One of my favorite verses is found in Jeremiah 29:11:
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (ESV)
But let us continue to read the next two verses (v.v. 12-13):
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me where you seek me with all of your heart. (ESV)
When we look at these verses, first it says God knows the plan he has for us and it is to give us a future and a hope. But then it says we will call upon God, come to God, and pray to God. Then God will hear us. We will seek God and find him when we seek him with ALL of our heart. This requires action – our faith in action. Believing and trusting in God’s plan – sometimes before we understand it or know what it really means. Changes come our way that we do not understand or know how to deal with, but God knows the future. I am so thankful that all our tomorrows are in his hands. I love this quote:
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sometimes, we don’t see God’s whole plan. We don’t see where the next step takes us, but faith says to take it. Sometimes the stairs appear too steep and we can’t see the top (or bottom) but we just have to move forward.
One of my favorite old gospel songs that I keep going back to in my mind is “One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus”. The lyrics are:
I'm only human, I'm just a woman Help me believe in what I could be and all that I am Show me the stairway I have to climb Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time One day at a time, sweet Jesus That's all I'm asking from You Just give me the strength to do every day What I have to do Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Lord, help me today, show me the way One day at a time Do you remember when You walked among men? Well Jesus, You know, if You're looking below, it's worse now than then Cheating an stealing, violence and crime So for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time One day at a time, sweet Jesus That's all I'm asking from You Just give me the strength to do every day What I have to do Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Lord, help me today, show me the way One day at a time
Maybe, it is even one step at a time as we move forward in God’s plan. Faith – trust and believe – that God’s plan is best. Take the step even when we can’t see the whole staircase.