{Glory Art} Scripture Challenge #12, God's Will

The Study
Recently one of my girls left for Army Cadet Initial Entry Training (CIET) in Fort Knox, Kentucky. I did not want her to go. As her departure date got closer, she did not even want to go. I was so tempted to tell her to just quit and not go. She had not signed any commitment papers. She could just stay home. I also was tempted to pray that her medical waiver would come and deny her entry into the Army. But God quickly told me that my thoughts were wrong, and they were selfish. I was to pray His will for her not my selfish desires. I sat my daughter down and admitted to her my selfish thoughts and how God quickly convicted me. I also told her that though I did not want her to go that I would be praying God's will for her. It was so freeing to admit my selfishness to her, and then I could boldly and honestly pray His will for her. Being out of God's will is one of the worst places we can be. I certainly don't want my daughter to be out of His will either. I want whatever amazing plans He has waiting for her—Army or not.

Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Proverbs 20:24 "A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?"

Ephesians 1:11 "In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will."

When we trust God, we also trust His purpose and will for our lives no matter where that takes us. And that also means trusting His plans and His will for our children and grandchildren. Are you committed to following His will no matter what that means for yourself or your loved ones?

My daughter is still in training but nearing the end. She revealed a lot to me on the phone on Friday. One thing that she said that I loved was:

"Mom, I was stubborn. There was no way I was going to leave the Army ROTC program. I could not imagine turning in my gear and not being in the military. It is what I had planned since I was little, and it's what I wanted. But God has given me complete peace. I will be totally fine if I have to turn in my gear."

During this time of waiting and going to camp, my daughter has learned that she will be at peace with whatever He asks of her. She had to come to complete reliance on Him to seek His true will for her. She had to get her stubbornness and her plans out of the way and let God lead her. How many of us can admit that we need to do the same thing?

Do you wake up each morning and ask God His will for your day? Do you let Him guide you through your day or do you wake up with your own agenda? I admit, I wake up with my own agenda. That's something I need to change. What if I am missing out on something today that He had planned, and I missed it because I was too busy with my own list of things to do. His plans are far better than mine. Why would I even want to follow my own plan for the day? Trust His plans for your day and for your life.

Psalm 33:11 "But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations."

We need to wait for His plan to unfold no matter how long it takes. You may feel like you have been waiting forever, but we must wait for His perfect timing because He has the best waiting for us! God knows what He is doing, and His timing is perfect.

Psalm 106:13 "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His plan to unfold."

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

The Art
Because I have been so limited on time lately, I chose to do another Journaling Bible page. These are quick for me to do yet will hopefully leave something wonderful for my girls someday. I used the Proverbs 20:24 from above as well as added the question "Am I committed to following His will."

Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies and art tips, please see this post here.

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