The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.
I am so glad that before I knew God He knew me. In the book of Jeremiah we read a beautiful passage where God speaks to the prophet about His view of Jeremiah. We can read starting in verse 4 that God knew Jeremiah before his mother conceived him. Isn't that a beautiful picture of God's love, purpose, and plan for each one of us?
We have so much to be thankful for every single day. God knows everything about us. Before we were formed in the womb, He sanctified us and gave us a purpose.
JEREMIAH 1:4,5 (4)Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (5)Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
My daughter had a very specific plan for her life. She loves to write and she is very good at it. She has always been involved with anything to do with writing. It didn't matter if it was a blog post, something shared on social media, or journaling in her quiet time, she would always share her thoughts in that way. She took classes, workshops, and attended seminars with the goal of becoming a journalist. Her dad and I always encouraged her dream. God had other plans.
Throughout her high school career she worked on yearbooks, newspapers, and other periodicals. It seemed she was headed in the right direction when she was accepted at Alabama State University. It was not long before God showed her and everyone around her that He had very different plans for her life.
She worked as a salesman at a motorsports shop and excelled above her peers who were much older and more experienced than she. She set goals and exceeded them week after week. She enjoyed the friendly banter with her customers. She seemed to have a real gift for closing deals. The commission checks were nice and she thought perhaps she should go to a community college for a business degree. Before she got the chance to pursue that dream, God changed the course of our lives yet again and moved us back to Indiana.
Kadesia has always been quick to help others. She loves deeply and unconditionally. She can't stand to see others suffer. We had talked many times about the possibility that she might become a nurse like me. She volunteered in the nursing homes and the residents loved her. She became a home health aide and became CPR certified in no time. She felt God calling her into the nursing field and had a strong desire to further her education at a community college here in Indiana.
I am so thankful that she is independent and strong and desires to do things on her own. She wanted to pay for school herself and while I admire that, God had other plans to help build her faith as she learns to trust in God to supply all her needs. This morning she wanted to pull her hair out when she couldn't get through to the financial department of her school. She had been given some money but it was only a fraction of the down payment. I reminded her that God directed her steps to pursue this degree with this school and He would make the provision. Before 3 o'clock today she had been given the rest of the down payment. It reminds me of what God said to Jeremiah.
JEREMIAH 1:6-10 (6)Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. (7)But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. (8)Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. (9)Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. (10)See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
God's Word tells us that our God will supply our every need. He ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet to many nations before he was ever formed in his mother's womb. When Jeremiah gave God his limitations, God gave His provision. He had already equipped Jeremiah with everything he needed to accomplish his purpose on the earth.
God has a special plan for all of us. We must seek Him for what He wants to do through us to further His Kingdom. Whatever He tells us to do, like Jeremiah, and like Kadesia, we will find that God equips us and furnishes us with everything we need to fulfill His plan for us.
PHILIPPIANS 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:8-15 (8)And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (9)(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; He hath given to the poor: His righteousness remaineth for ever. (10)Now He that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seeds sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) (11)Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. (12)For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; (13)Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; (14)And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you (15)Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.
This Thankful Thursday I am thankful that God supplied my daughter's financial needs for school this semester. I am thankful to have the reminder that God met Jeremiah's needs too. No matter what you're facing, how bleak it looks, encourage yourself with these scriptures. Remember how many times God has come through before. He didn't bring any of us this far to leave us now. Take hope in knowing that we can tap into unlimited resources from our Heavenly Father who is ready with arms wide open to bless us with everything we need to do what He has called us to do.
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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