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 pretend we don’t see them. When He calls us to “go”, we plant our feet, dig in our heels, and stay. Each time He tells us to “speak” into the lives of others, we are only concerned about our own lives and how we are perceived, and our pride and/or fear keep us silent. When we choose to disobey we don’t disappoint God, and we don’t disrupt His plans, but we definitely miss out. 

When we fail to obey, our pride tells us that God NEEDS us. We believe the lie that we somehow let 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 (Psalm 33:11). 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 effect His holy perfection. 

Just because you have failed to make an impact at any given moment doesn’t mean that God will! When you miss opportunities to step out in faith, when you dig in your heals as God calls your name, what you really miss are the blessings. Your choices don’t disappoint God and they don’t disrupt His plans. They simply redirect the blessings that could so easily have been yours. 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!