God’s Plan for You
Pastor Ryan and Cathy Story
Sex is a topic that is very intimate and personal. Our culture wants people to think participating in a lifestyle full of sex is not a big deal. It is normal and sometimes even encouraged to be intimate with multiple people before you can really find “the one.” While we look at and talk about how God has designed sex to be for marriage, there are those who may feel conflicted if their past did not always align with how they now look at God’s design.
No matter our past, we can rejoice in Psalm 103:12 which reminds us, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” When we go to the Lord for forgiveness, and we have repented (or turned from our sin), we can rest in the knowledge that forgiveness is ours. We have a fresh start, a clean page, and we now get to decide how we are going to move forward. We cannot change the past, but starting today, we can change how we live the rest of our lives. Our view of the future should not only include us but include the next generation that is being brought up.
In Song of Solomon 2:3-5, we see, “As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.” The bride is satisfied with her bridegroom. Contrary to the encouragement of the world, we can be satisfied with the one God has given us. We do not need to search recklessly to find this person. We can trust that in God’s infinite wisdom and power, He will bring that person into our lives when He deems the time is right. This is a truth we need to make sure the next generation knows and understands: trusting that the Lord has a perfect plan for our lives. It can be very difficult to trust God when we feel lonely, insecure, or that God has not forgiven us. That seems to be when we take God’s plan into our own hands and create more frustrations in our lives. Sarai tried to take God’s plan into her own hands and created friction with Hagar; that friction is still evident to this day. Rebekah tried to take God’s plan into her hands and ended up causing her favorite son to have to flee, never to see him arrive where God had promised. Whenever we become impatient and try to take God’s plan into our own hands, all it does is create a mess. Trust that God has a plan for you.
We are reminded in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” No matter your past, are these the truths you are working to live by now? Are these the truths you are working to teach and instill in those around you? It is so much easier to look at another person and say, “Jesus can and will forgive you,” or “Trust God has a plan.” Sometimes we need to be able to instill these truths in our own life.
Pastor Ryan and Cathy Story
Sex is a topic that is very intimate and personal. Our culture wants people to think participating in a lifestyle full of sex is not a big deal. It is normal and sometimes even encouraged to be intimate with multiple people before you can really find “the one.” While we look at and talk about how God has designed sex to be for marriage, there are those who may feel conflicted if their past did not always align with how they now look at God’s design.
No matter our past, we can rejoice in Psalm 103:12 which reminds us, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” When we go to the Lord for forgiveness, and we have repented (or turned from our sin), we can rest in the knowledge that forgiveness is ours. We have a fresh start, a clean page, and we now get to decide how we are going to move forward. We cannot change the past, but starting today, we can change how we live the rest of our lives. Our view of the future should not only include us but include the next generation that is being brought up.
In Song of Solomon 2:3-5, we see, “As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.” The bride is satisfied with her bridegroom. Contrary to the encouragement of the world, we can be satisfied with the one God has given us. We do not need to search recklessly to find this person. We can trust that in God’s infinite wisdom and power, He will bring that person into our lives when He deems the time is right. This is a truth we need to make sure the next generation knows and understands: trusting that the Lord has a perfect plan for our lives. It can be very difficult to trust God when we feel lonely, insecure, or that God has not forgiven us. That seems to be when we take God’s plan into our own hands and create more frustrations in our lives. Sarai tried to take God’s plan into her own hands and created friction with Hagar; that friction is still evident to this day. Rebekah tried to take God’s plan into her hands and ended up causing her favorite son to have to flee, never to see him arrive where God had promised. Whenever we become impatient and try to take God’s plan into our own hands, all it does is create a mess. Trust that God has a plan for you.
We are reminded in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” No matter your past, are these the truths you are working to live by now? Are these the truths you are working to teach and instill in those around you? It is so much easier to look at another person and say, “Jesus can and will forgive you,” or “Trust God has a plan.” Sometimes we need to be able to instill these truths in our own life.
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