on our own. Whatever the New Year brings, that will
probably be the case again. We can resolve to work a little harder to
stay with God’s program , but above all, we can resolve to trust God’s
plan to come through regardless of what we do.