Ten years!

Today is a very special day.  It was on this day, in 2011, when I first launched this blog.

As I thought about what to do to commemorate this event, the Lord laid a sermon on my heart.  I have heard a lot of sermons in my life, but this one is certainly in the top five of my list.  It was preached by Michael Youssef.  Dr. Youssef is the founding pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia.  Interestingly, it was also in 2011 when he preached a sermon titled “When God’s plan for our life differs from ours”.  This sermon gripped my heart from the first time I heard it all those years ago, and it still does to this day. 

His text was Acts 16:6-10 where we are told about one of Paul and his team’s missionary journeys.  Acts 16:6 says that as they were on their way to Bithynia, God told them not to go there, instead they were to go to Troas.  At first, the team didn’t have a clue why God wanted them to make this detour in their plans.  In verse 9, while in Troas, they had a vision: someone from Macedonia was pleading with them to come and help them.  I looked at a map in the back of my Bible and discovered that Macedonia would have been much too far out of their way had they gone to Bithynia. 

The point Dr. Youssef was illustrating is there are times when God, in His perfect wisdom, has His followers go in a direction that makes no sense to them, but ultimately His will and way is always best.  I would love to quote so much great content that Youssef said in that sermon.  But, let me give this one quote.  He said,

“Every time I became disappointed with God’s plan for me; every time I became angry with God that I could not get my own way…I look back and realize how foolish it is!  I look back and find myself thanking God every single day that He did not allow me to have my plan.  You see, in the long run, His plan is far superior…In hindsight, I am so grateful that He blocked my plans, and stopped me from going the way I wanted to go, because His is much better.”  I love his transparency and candor!  Moreover, I’ve lived long enough to know that Dr. Youssef is absolutely right.

In conclusion, I love the song by Jonathan Traylor titled: “You get the glory from this”.  It is my heart’s cry regarding this blog, and my entire life’s journey.  With Traylor, I sing these words to God: “You get the glory from this.  No matter what I have to go through in this world, as long as You get the glory from it.  Tribulation; persecution; my affliction, You get the glory from it.  In my weakness; in my brokenness; in the crushing, You get the glory from it.  On the mountain top; in the valley low; You are in control.  You get the glory from this.  On my good days; on my bad days; I will still say, You get the glory from this.  You get the glory from this.  Please get the glory from this.”  

Kevin