Street lights and answer to prayer

A few days ago I passed by our old neighborhood in the city we live in. It was the first home my husband and I lived in and where my children were born. It reminded me of a long ago prayer that was answered for me in a special way. The city decided that maintaining the street lights was too much of a financial burden so they turned over the responsibility over to the local utility company. The new owners quickly decided that the ornate street lights that had been part of our city for years were to costly to maintain. I followed the process in the paper..the small outcry from the community was met with the company's firm stance that people must face reality that the acceptance of bland street lights similar to those that most modern cities use was inevitable. "Lord, Jesus", I prayed , "please let me keep my street lights...it is part of this city." Little did I know that behind the scene negotiations where going on to replace most of the lights in the city but to recreate the old lights in small parts of the city using bulbs that would still save energy. My prayer had reached heaven and lo and behold my street was one of the few streets that would maintain the old style lights that looked like a lamp post. I looked out many nights afterward and said a prayer of thanks to God for hearing my hearts cry. Some time later we moved and with the installation of new lights over the city perhaps I lost the wonder of what God had done because it didn't seem a big deal to leave my lights behind. Then the other day when I took a look at those old style ornate street lights which still remain on my former street I was reminded that God still answers prayer. My prayer seemed small and not very noteworthy...I'd even forgotten it...yet God used a visible reminder to me that He still hears our hearts cry. Pulling in our driveway...I wish my prayer had been expanded to include the whole city...for now my view is of the new non descript lights....my vision didn't cover the fact that we would someday move across town.

When a look at yourselve changes everything

Looking at ourselves can be very revealing and lately has been a subject in our house. We've been recording the Sunday Sermon on video the last few weeks. Early Monday I awoke to the sound of my husband's Sunday Sermon as he watched what was uploaded. I had noticed Sunday that he had dressed a little differently than usual. I had commented to him as we left for church that he looked nice. He called me to the computer where we watched the video..and as we watched he blurted out. "Last week I looked scruffy...so this week I wanted to look better." I knew what he meant because in our Kingdom Principles series there were a few times where my desperate need of a haircut had almost prevented me from posting those videos. As a result I've insisted in keeping a proper schedule of haircuts. I realize that this is not vain pride...but rather it is natural and good self examination that came as a result of looking at ourselves and making needed changes. James 1:23 says, " For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance." NLT

• Don't throw the mirror away. I wish I could say that our physical appearance is the only thing that we are working on but that is not true. God sheds light on areas that need change. It can be painful and sometimes we want to throw the mirror away. I let my husband know that was how he's looked for a long time when he's preached. His answer was....well watching myself on video shows me my need for change.
• Don't walk away and put your head in the sand. Sometimes we look in the mirror of God's Word and Presence and we are overwhelmed by what we see. It is tempting to slip away from the mirror and pretend what we saw isn't really there..or hope it will fix itself. Examining ourselves demands a plan be formed to address the problems. It can be simple and it can be step by step...but improvement only comes with action.
• Don't despair. God's mirror is to be a help not to bring depression. His desire is for us to live life and live it abundantly and that sometimes requires changes in direction.

Biblical Planning

Plans
Every January many people make plans to do better with their life. The goals are often praiseworthy but commitment to them wane by the end of the month. We are quickly heading toward the end of January and so I thought it might be a nice time to begin to look at those plans. It will be our topic for the next few weeks.

• 
  Is it alright to make plans biblically?

Many question whether or not a person should make plans at all. Verses such as, James 4:13-5:1 " Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.15 Instead you ought to say," If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. "NKJV cause some to wonder if it is wrong to even make plans. Some people walk away with the impression that James is saying we should not make plans for our life. Is he really saying that? Looking at verse 15 it seems he is really saying, God is the author of life and our plans may be good, but we must not act like they are unchangable by His hand. How sad it is that some have taken this verse and a few others to mean that they should simply float through life with no goals. It is always a good idea to make sure we read the entire context and read the whole counsel of God on a subject. We’ll be looking t a lot of verses about planning and goals in the coming days.

• 
  God’s plans for us
  A famous verse that has been a comfort to me over the years is Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. NKJV"

The entire chapter shows that Israel had strayed from the Lord. God was going to allow them to be taken over by another country….but in the end He would cause them to desire Him again. He was not and would not forsake them….rather He would woo them back to Himself. When they sought Him they would find Him. The NLT uses the word plans instead of thoughts. We form our plans in our thoughts and this Scripture shows that God’s people were on His mind and He had good plans for them even though they were going through some hard things because of their own doings at the moment. Parents of older children may be able tot relate to this verse a little easier than young people. There are times when parents have loved and given to their children only to be rejected or neglected by them. The pain can be overwhelming….but even through that pain most parents still desire their child’s good and restored relationship.
God has plans and he encourages us to make plans.