God Has Good Plans For You!!!

In Psalm 139:16 God tells us "before your day of birth, I wrote down all the days of your life."
God says to each of us, personally, "I know the plans I have for you...They are plans for good, to give you a future and a hope". (Jer. 29:11)

In John 17:26, Jesus is praying, and declaring unto God..."Father, I have made your name known to them (your beloved), and revealed your character, your very self" to these your beloved,...that the love which you have for me, be felt in their hearts"!!!

If I may paraphrase -- that these your beloved will feel, and experience-for-themselves, that you love them as much as you love me!!! That when you call their names...your heart is touched and thrilled and moved with divine love and joy!!!

"For it is my prayer and your desire (Jesus could not pray anything except God's perfect will) that they know you love them, each, personally!!! That you do indeed rejoice over them!!! (Isaiah 62:5)
I wrote down your every day before you were born...
I have plans for you, plans to give you a future and a hope...
I can take any loss, any hurtful thing that happens to you, -- and turn it into good,...blessing you, and bringing glory to me!!!

When I was a little boy, (a long time ago!), from birth to age six, I lived in a little white house in Toccoa, Georgia, with my father, Taft Coker, my mother Sarah, and my sister Brenda.
Across the street from our house was the "railroad track" of the Elberton Railroad.

In those days, almost every little boy wanted to grow up to be a railroad engineer!! To sit up high and drive the train!! To see that train flying up the track, whistle blowing, smoke boiling from the stack...just filled me with excitement, and wonder and mystery!

Well little boys and older men like me, and most other people like candy, and like surprises!
My uncle, Joe Taylor, worked on that railroad. He was a brakeman. And every time that railroad train went up the track in front of my house...come flying out of that train into my front yard...would be a small brown paper bag full of candy...just for me. My "Uncle Joe" would throw that out to me whenever the train went up the track in front of my house.

Little did I know at the time, but God-Our-Abba-Father had my every day written down, and he had plans for me, plans for good.

When I was 6 years old, both my father and mother died of illness. In my father's will (also God-My-Abba-Father's Will), I was given to Willard Taylor (my aunt) and Joe Taylor to be their son.
So, God, our Abba-Father, before anyone else knew my days...He was building a relationship of love, faithfulness, giving, and joy between me and the man who would be my daddy..."Uncle Joe" who always threw candy to me from the train.

("He knows the plans he has for us, and they are plans for good, to give us a future and a hope").
So, from age 6, Mama Joe and Papa Joe raised me in a good Christian home, loving me as their own son. At my age 37, God brought Mary and me together!!! In that same year, Papa Joe died, and I got to become more deeply acquainted with Mary's Dad - "Papa J."

Papa J. is one of the gentlest, most generous and giving persons that I have ever known. (He has never called me his "son-in-law). He has always introduced me to people as his "son-in-love".

Our pastor Roger Bourgeois has, since I really turned my life over to Jesus, been my spiritual father.
Roger and Beth, all those on the church staff, my friends at work, Mary, daughters Katy and Carrie, Will, and eventually Chandler, David and Michael, will all tell you...
...That I try to find out what kind of candy, or pastry, that is their favorite, and frequently I bring them some of that favorite treat -- just to bless them and tell them that I love them.

Just a year or two ago, Roger helped me to see the connection...
That because God-Our-Abba-Father, by his love through "Uncle Joe" throwing that candy to me from the train, built a relationship of love with me -- that is his same love (by His grace) through me, wanting people to know that they are loved, and that he wants to continually bless them and build his relationship with them.

Today, accept this message as a sweet gift from Him. He invites you to daily give Him the sweet gift of communing with him in prayer, praise and worship unto Him.

In those times of communion with him, begin asking Him to reveal to you how He has intimately loved you, drawn you to Him, provided and prepared for you. And offer up to Him...that the rest of your days be as He has most-lovingly planned them for you.

In celebration of Jesus Christ!!! He is "The Lord Most High", "the King of Glory", "Our High Priest Who Understands", our passionate Bridegroom who is returning soon!!!
(Ps. 47:2; Ps. 24:7-8; Heb. 4:15; Is. 62:5; Rev. 19:6-8)