2. Blueprint…

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10

I like to know why I am doing something. Whether it be the production of a strategic plan for the coming work year or creation of another page in my photo scrapbook. I need purpose in my life. I believe this is because God has put purpose in my heart.

He created me for purpose. Psalm 139 speaks of God knowing me, knowing what every day of my life would look like according to his plan. So, naturally, if we are going to talk about expectancy and the fulfilment of our dreams and desires, we need to talk about the purposes God had for us before we were even born.

How do we reconcile the fact that God has laid out a plan for our lives with our freedom to choose our own adventure?

I enjoy watching “Grand Designs”, a program where people spend huge amounts of money to build massive and (usually) beautiful houses. Their architects draw up the blueprint for the house and all goes well as long as the owners follow that plan.

But, repeatedly, they want to make changes – add a wall, change a window, even add more rooms. The plans are varied according to the owners’ dreams and desires. The architects do their best to modify the plans and make it work. But the perfect, original plan is gone and, inevitably, the final product is not as it should have been.

Do you get where I am going with this? God drew up our perfect and unique life plans before we were even conceived. We have the choice to seek out that plan, his blueprint for our lives, and to follow it according to God’s will.  But most of the time we rush ahead of him, or we just don’t check in with him, or we ask him for a change because we might be afraid to do it his way. God, like the architect, accommodates us, he allows for changes to the plan, but the final product will never be as good as he planned it to be.

Some time ago I heard about a young pastor in whom God has planted the vision of a new church that he was to pastor. He was afraid to step into the vision and went off in a different direction (shades of the story of Jonah here…). Some years later he visited a church and felt God say to him that this was the church he was supposed to have built. God had a plan B, the church was built, but not by the one God had given the dream to…

Our journey into our dreams and ambitions must always begin with God’s blueprint – seek him first, then step into what he has purposed for you.

Prayer: Lord, I know that I haven’t always stepped into what you have purposed for me and that my life hasn’t always followed the blueprint. Forgive me for not seeking you first. Give me the desire to always walk in step with whatever you have ordained for my life each day and each season.

Amen

Action: Now is always a good time to stop, take stock of your life’s journey thus far. Where have you been in God’s plan and where have you gone your own way? Now look forward to the next season and ask God for his direction and pledge to try to follow his blueprint for your life.

Journal your thoughts: