The Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.

Psalm 33:11

When the Lord says “reach the lost”, sometimes we plug our ears and look the other way. When He calls us to “go”, we dig in our heels and stay. Each time He tells us to “speak” into the lives of others, we are so worried about how we are perceived, that our pride keeps us silent. But even though we choose to disobey, we don’t disappoint God and we don’t disrupt His plans. We just miss out on His blessings. 

When we fail to obey, we believe the lie that we somehow let have Him down, and we are filled with shame. But shame never comes from God, and no matter what WE do, God and His plans cannot be moved—even when we refuse to. People fail; God does not. People refuse to follow through; God never does. He doesn’t forget, He doesn’t lie, He doesn’t change His mind, He doesn’t give up, and He never fails to keep His promises. WE are the ones who do that! We can’t change our unchanging God. There is nothing we could ever do in our imperfect lives to negatively affect His holy perfection or a single one of His intentions! 

If you are like the rest of us, you have probably had plenty of moments where you have failed to act on the Lord’s leading, but He is not ashamed of you. When you miss opportunities to step out in faith, when you dig in your heals each time God calls you to serve Him, what you really miss are the blessings. Your choices don’t disappoint God and they don’t disrupt His plans. They simply redirect those blessings that could have been yours. God wants to fill your life with the joy that come through obedience. So when Jesus says “reach the lost”, reach far! When He calls you to “go”, go confidently! And when He tells you to “speak” His truth into the hearts of those who need to know Him, speak it clearly! When you trust Him and act on His instructions, you will be blessed every time! You are loved!