Assembly of God

By Sheryl Franco

Co-Pastor

There are two kinds of people: planners and those who show up to party. You can identify a female planner by the lists on her refrigerator and the weight of her purse. A male planner usually has a well-organized garage or office, with lots of measuring tools and labels on containers and shelves. I think you’re either born to be a planner or you’re not. When visiting out-of-state friends in 1999, my friend led us to the room where we would stay. Her teenage son had graciously given up his room for us. She opened the closet door to show us where to hang our things, rolled her eyes, and pointed to 21- gallon containers of water her son was storing in his closet just in case something catastrophic happened at mightnight on Jan. 1, 2000. He’s a planner. He grew up to be an airline pilot, so I’m really glad he’s a planner.

One thing we have learned in the past year is that our plans don’t mean very much when the unexpected arises. One plan af- ter another fell apart last year as restrictions were imposed, we or family members became ill, jobs were lost, incomes vanished and resources were scarce. Planners felt completely out of control, and most planners are extremely uncomfortable when they feel out of control. But as we all faced one unexpected calamity after another, we could feel secure knowing that none of this was a surprise to God, our heavenly father, who has good plans for us.

The promise of God Pastor Chuck will preach about this week is found in Jeremiah 29:11. The title of the sermon will be “The Promise of a Plan for You.” God promises to prosper us, not to harm us, to give us hope and a future. Throughout Scripture, there are examples of people who were threatened, pursued, lied about, destitute, ill, outcast, imprisoned and left for dead, but God had other plans. And God’s plans cannot be prevented by a pandemic, canceled by kings, revoked by rulers or derailed by disease. God has good plans for you.

Rest in the fact that as a child of God, if your plans get blown apart, God has something better for you. The eternal God, who knows the end from the beginning, is working all things together for your good. Will everything always look like it’s going according to plan? Probably not. Joseph probably didn’t think God’s plan was at work when his brothers threw him into an empty cistern and then sold him off as a slave. God’s plan may not have been apparent to Daniel when he was thrown to the lions. And when Noah was ridiculed by his neighbors for building that huge boat, he might have questioned God’s plan. But take heart. Trust God’s plan. Stay the course. Keep moving ahead. God’s plan proves better than anything we can imagine every time.

Join Assemby of God this coming Sunday in the Amphitheater at 11 a.m. Wear a face covering and practice physical distancing. God will recognize you, even behind your mask, and He is never distant.