When I was growing up, I wanted to be a cowboy and work on a ranch. Later, I wanted to be a rock and roll star and I played in local rock bands. After that, my friend Tim Southard and I had plans to buy a 40' sail boat and then sail around the world. Do you have big plans—and how are they working out? None of my big plans involved the Lord. They were all my plans, not His plans. Sometimes, God’s plans are like the plans we’ve made, but usually, they’re quite different. Today, let's consider God's plans for your life and for mine, as we listen to two passages: one from the New Testament, and one from the Old:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph.2:10)

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. (Psa.138:8)

Our Ephesians passage starts wonderfully, "We are God's masterpiece." What do you think of that? Do you feel like you’re a masterpiece? Whether you feel like it or not, God has created you as His masterpiece. Paul goes on to says that we were created "in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Amazing isn’t it? When we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, we are new creations. As new creations, we’ve been given works that God planned beforehand, before the beginning of time (see Eph 1:4). Our second passage reminds us of those plans and says, "The Lord will work out his plans for my life." God has big plans for you and for me and He will accomplish those plans. Why? Because His faithful love endures forever. He's not tired. He's not impatient. He's lovingly relentless and He's working out His plans. Today, take time to give yourself over to God's plan. It may not be the same plan as you had for yourself, but God knows what He created you to accomplish. Your Heavenly Father knows what’s best...and that is very Good News!