Jesus was always God's plan A.

Footnotes

[1] 17:15 Sarai and Sarah mean princess
[2] 17:16 Hebrew have given
[3] 17:19 Isaac means he laughs

Footnotes

[1] 9:3 Or brothers and sisters

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Brandon. And good morning fellow Journey-ers. I’m with you Brandon. If God told me at a comparable age what was in store I would either have not believed Him or run and hid. Q1. Any plans not go my way? This is a HAHA questions. The answer is ALL OF THEM. In a very unhealthy way, I viewed God “transactionally”, in other words… a divine vending machine. So I was disappointed when I did what I was “supposed to do” and he did not respond as I wanted. Q2. Struggle with trust during trials? BC 100% of the time. AD Its not 0% but I am way quicker to understand that something bigger is at work. Often he is closing door(s) and will open better ones later. Q3. See below. Q4. Amy and I have great community. It is a huge blessing to us.

Hugh Stephenson

I have this picture of God’s sovereignty from a real story from several years ago. A mom and her husband are meeting with a trusted and experienced pastor. She is completely overwrought about her young son’s illness. It has a chance to be fatal. But also to be manageable. As they sit and talk, the pastor notices her fists are clenched white knuckle tight. He asks her to extend her right hand to him. With his left hand he holds her right fist. With his right hand he very slowly peels back her fingers until she is sitting there…with her palms open and facing up. Then he looks at her and makes eye contact. She gets it. God is sovereign. He will decide what happens. She weeps uncontrollable. But cathartically. Fast forward after many years of huge ups and downs with his health her son is now married and in good health, all things considered. Even so, his health issues are still present though at a diminished level. God still decides. I’m confident his mom still has her palms up.

Hugh Stephenson

Short version of my own walk - Post sobriety, (12/1/12), among the aspects of God at the top of my list was to develop some understanding of the sovereignty of God. Reading Romans 9-11 was a brain scramble. Ultimately, more reading and classes helped me embrace as much truth as I could understand. John Piper - Message on Romans 9:1-13 https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/how-the-offspring-of-isaac-blesses-the-sons-of-ishmael From the ESV SB- “Paul began by tracing God's dealings with the nation of Israel in the past. He first reminded his readers that God had blessed Israel (vv. 1-5). Then he pointed out that God's choice to bless Israel in a special way did not arise out of Israel's heritage (vv. 6-10) or out of Israel's actions or behavior (vv. 11-13). His choice to bless Israel arose out of His own love and sovereign choice to bless the Jews more than other people. Israel's disobedience did not lead Him to cast her off permanently. God had been merciful to Israel. Israel's rejection of Christ led God to show mercy to Gentiles by treating them on an equal basis with Jews (in the church).” One of the more puzzling elements of my journey is why it took me so long to “get it”. Not long after my first beer I was hooked on the relief from anxiety and stress that came from alcohol. And later porn. In college I added weed to the mix of bad coping mechanisms. It didn’t take long for me to see the toxic effect all this was having on my life. Why didn’t God heal me then?!?! What I didn’t realize until decades later was that using a coping mechanism rather than praying and working through the hurts, habits, and hangups was massively stunting my maturation across all elements of my life. I took plenty of classes in church and read books as well and I listened to Christian radio. Some slow progress but no real heart change…therefore no real life change. When I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired I surrendered my life and will to God and he healed me of all my addictions. Instantly. Crazy?’ No. Keep in mind He didn’t take the temptations away. I still need Him as much as I ever did. After many years reflecting on it I came to the same conclusion that comes forth in these passages. God decided it was not the time until He decided it was the time. At this point, knowing God is sovereign and in total control gives me immense comfort. I know He has a plan for me. And for Amy. And for my children. As the future plays out I’ll see what these plans are. I know what my role is- Know Him and make Him known to others.

Michael Sisson

Re: Gen 17:17 Gen 17:17 (NASB) Then Abraham fell on his face >>>and laughed<<<, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” “…and laughed,” “Abraham's laughter was not skeptical but jubilant; he laughed out of sheer joy at the news that Sarah would bear a son. Onkelos renders the Hebrew “and he rejoiced.” In the case of Sarah, however [see Gen 18:12], Onkelos rendered the same Hebrew verb as “she laughed,” a translation that is supported by the context of that passage. Abraham had faith and rejoiced, while Sarah was skeptical and laughed; hence, God was angry with Sarah but not with Abraham (Rashi).” — Stone Edition Chumash, p. 75 Re: Rom 9:13 cf.: Mal 1:3

