The Plans of God by Pastor Mark Jensen
Yesterday, as I preached this sermon live on social media, I was standing in the middle of a pasture, some of you may have seen it and were wondering why. This is a place of peace and tranquility for me and my family. Being outdoors, being around horses, enjoying the sounds and the sights and yes even the scents of being around horses. There is a calming affect that really can't be put into words, and this my friends is something each of us need in our lives. A place where you are at peace, a place where you can find quiet, a place where you can be still and step away from all the busyness of your everyday world.
When we get so caught up in the daily grind of our lives, we have a tendency to get overwhelmed, overworked and our minds and our bodies get overrun with all that keeps us from making it through to the next day; worry, fear, anxiety and sometimes even anger. We begin to focus only on what we can see and touch and feel what is only right in front of us and not what God himself, has planned for us. We allow ourselves to start believing that we can't continue like this. We begin to tell ourselves that we don't have what it takes to make it through another day. We lie to ourselves and say that there isn't a way past this time. That is when you need to declare over yourselves, that even though I might not see a way in the natural, I know that my Father in Heaven has a way, for he is a supernatural God.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me;
They rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou annoinest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23
We have all heard this scripture before, some have memorized it and recite it often, but we all need to hear it and speak it and feel it and live by it. We all suffer in our own ways on a daily basis with our problems, whether it be with our finances, with our health, with our personal lives, and at times we just get tired, we just get weary, we just get fed up and want to wave the white flag, we want to throw in the towel.
That is the time that you need to seek out our Father in Heaven, that is when you need to drop to your knees and let Him hear your prayers, let Him hear your cries, let Him know your thoughts, let Him feel your pain. Never doubt for a moment that He doesn't already know all these things in you, but acknowledge them to yourself and share them with Him, admit to them and give them all over to God.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
When you forget who you are and whose you are, you begin to believe that it is you who makes each day come and go, it is you who makes things happen, it is you who begins to believe that is in control of your life and your future. All that we face each day, as busy and hectic as our lives can become, as crooked as our path may become, we can never forget that we are children of the most high God, who planned our days before we were in our Mothers womb, before he even breathed life into us, before we were even born. You need to and I need to never forget to submit to Him completely all areas of our lives, trust in Him completely in everything we do and be obedient to Him in everything he asks of us. There is no, part time believer, there is no Sunday only praise and worship, there is no temporary will, there is only one full time, everyday, permanent Father in Heaven and He remains on the throne and he remains in control.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy, and with song I praise Him.
Psalm 28:7
I declare over each of you as well as myself, that this day and everyday forward, we will submit to our God, we will trust in our God, we will be obedient to our God, we will seek out our God in every area of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.
As I speak a blessing over each of you, always remember, I am here for you if you ever need to talk or get something off your chest or if you need prayer for yourselves, your family or your friends. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Dear Father God, thank you for blessing us with this day and loving us as Your children. Watch over each and every one of us as we start each day, as we go through this week, keeping us in the palm of Your hand. Guide us in our daily lives, directing us on the path You have planned for us, bringing forth the dreams you have planted in each of our hearts. For we know who we are and whose we are, children of the most high God. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
"Keep your Faith strong, your Hope alive and your Prayers never ending."
God Bless
Pastor Mark
