The Safest Place You’ll Ever Stand

Howdy, there, friend! Step right up on this ol’ front porch. I am real pleased that you’ve decided to come stoppin’ by here today because I have been thinkin’ on somethin’ that needs a real good listener and a gentle, cool breeze. So, pull your chair a little closer  because we’re about to step into a truth that lands on the heart like a big ol’ bullfrog that plopped itself right onto your favorite steppin’ stone. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “The Lord says He knows the plans He has for us. Plans to prosper us, not harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future.” That ain’t no kind of maybe. That ain’t no kind of a lil’ ol’possibility either. That there’s a promise as steady as a big ol’ barn beam that has held up a roof for more than one hundred years.

To deepen this truth, let’s add Proverbs 3:5-6, which tells us to “trust in the Lord with all our heart and acknowledge Him in all our ways so He will make our paths straight.” That verse fits this like a well-worn ol’ boot fits right on a busy cowboy’s foot. It plum reminds us that God’s will ain’t no maze. It’s a real path. And He’s the One who clears that path for us.

Now think about this. Why would anyone not want to be in God’s will when His will offers peace, protection, provision, purpose, and perseverance? That there’s plum like turning down a warm, buttered biscuit because you’ve already got in hand a stale cracker. Yet people run. Some don’t want no kind of spiritual influence. Some already decided what they want God to be doin’. Some can’t even tell the difference between bein’ in His will or bein’ outside of it. Some only serve Him as long as He hands out real good blessin’s like real good candy.

And here’s the part we often forget, friend. God is not hiding His will like a squirrel that buried a nut and forgot where it put it. He’s not playin’ spiritual hide and seek. Psalm 32:8 tells us that He will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go and that He will counsel us with His loving eye on us. That there means God’s will is not only good, it’s sho’-nuff’ guided. It’s real watched over. It’s plum shaped by a Father who sees farther than we ever could and loves deeper than we can measure.

So, when we run from His will, we’re not runnin’ from rules. We’re running from guidance. We’re runnin’ from wisdom. We’re runnin’ from the very eye that watches over us like a shepherd who’s watchin’ a lil’ ol’ lamb that keeps right on wanderin’ toward the fence line.

Now, friend, if you’re runnin’ away from God’s will, ask yourself why. What are you protectin’? What are you afraid of losin’? What do you think you know better than the One who made the stars and still keeps track of every sparrow that comes hoppin’ across your yard? His will ain’t no kind of a trap. It’s plum the safest place you could ever be standin’.

Father, thank You for having plans for us that are good and full of hope. Help us trust You with all our heart and stop running from the very place where peace and purpose live. Give us courage to surrender our plans and embrace Yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ok now, friend, as you lift that ol’ latch on whatever waits beyond this moment, my prayer is that a deep and settled peace finds you the way a long wanderin’ cow finally finds the shadiest oak in the whole pasture to be grazin’ under. You gotta be lettin’ courage rise in you stronger than a determined little beaver stackin’ sticks like it’s building the Taj Mahal of ponds. And you gotta be lettin’ your hope stretch out before you wider than an ol’ farmer watchin’ the first light of dawn spill across a brand new field, knowin’ something good is about to be growin’ there.

God’s plans for you are not flimsy or fragile. They are real sturdy, steady, and kinder than anything you could ever dream up on your own. He’s already standin’ on the far side of every gate you’ll ever open, not wringin’ His hands, not pacin’, but waitin’ with real purpose and promise. So, lean right on into His will with your whole heart and your whole soul, trustin’ that His way is always wiser, safer, and richer than any path you could carve out by yourself.

With joy,

Gwen