He's got the itty bitty babies in His hands - Bible Plan Verse #8

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ NLT)

Read it again.

Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ERV)

WHAT STICKS OUT?

Victorious right hand!

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

>>>THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD<<<

This idea reminds me of the children's song 'He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.' When I looked up Bible references to that song, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see a reference just one chapter before this verse. Isaiah asks "Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?" (‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭12‬ NLT) The biggest hand represents God and His holding everything in His hand.

>>>THE RIGHT HAND OF JESUS<<<

Sometimes we forget the complexity of our God. He is three in one. So perhaps this right hand doesn’t just belong to God the Father. The Old Testament also uses the phrase "right hand of God" to refer to the coming Messiah wielding the power of God on earth. That makes me think of Jesus like God's enforcer. God made the plans, but it was Jesus that punched Satan in the face. Why is the Jesus fist punching a bird? Because I think of the bird as the primary enemy of the worm. Why the worm? We'll get to that in a second.

>>>THE RIGHT HAND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT<<<

Now in the New Testament we read that Jesus is sitting at God's right hand meaning He is in a position of authority equal to God, but also that His work is complete. So if Jesus is done (for now), who do we turn to? In Acts Jesus tells us that when He gets to His seat at the right hand of God, He will send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us, teaches us, and helps us through our day... perhaps with His right hand. The smallest hand is that of the Holy Spirit giving direction. It's small not because the Holy Spirit is limited in power, but because we as humans can only handle small things in comparison to God.

>>>A WORM NAMED JACOB<<<

This is a verse of empowerment...and it is not. That "victorious right hand" is not ours. The power of the Almighty God is working on the behalf of His people and we can take no credit for it. We are just little worms. I'm not saying that to belittle you. God said it four verses later. "Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭14‬ NLT) This is not a verse to pump you up to overcome your obstacles or accomplish your goals. This is a promise to those who are fully dependent on God. It's surprising how quickly I turn this verse to selfishly focus on me. Satan is twisting the truth about God's love for us to make it all about us. I think, "God is backing me so I can do anything!" We are being spiritually attacked when we believe we are the hero and God is just a power boost we need every so often. All Christians rightfully claim to be dependent on God, but ask yourself if your actions support your beliefs. So if we aren't supposed to be treating God like an energy drink you take once a day to help you be your best, how should we act with God's power but in complete dependence on God? The Holy Spirit told me that the solution is thankfulness. Live in power and humility by giving God the glory for any action in your life no matter how big or how small. Through you, God did it all.

Top Secret Peace Plan - Bible Plan Verse #6

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ NLT)

Read it again.

And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds. (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ERV)

WHAT STICKS OUT?

God's unimaginable peace

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

>>> TARP OF UNDERSTANDING <<<

This verse tells us that God's peace is more than we can understand. We have some ideas about peace, but it's limited by what we see and understand like it's hidden or covered. The Holy Spirit showed me this as a heavy, military-grade, cloth tarp draped over some kind of equipment. The cloth wraps around the thing it covers so that you can almost guess what's under it, but you're not quite sure. You believe it's something great but it's like a top secret project that you're not allowed to see. Many times that's what happens with God's peace. Our limited understanding, our self centered view of the world, covers up God's true peace like a thick tarp. God's peace is still under there, but we have a hard time seeing it.

>>> THE LITTLE ZIPPER <<<

I recently got a pair of pants with a button fly. It's made me realize how nice and simple it is to have a zipper. Wouldn't it be nice to have a simple zipper to open up that heavy tarp that's covering the fullness of God's peace? Actually we do! You'll notice the zipper has the initials THX. If you didn't know, that's a shorthand version of the word "Thanks." We learn from the verse right before this one (Philippians 4:6) that thankfulness to God is the simple solution to unzip God's peace.

>>> HAND OF PEACE <<<

How can you draw a picture of peace without relying on a symbol like the dove or international sign for peace? Peace is a funny word because it's easier to define by what it is not. Go ahead, just try to describe peace without calling it "not war or fighting or violence." Even this verse tells us that God's peace will guard your thoughts and feelings. This idea makes me think of a shield which is a tool for war. Using weapons of war to describe peace is limiting God's peace to what our minds can handle.

Recently my wife was overwhelmed by her To-Do List so she began meditating on this verse for well over a week. She found that when she focused on thanking God, it wasn't that her problems went away, but it was like God pulled her out of her problems to understand His perspective. It was like He lifted her high up out of the mud so she could see what God saw. And what did He show her? That He is bigger than your problems. That He has taken care of them before you even saw them coming. You struggle to find peace when you are trying to manage what's going around you because you do not have that power to control the world. But God does! When you truly see God for how big He is and trust in Him instead of yourself, your problem don't destroy your peace. Your problems point you to the Prince of Peace.

Philippians 4:6 Flowchart - Bible Plan Verse #3

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ NLT)

Read it again.

Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ERV)

WHAT STICKS OUT?

Worry versus Prayer

Don't worry. Pray happy!

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

>>> FLOWCHART <<<

Flowcharts visually map out a process. I see a lot of them at work and most times it helps me get a better handle on the path to solving a problem. This verse seems simple enough, but a flowchart helped me see the bigger picture.

>>> DIAMOND SHAPED BOX <<<

In a flowchart, a diamond shaped box represents a decision point. It's important to realize that every problem we face comes with a choice. And our choices reveal the answer to a deeper question. Who would you rather handle this problem: you or God?

>>> CHOOSING TO PRAY <<<

When I first started piecing together this flowchart, on the prayer-side of the chart, I wanted to add elements like "pray without ceasing" or "work together with God to solve the problem", but the Holy Spirit stopped me. There was no need to add anything to what God already said. So I kept the prayer-side simple with the only two things this verse says to do: tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

>>> CHOOSING TO WORRY <<<

The worry-side is a stark contrast to the prayer-side. There is mass confusion and a constant push to do anything and everything to make the problem go away. I was surprised when the Holy Spirit showed me that the first step in worrying is planning. When a problem occurs, shouldn't we be working toward a solution? Yes, but too often our planning is how we try to take control of the situation without considering God's plan. That's not to say we should never plan anything, but you need to make you plans with God instead of by yourself.

>>> WHERE'S THE END? <<<

You may have realized that there is no end to this flowchart. It's just a continuous cycle. Sometimes you'll choose to pray. Other times you'll choose to worry. So you're probably asking yourself, "How am I supposed to solve these problems then if there is no end?" Too often we forget that God didn't ask us to be problem-solvers. He asked us to be Christ-followers. Stop trying to solve every problem. Just follow God.

Day 293

[Text from image: 10 healed, 1 thankful]

Day 282

[Text from image: Thank you, God]

Day 277

[Text from image: Your sins are forgiven]

Day 196

[Text from image: Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! Praise the Lord! His faithful love endures forever.]

Day 137

Day 113

[Text from image: Give thanks to the Lord for He is good!]