Greg Jones

In summary great last paragraph of devotional. 1. Think back on your life. Are there any plans you have made that did not quite go as you expected? How did the Lord ultimately use those plans for His purpose? (Think Proverbs 19:21.) Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21 One of the things I love about the Bible is that speaks from more than just one perspective. In the book of Nehemiah Nehemiah has a plan for Jerusalem and returning exiles, and he executed it. Within or soon after that time frame would have been time that the stories of Ester and Mordecai develop. Esther marries the king Persia, not part of the Nehemiah plan. Her husband has no idea she is Jewish and an edict he has approved will affect her which means she probably hasn’t been keeping the Sabbath holy among other things. Again not part of Nehemiah’s plan in Jerusalem. But, in a communication between Mordecai and Esther I like how these lines read my because when Proverbs 19:21 is a backdrop our reasoning can look and sound just like theirs. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14 In the narrative Esther and Mordecai consider whether they are part of a bigger plan before they make their plans. Nehemiah is eliminating what Esther is later living out. It’s not about Nehemiah was wrong Esther was right. It’s the complexity of one plan evolving on many planes at one time. Nehemiah’s work was essential. “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish.” But Nehemiah’s wall and reforms don’t have anything to do with the deliverance of the Jews in this situation. 2. Do you struggle to trust the Lord and His plan during adversity or trials? Honestly, not really at this point in my life. In the lowest of lows I’d you were in my head, God is, you might hear me lament, God does, God ____ this circumstance. But that’s not coming from a lack of trust it’s an honest acknowledgment of how crappy some circumstances can be. Because “who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Sometimes it takes the perspective of a circumstance you wouldn’t choose for yourself to gain that plan that is not your own. Why do you think that is? Experiencing a few successes and a few crappy circumstances. 3. If your view of God is too small, it often seems easier to try to control your own circumstances. Yet, we are called to trust Him and not lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Do you feel you have a right view of God? I like this question. I find a completed view of God is a small view of God. I see myself as having an incomplete evolving view of God and by faith I believe that is a right component in my view of God. If not, what needs to change? Highly recommend giving TA's message "Is your God too small?" from August 21, 2022, a watch/listen if you need some perspective. 4. Do you have a community in your life? There is nothing better than a reality check by others speaking into my life when I drift back to "my way." Isolation is not part of God's plan! Yes

Sue Bohlin

Thanks, Brandon. I look forward to listening to TA's sermon on "Is Your God Too Small?" It will help me prepare to teach next month at re:gen on how God is SO different from many people's perception and understanding of Him. The way He introduces Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6 ("Yahweh Yahweh, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in hesed [faithful love] and faithfulness") is mind-blowing compared to how we so often think of Him. (Distant and angry, judgmental and contemptuous, passive and unloving. Like so many people's earthly fathers.) The Romans passage was a lightbulb moment for me in trying to figure out how to understand Romans 11:26, "All Israel will be saved." OH!!! I get it! It's about defining "Israel" God's way: as in all things, it's always about the heart! All Israelites who trust in Messiah are *true* Israel: THEY will be saved. Those who are descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob biologically are in a different category than God's promise that "all Israel will be saved." It's not about people's genes, it's about their hearts. It's always about the heart.

Michael Scaman

We know leading into Isaiah 53 God called to mind in Isaiah 51:2 if you long for righteousness look to Abraham. How was he righteous? He believed in the promised son. Similarly in Psalms book 1 the first promise if the Father to the Son "ask of Me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance" and later in book 1 'The meek shall inherit the earth" The meek inherit the earth in the Son. Romans also reminds us that the work of salvation in Romans is like the choosing of Isaac over Esau before birth, before they did anything good or bad and rests on God. In that light there is a puritan saying 'cast your deadly doings down" Don't trust in your works to save yourself trying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Once saved we cultivate what God worked in but like David, Jonah and Romans will agree 'salvation is of the LORD' It rests on us. Working out what God worked in is important and good teaching and good works go together as the book of Titus reminds us but in the book of Titus it takes a step back and emphasizes to be clear that you were saved not by deeds done in righteousness but by mercy. 'salvation is of the LORD' and as Jesus said I have not come to be served but to serve and give My life as a ransom for many, we let Jesus serve us first then we serve God acceptably, colaboring with Him and even that in a dependent manner. God's passion is for His glory which is a God centered way of looking at it, but still salvation is near the apex of God's glory and we are happy recipients of that.

Amy Lowther

1. Thinking back on life, there were plans that went wrong. The problem in most of my plans that went wrong is that I should have made some plans. I was always scared I would make a mistake. As I my relationship with the Lord has improved, my planning has improved too. The Lord helps me know that doing my best with what is available and being true to His ways is never a mistake. 2. No, because I work to know the Lord and apply His ideas in daily life while trials and adversity are at a minimum or zero. 3. God has the best view because He shares and cares with everyone and loves everyone unconditionally. God helps me approach life realistically. 4. Yes, I have community. In seeing life like God and valuing things like God, I find community at church, where I live, where I shop, where I work, and where I hangout.