They can also be filled with dread and foreboding but plans are just that, plans - so many of us make plans only to shelve them quickly when things go haywire or the bottom of our world drops out.
There are plans however that nothing can stop or become too burdensome - they are the plans God has for our lives.
Did you know that nothing can kill Gods plan for you? Hatred can't kill them and vile and evil people can't kill them. Even when we may think that God is silent and everything is going pear-shaped - God is still God and His plans for you will continue to expand and come to fruition.
My mind travels to Joseph - that extraordinary young boy - the apple of his Dad's eye - the 'coat of many colours' kid who got his brothers and family completely off-side with what they considered were his boastings of importance.
Saved from certain death by big-brother Reuben but sold by the rest of his jealous brothers into slavery in Egypt, young Joseph didn't seem to 'kick too many goals' while he was there in his early days.
Where was God through all of his trials? The temptations from the lust-hungry wife of his earthly 'master' - the years spent languishing in a filthy prison - Where was God indeed?
We all know the story so well how Joseph eventually became the 'saviour' of the whole land - saved his family from certain death and rescued them all, eventually living in safety and security in Egypt.
God hadn't forgotten Joseph - nor His plans for his life. God's plans continued even though there were so many pits and downfalls.
God hasn't forgotten plans for your life either! You may be thinking right here right now that He has - your whole life may have, like Joseph's, become just one disaster following another - you may be even wondering if God is indeed alive and in charge of your life at all.
I implore you as never before to have patience with our God. Keep giving Him 100% and keep following His ways - living in hope, trust and faith.
His plans for you can never be thwarted no matter what the world throws at you - His plans will always come to fruition and they certainly don't depend on us, our moods or our temperaments.
I was out jogging one morning and I listened to SELAH's version of "Be Still My Soul" - (Here is the link - so worth listening to;- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPDPUoxylP4 ) the words almost made me stop mid-stride and gasping for air, I prayed that God would give me patience no matter what happens to me or my family.
the first verse goes like this:-
Be still my soul. The Lord is on thy side;
With PATIENCE bear thy cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God to order and provide
In every change he faithful will remain
Be still my soul, Thy best, thy heavenly friend
Through thorny ways lead to a joyful end.
Amazing words indeed and actually 'says it all' when it comes to handing our lives to God.
The story is told of Horatio and Anna Spafford (1828-1888) who tragically lost their young son and then almost immediately in October 1871 lost everything they possessed in the Great Chicago fire.
In 1873 he scheduled a boat trip to Europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation and a little time to recover from both tragedies.
Several days later, he received notice that his family's ship had encountered a collision. All four of his daughters drowned; only his wife survived.
While on his way to meet his distraught and grieving wife, he penned the words of "It is Well With My Soul" especially the line "When sorrows like Sea Billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul."
Hoaratio Spafford knew that God had him in the palms of His hand, like Joseph of long ago - he could say in all certainty "It is well with my soul."
No matter what happened in his life he knew that God had a plan and, even though he had been brought to ruin and desolation, his faith, patience and trust in God never faltered.
How are we with patience, trust and faith in God? I know I have so many doubts and fears - wondering and worrying about family and friends - how about you?
God has indeed got a plan for each of us - none of us are privy to those plans and how they will turn out. - only our Lord, Saviour, God and Friend.
So many of us including me ask WHY? I wonder if Joseph or Horatio Spafford asked the very same question?
The answer of course is not to give up - not to 'blame' God - not to question and ask why but to keep stepping out in faith and trust, knowing that God has indeed got a plan for us all.
If we all knew before hand what God's plan was for us then our faith would be only by sight and never by faith - we need faith to follow Christ - trust in His name and His actions - then we have hope in the future no matter what the world throws at us.
My prayer for you this week is to gain patience and wait on God to reveal His plan no matter what may happen to us or our loved ones.
We may never really know what his plans are for us - we may never really know what lives have been touched by us though his word. All we have to do is keep stepping out in faith and trust and like Horatio Sprafford say with certainty "it is well with my soul."
God bless you this week as you step out with patience with Jesus letting Him lead where He wills and where His grace takes you.
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