This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”
Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”).
Memory Verse: We may make our plans, but God has the last word. Proverbs 16:1
A few days ago, I got a twitter notification, and the message was “God has failed me”. It was very catchy and I just had to open to read as this was the post of a young lady who had the intention of achieving something before the end of the year and as the year was rounding up, she tried one more time and failed again. She gave up with the statement “God has failed me”.
Why do plans fail? I mean we spend so much time working things out, maybe even upskilling, building the right connections then running a great plan, following every detailed step; only to end it failing! Such failure after so many efforts bring individuals down because not only have, they invested time and maybe money but also their emotions may have been attached to the delivery of the plan.
The great question is whose plan were they working with? Whose plan are you working with?
Most people fall under two categories (1.) Some list out a plan independently and bring God into it expecting Him to fall inline and (2.) Some plan with God but halfway give up because the process becomes too long winded, so they find a short cut to completion. In both instances, those individuals are on a solo mission and therefore have nothing to hold unto because they are backed up by nothing.
The story of the birth of Jesus is beautiful but what’s even more interesting is the step-by-step guide that Joseph (His Legal father) followed. Joseph was planning to break His engagement with Mary, but God had other plans. Joseph abandoned His plan trusting God all the way through, every step of the way.
The laws in place at the time of Mary’s pregnancy was clear and pregnancy is an evidence of intercourse so she would have been stoned to death because she was engaged to Joseph, but the pregnancy was not His but because this was God’s plan, He protected her.
“Suppose a man is caught in a town having intercourse with a young woman who is engaged to someone else. You are to take them outside the town and stone them to death. She is to die because she did not cry out for help, although she was in a town, where she could have been heard. And the man is to die because he had intercourse with someone who was engaged. In this way you will get rid of this evil,” Deuteronomy 22:23-24.
The Lady from twitter wrote down her plan for the year and when at the end of the year, plans didn’t materialise, she blamed God. I am not saying she didn’t involve God from the start but shedding a light that when we walk straight in line with God’s plan, He will do anything to ensure that He protects what matters to him – His word but when we commit our own plans to Him, He has a choice to make it happen or not depending on the future He sees ahead. Sometimes, No could be an answer because God has a better plan!
Your life and plan are only held together in Him.
Daily Declaration – This year, The Lord Almighty has prepared a banquet for me a banquet of the richest and the finest of everything the year has to offer.
He has suddenly removed the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over my life. The Sovereign Lord has destroyed death forever! He has wiped away the tears from my eyes and taken away the disgrace /shame/lack/tears/pain /sicknesses i have suffered. The Lord himself has spoken – Amen. Isaiah 25:6-8
PRAYERS:
- Father I acknowledge you for whom and what you are in my life
- Thank you for I have life and I live on for You
- Forgive my sins Lord and give me a new heart
- I surrender all my Plans to you, take them and transform them to your will
- Help me to stand and walk with you all through this year and not rely on self
- Help me never to take you out of the picture but to abide and seek you always
- Bless me Lord and answer my prayers, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
