The Book of JamesSample

Today's Devotional:

Have you ever made big plans to go on vacation—you planned for every possible scenario but were left with unmet expectations? Or you had plans for marriage, kids, and the white picket fence, but you still find yourself single? How about those of us who thought we would have conquered corporate America and made our first million by the age of 30? How did those unmet expectations make you feel? What if those “unmet expectations” are actually God’s “Divine expectation?”

In James 4:13-17, James shares that we may have goals and aspirations that WE think should happen in our lives. However, even though my life involves me, it shouldn’t ultimately be about ME. When we are so focused on our lives and our aspirations that we forget to invite the One who created us and is all-knowing into our plans, we are settling for less than what God has planned for us. When we aren’t asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom over our lives and our day-to-day plans, we are met with unmet expectations. We need to rework our view of God, and His plans should be our goal. In Jeremiah 29:11 it states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” When God’s best for us is to prosper us and give us hope and a future, why are we still trying to make our plans work? God’s plans are always better than our plans.

Today, I want to challenge you to say to God, “not my will, but your will be done” (Luke 22:42).

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Today's devotional was written by Pastor Janna Johns.

Questions:

1. What would my life and the life of my family look like if I said, “If it is the Lord’s will, I will do it” today?
2. What plans is God asking you to lay aside today in order to do His will for your life?

Prayer:

God, thank you that you care about every detail and every plan in my life. I don’t want my priorities today to take over the assignment that you have for me for tomorrow. I want to open my life to you and the life of my family to you, knowing that you have our future in your hands. Today, I ask for wisdom as I make plans, and I pray that those plans are in alignment with your will. Amen.