Our Chief Editor

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

Today I have small confession to make. I love to write but I hate to edit! I still remember the editing of Sister Mary Friel in my Child Psychology class. If she found a single error on our daily writing assignment she would give it a big red check mark and return our paper with a provisional F. If we corrected and resubmitted our work by the following class our grade would be redone: if not the failing grade became ours!

This method led me to carefully inspect my work. I checked for spelling errors, footnote placement and grammatical nuance. Seeing the large red slashes across my writing bruised my ego but it trained me to become a better writer.

I love the quote from Hebrew about Jesus being the author and finisher of our faith. However Jesus also wants to become the Senior editor of our hearts. He is waiting for us to submit our plans for final revisions to Him. If this morning we put our plans on His desk, He promises to lovingly correct us and help us turn in an A paper for the day!

Father before I begin this morning, I confess to you my inability to write a single line without your editorial assistance. Help me to be honest with others. Correct my easy tendency to self-serving motivations. Teach me how to use words as a healing balm not a knife of sarcasm that cuts with a smile. Help me to remember that the only article worth publishing today is the Good News of Salvation and hope through the cross. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen

person in gray jacket holding pen

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What are Your Plans?

I loved the scene from the film “Evan Almighty” when Evan (Steve Carell) tells God “But I have my plans!) then God (Morgan Freeman) laughs and responds, “Your plans?”

I laugh every time because it is a conversation I have silently had with God on so many occasions. “But I planned to sing a song, make a friend or start a new job”. Those were my plans! But God in His infinite love and mercy pulls out His schedule, glances down and shakes His head lovingly. “Nope! Pete…You’re just going to have to trust me with this.”. Ever notice how our Heavenly Father loves to put the ball back into our court and then waits to see our response? Here are a few folks from the Bible who also had plans:

Job would have liked to stay rich, safe and blessed.

Mary was planning what to wear to her wedding

Elisha just wanted to finish ploughing his father’s field

Peter wished he could catch a few fish.

But God had other amazing, astonishing and challenging plans they could never have even imagined. God also has awesome plans for you and me. What are your plans? What might God be calling for in your life today? Whatever it is we know that His plans are way better than anything we could dream!